Immigrate to Canada as a Teacher

Teachers are one of the most important and respected professions in the world. The need for talented and inspirational educators is in high demand across the globe, Canada included.

Canada is known to be one of the most educated countries in the world, with over 56% of its adults possessing a post-secondary qualification, according to the (OECD). This is owed predominantly to its outstanding education system, which is provided without charge to all Canadians, including permanent residents.

If you have been considering immigrating to Canada, now is the opportune moment to seize the day and start living the rest of your life in one of the most diverse, multicultural and liberal countries in the world.

Teachers are not only in the top 10 most in-demand jobs in Canada and are included on 8 of Canada’s 11 Provincial Nominee Program Occupation in-demand lists . According to Job Bank Canada, secondary school teachers can look forward to 53,700 new job positions between 2019 and 2028, which means that Canada’s education sector will be in demand for a substantial number of years. Pair that with great benefits and a chance to earn up to $96,000 per year, you will be able to provide a brighter future not only for the young minds that you will be moulding but also your loved ones.

To speak to one of our consultants and have your eligibility assessment done by a verified service, simply click the link below or continue reading to find out which options are best for teachers who want to move to Canada .

Jobs in Canada: How Much Do Teachers Make Canada?

Teaching is a noble profession, no matter which level or age your students are. Whether you’re an early childhood educator, an elementary or high school teacher or a university or college professor, your role is fundamental in the lives of millions of people and there a plenty of lucrative job opportunities for you in Canada. Education is deeply rooted in Canada’s value system, which is why such a high level of public education is afforded to all citizens and permanent residents and their family members for free. And for this, Canada rewards its educators with competitive salaries and great benefits.

According to Business Insider, Canada was ranked as one of the top 10 countries worldwide list of best paid elementary teaching jobs . Below are some of the average salaries (according to Pay scale) for teachers that are currently in demand across the country. 

It is important to note that salaries vary depending on education level and work experience from province to territory.

Average Annual Salaries for High School Teachers in Canada
Province/Territory	Average Salary (CAD)
National Average	$68,894
Alberta	$70,098
British Columbia	$53,031
New Brunswick	$66,250
Newfoundland & Labrador	$58,500
Northwest Territories	$82,000
Nova Scotia	$57,675
Ontario	$87,000
Prince Edward Island	$63,512
Quebec	$49,579
Saskatchewan	$62,400
Yukon	$69,000

What Benefits Do Teachers Get in Canada?

When you immigrate to Canada as a teacher, you will not only have access to the fantastic universal healthcare system, which won’t cost you a dollar, but also various employment benefits which you may not have access to in your own country. This includes a number of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits such as:

Work Benefits for Teachers in Canada
Benefit	Description
Paid maternity and parental benefits	Maternity benefits (up to 55% of your earnings for up to 15 weeks) + standard or extended parental benefits ·  standard – up to 55% of your earnings for up to 40 weeks (1 parent can’t take more than 35 weeks) ·  or extended – up to 33% of your earnings for up to 69 weeks (1 parent can’t take more than 61 weeks)
Sickness benefits	Up to 55% of your earnings for up to 15 weeks if you can’t find work because of medical reasons
Caregiver Benefits	Family caregiver benefit for children – up to 35 weeks payable (a critically ill or injured person under 18) Family caregiver benefits for adults – up to 15 weeks  (a critically ill or injured person 18 or older) Compassionate care benefits – up to 26 weeks ( a person of any age who needs end-of-life-care)

It is important to note that these benefits may vary from province to province, whether you are employed on a full or part-time basis as well as years of work experience.

How Can Foreign Teachers Apply for Canadian Immigration?

Applying for teaching jobs in Canada or starting the visa application process is not an easy feat, but we’ve highlighted 4 simple questions that you should know the answer to before you start the process of immigrating to Canada.

1. Where Do I Want to Live and Work in Canada?

Moving to Canada is a monumental life decision that should not be taken lightly. When considering different destinations in Canada to call home, you will need to take a few things into consideration such as:

• Cost of living
• Healthcare needs (are there specialized facilities to meet your and your family’s specific healthcare needs)
• Available job offers in your field (you’ll have a better chance if your job is in demand)
• Potential for career growth
• Affordability of accommodation (whether you want to buy or rent)
• Your lifestyle preferences, for example, do you prefer big cities or small town

At this point, you may like tofind out which provinces need teachers the most. The more available jobs in a particular province or territory the higher the likelihood of you receiving a job in Canada or, better yet, an invitation to apply for permanent residence from your chosen province. 

