Moving to Canada from the Philippines: Work, Study and PR Routes

Filipinos are one of the largest groups of newcomers to Canada, and many come as health workers, caregivers, and skilled tradespeople. Your best route depends on your job, your English scores, and whether you have family or an employer in Canada.

The Philippines is not an International Experience Canada (IEC) partner, so there is no working holiday option for Filipino citizens.

The Philippines is on IRCC's visa-required list, but it is also one of the countries whose citizens can sometimes get an eTA instead of a visa. You qualify for the CAD $7 eTA only if you are flying to Canada and you either held a Canadian visitor visa in the last 10 years or hold a valid US nonimmigrant visa. Otherwise, or if you arrive by land or sea, you need a visitor visa (CAD $100 plus CAD $85 biometrics, as of September 2026).

If IRCC approves a study or work permit for you, it issues the visa or eTA you need at the same time.

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 the Philippines in Manila and Cebu. If you live in another country, you can use any VAC. See our biometrics guide.

Philippine exit rules. If you are leaving for a job in Canada, the Philippine government's Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has its own registration and exit requirements for overseas Filipino workers. Check them before you fly, and deal only with DMW-licensed recruitment agencies. Under Canadian rules, employers of temporary foreign workers can't charge you recruitment fees or let recruiters charge them.

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 a strong option for Filipino nurses, engineers, IT workers, and other professionals. English is widely used in Philippine schools and workplaces, which helps with test scores, but you still need an approved test result.

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.

A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points.

Manitoba has one of the largest Filipino communities in Canada relative to its size, and its nominee program gives weight to family and community connections in the province. Alberta and Saskatchewan nominate many workers already employed there, including in health care. British Columbia now focuses on health care and a few other priority jobs, and Ontario's new Workforce Priority Stream needs a job offer. In Atlantic Canada, the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot work through designated employers.

Caregivers. The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (Child Care and Home Support) paused new applications in December 2025, and IRCC said they would not reopen in March 2026 as expected. Applications already submitted are still being processed. Caregivers with experience in other eligible health or social service jobs may qualify through Express Entry or a provincial stream instead. Be careful with anyone selling "caregiver visa" packages; see our scam protection guide.

Many Filipinos come to Canada as college students, but the 2026 cap and the PGWP field-of-study rules make your program choice important. Check that your program leads to a PGWP before you pay tuition.

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. The fast-track Student Direct Stream that many applicants from this country used ended on November 8, 2024, so everyone now applies through the regular process.

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. Many Filipinos work in Canada on LMIA-based permits in health care, food processing, hospitality, and agriculture.

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.

Because many Filipino families already have relatives in Canada, sponsorship is common. A brother or sister in Canada who is a citizen or PR also adds 15 CRS points in Express Entry.

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 the Philippines, IELTS General Training and PTE Core are available, and CELPIP-General sittings are held in Manila. Check each provider for dates. 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. Nurses need a separate licensing assessment from the regulator in the province where they want to work; the ECA for immigration does not replace it.

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. In the Philippines you get an NBI Multi-purpose Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation, online or at any NBI office. If you live abroad, apply by mail to the NBI head office or through a Philippine embassy or consulate. The certificate is in English, so it doesn't need a translation. Full details: IRCC's police certificate instructions for the Philippines. See our police certificates guide.

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

Filipino Canadians are one of Canada's largest Asian communities, and Tagalog is one of the most spoken immigrant languages in the country. Big communities live in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario (Toronto and Mississauga), Winnipeg in Manitoba, Vancouver and Surrey in British Columbia, and Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta. Filipino churches, community groups, and settlement agencies help newcomers find housing and work.