Moving to Canada from the UK: IEC, Express Entry and Work Permits

British citizens have more options than most nationalities, because they are visa-exempt and can use IEC.

If you have a Canadian parent, check whether you are already a Canadian citizen under the 2025 changes to citizenship by descent; see citizenship by descent.

British citizens are visa-exempt. To fly to or through a Canadian airport you need an eTA, which costs CAD $7 and lasts up to 5 years or until your passport expires. You don't need one when you arrive by land or sea. Visitors can usually stay up to 6 months, and the border officer decides the exact period.

If IRCC approves a work or study permit for you, it issues your eTA automatically.

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 United Kingdom in London. If you live in another country, you can use any VAC. See our biometrics guide.

Holders of other types of British nationality passports should check their exact status on IRCC's entry requirements list.

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

Yes. The UK is an International Experience Canada partner, and British citizens can apply in all three categories:

• Working Holiday: an open work permit; no job offer needed.
• Young Professionals: an employer-specific permit for a job that builds your career.
• International Co-op (Internship): for students who need a work placement.

You create a profile, enter the pool, and wait for a random invitation. The age limit, length of stay, and number of places are set in the Canada-UK arrangement, so check IRCC's IEC pages for the current rules before you enter the pool. Fees as of September 2026: CAD $184.75 participation fee, plus CAD $100 open work permit holder fee for Working Holiday, and CAD $85 for biometrics if needed. See IEC working holiday.

IEC is a common first step: 1 year of full-time skilled work in Canada (TEER 0 to 3) can qualify you for the Canadian Experience Class.

British applicants usually score well in Express Entry because of strong English, degrees, and skilled work experience. You still need an approved English test result, even as a native speaker.

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.

Doctors need a license from the provincial medical regulator before they can practice in Canada.

Besides IEC, British citizens can use:

• The Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement. It carries over the temporary entry rules of the Canada-EU trade agreement (CETA), which allow LMIA-exempt work permits for some intra-company transferees, investors, contract service suppliers, and independent professionals.
• Intra-company transfers for managers and specialists moving within a company group.
• LMIA work permits and the Global Talent Stream with a Canadian job offer.

Spouses of some skilled workers can get an open work permit.

British students need a study permit for programs longer than 6 months. Most college and bachelor's students need a provincial attestation letter under the 2026 cap; master's and PhD students at public universities don't.

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.

Before you move. Canada and the UK both allow dual citizenship, so you can become Canadian without giving up British citizenship (dual citizenship). The UK State Pension is not increased each year for people who live in Canada, so check the UK government's guidance before you move if you are near retirement.

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 UK, IELTS General Training and PTE Core are widely available. CELPIP-General has limited locations outside Canada, so check celpip.ca. 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. UK degrees also need an ECA for Express Entry.

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. UK citizens and residents get a Police Certificate from ACRO Criminal Records Office, run by the National Police Chiefs' Council; you apply online. If you have an older record that doesn't appear on the certificate, IRCC's page explains the extra information you must give. Full details: IRCC's police certificate instructions for the United Kingdom. See our police certificates guide.

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

British-born Canadians live across the country. Large communities are in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Metro Vancouver and Victoria in British Columbia, Calgary in Alberta, and Ottawa. Many IEC participants start in Vancouver, Toronto, or ski towns in British Columbia and Alberta. Canada's legal and parliamentary systems grew from British traditions, so some things will feel familiar.