Moving to Canada from Nigeria: Express Entry, Study and Documents

Most Nigerians who move to Canada have a degree, several years of work experience, and strong English test scores, and they apply through Express Entry. Others study in Canada first.

Nigeria is not an International Experience Canada (IEC) partner, and the federal Start-Up Visa closed at the end of 2025.

Nigeria is on IRCC's list of visa-required countries (entry requirements page updated July 31, 2026). You need a visitor visa, officially a temporary resident visa (TRV), to travel to Canada, and you can't use an eTA instead. The visa costs CAD $100 plus CAD $85 for biometrics, as of September 2026.

If IRCC approves a study permit or work permit for you, it issues the visa at the same time, so you don't file a separate visa application.

Where to give biometrics. Most applicants aged 14 to 79 give fingerprints and a photo at a visa application center (VAC). IRCC lists VACs in Nigeria in Abuja and Lagos. If you live in another country, you can use any VAC. See our biometrics guide.

Officers look closely at your ties to Nigeria and the source of your money. Give clear, consistent bank records; large deposits you can't explain can lead to a refusal. If you are refused, read our guide to refusals and GCMS notes before you reapply.

Processing times depend on the country you apply from and change every week. Check the processing times tool before you plan a move date.

Express Entry is the main route for Nigerian professionals. English is Nigeria's official language, but you still need an approved test, and a high result (CLB 9 or above) adds many CRS points.

Express Entry covers three programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. From abroad, most people use FSW: at least 1 year of continuous skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) in the last 10 years, CLB 7 in English or French, an educational credential assessment for foreign degrees, 67 points on the FSW grid, and settlement funds (CAD $15,263 for one person in IRCC's current proof of funds table). Candidates are ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and job offers stopped adding CRS points on March 25, 2025. Check your score with the CRS calculator.

2026 categories and how they fit:

Between July and mid-September 2026, French draws invited 5,000 candidates each with cutoffs of 382 to 420, a health care draw cut off at 475, and CEC draws at 516 to 523. There were no STEM, education, or trades draws in that period. See 2026 Express Entry categories and the draw tracker.

Settlement funds are often the hardest part for Federal Skilled Worker candidates. Keep the money in accounts you can document with statements, remember that the amount rises with each family member, and check your number with the proof of funds calculator.

Nigerians settle across Canada, and several provinces have streams that fit them:

• Alberta: popular for lower living costs; most AAIP streams select people already working in Alberta or with an Alberta job offer.
• Saskatchewan and Manitoba: favor candidates with a job offer or connection in the province.
• Atlantic Canada: the Atlantic Immigration Program and provincial streams in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick put health care and trades first.
• Ontario: its only open OINP stream in 2026, the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, needs a job offer.

French speakers can also look at the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot in six communities outside Quebec.

Nigeria has been a major source of international students. The Nigeria Student Express, a faster study permit process, ended on November 8, 2024, and the 2026 cap and higher living-funds amount make applications harder. Officers focus on your study plan, your finances, and whether the program fits your background.

Study permits in 2026. Canada caps new study permit applications: in 2026 IRCC accepts about 309,670 applications that need a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL). Most college and bachelor's students need one; master's and doctoral students at public institutions don't. You must show tuition plus living funds (CAD $23,448 for one person outside Quebec, for applications from September 1, 2026). See the study permit page and the 2026 cap.

After graduating, a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) needs CLB 7 for university graduates or CLB 5 for college graduates, and non-degree programs must be in an eligible field. Canadian study and work can add CRS points and lead to the Canadian Experience Class.

Work permits. Most foreign workers need a job offer and a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the employer; see LMIA work permits. Low-wage LMIAs are refused in 26 of 41 metro areas for July 10 to October 8, 2026 (details). Tech employers can use the Global Talent Stream, and multinationals can use an intra-company transfer. Never pay for a job offer or an LMIA; offers that require payment are a common scam (scam protection).

Working holiday: Nigeria is not an International Experience Canada (IEC) partner country, so Nigerian citizens can't get an IEC working holiday permit.

If your spouse or partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they can sponsor you through spousal sponsorship, which is open in 2026 and usually has no minimum income rule. Parents can also sponsor dependent children. The Parents and Grandparents Program stopped taking new interest to sponsor forms on July 15, 2026, but the Super Visa still lets parents and grandparents visit for long periods.

Language tests. IRCC accepts five tests for permanent residence: IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. IELTS Academic and PTE Academic don't count for Express Entry. Results are valid for 2 years. In Nigeria, IELTS General Training and PTE Core are the most widely available English tests. CELPIP-General is offered in only a few countries outside Canada, so check celpip.ca before you plan to use it. TEF Canada and TCF Canada are offered at approved French-language centers. Convert your scores with the CLB converter and read the language tests guide.

Credential assessment. If you studied outside Canada, you need an educational credential assessment (ECA) from an IRCC-designated organization, such as World Education Services (WES), for FSW eligibility and CRS points. Doctors use the Medical Council of Canada and pharmacists use the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada. An ECA is valid for 5 years. WES usually needs your university to send transcripts directly, which can take months, so start early.

Police certificate. IRCC asks for a police certificate from each country where you spent 6 months or more in a row since age 18, usually after you apply for permanent residence. Nigerians get a Police Character Certificate from the Central Criminal Registry, Force CID Annex, in Lagos. You apply in person in Nigeria, or by mail from abroad with certified fingerprints and payment to the Nigeria Police Force. A Nigerian embassy or consulate can certify the certificate for a fee. Full details: IRCC's police certificate instructions for Nigeria. See our police certificates guide.

You will also need an immigration medical exam with an IRCC panel physician when IRCC asks for it.

Nigerian Canadians are one of the fastest-growing African communities in Canada. The largest communities are in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario (Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto), Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta, Winnipeg in Manitoba, Ottawa, and Halifax. Nigerian associations, churches, and mosques help newcomers with jobs, housing, and settling in.