Below are the 8 provinces and territories that have teaching occupations on their list of in-demand occupations:

Canadian Provinces/Territories Where Teachers Are In-demand
Province/Territory	Occupation In-demand
Alberta	(4011) University professors and lecturers
British Columbia	(4413) Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
Newfoundland & Labrador	(4011) University professors and lecturers (4031) Secondary school teachers
Nova Scotia	(4021) College and vocational instructors
Northwest Territories	(4214) Early Childhood Educator
Prince Edward Island	(4011) University professors and lecturers
Saskatchewan	(4011) University professors and lecturers (4021) College and vocational instructors (4214) Early Childhood Educator (4215) Instructor of persons with disabilities (4216) Other instructors (4413) Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
Yukon	(4214) Early Childhood Educator

Knowing which province or territory is right for you will also stand in your favour when it comes to starting the visa application process as choosing the right Canadian immigration program can make or break your visa application in terms of being successful versus disappointment. 

Because this is such a fundamental part of the process, we offer extensive eligibility evaluation to help all our clients start off on the right foot.

2. What Documents Will I Need to Apply?

In order to immigrate to Canada as a teacher, you will need to gather some important documents, especially regarding your qualifications. If you have a foreign qualification, you will first need to check if it is recognised in Canada. If it is recognized, you may need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), which verifies that your degree, diploma or certificate is valid and equal to Canadian standards. 

Below is a list of designated organizations that are permitted to do your assessment:

• Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies;
• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada;
• World Education Services;
• International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS); and
• International Credential Evaluation Service.

Your level of education depends on your occupation. Below is a list of educational requirements:

• Early Childhood Educators usually require a 2 – 4 year college program in early childhood education or a Bachelor’s Degree in child development while assistants will merely need to have completed secondary school, have experience in childcare and have completed an early childhood assistant certificate or post-secondary course in early childhood education
• Elementary and Kindergarten teachers require a Bachelor’s Degree in education and possibly child development as well as additional training in special education and a provincial certificate.
• Academic or secondary teachers usually require a Bachelor’s Degree in Education as well as in the Arts or Sciences.
• College and Vocational Instructors require a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree or College Diploma in your field of expertise and possibly a qualification in adult education (certificate, diploma or degree)
• University professors need a Doctoral and Master’s Degree in your specialized field.

You will also need a provincial teaching certificate as well as be a license which you will receive once you have become a member of a teacher’s association in your chosen province or territory. 

Below is a list of regulatory bodies and federations in each province and territory that will be able to issue you with a license so that you can work in Canada as a teacher:

Regulatory Bodies for Teachers in Canada
Province/Territory	Regulatory Authority
Alberta	Alberta Education, Professional Standard
British Columbia	Ministry of Education, Teacher Regulation Branch
Manitoba	Department of Education and Literacy, Teacher Certification Unit
New Brunswick	Department of Education, Teacher Certification Unit
Newfoundland and Labrador	Department of Education, Registrar of Teacher Certification
Northwest Territory	Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Teacher Certification
Nova Scotia	Department of Education, Registrar of Teacher Certification
Nunavut	Nunavut Educators’ Certification, Department of Education
Ontario	Ontario College of Teachers (OCT)
Prince Edward Island	Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Registrar’s Office
Québec	Québec – Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, Direction de la formation et de la titularisation du personnel scolaire
Saskatchewan	Saskatchewan Department of Education, Teacher Services
Yukon	Yukon Education, Teacher Certification Unit

3. Do I Have a Job Offer or How Likely am I to Find a Job in Canada?

Seeing as most educational professionals are classified as highly-skilled, you may be eligible to apply through certain programs and Canadian immigration systems that do not require that you have a job in Canada in order to immigrate to Canada, such as Express Entry, however, we’ve all heard the sad stories of qualified professionals who have moved to Canada but are struggling to find work. This can all be avoided if you find a job before you apply for your visa for 2 reasons. 

The first reason is that it will alleviate a lot of stress of having to find a job before your funds run out, allowing you to focus on other things like getting settled in your Canadian community. The second is that it could improve your chances of receiving a visa in 2 ways: you could get up to 10 extra Permanent Residency (PR) or Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points or you could receive a Provincial Nomination (PN) which is worth 600 extra points! All the more reason to have your evaluation done by a professional to make sure that you maximise your chances of success in the visa application process.

4. Have I Chosen the Correct or Best Canadian immigration program?

There are various ways to immigrate to Canada as a teacher but we’ve listed the top 4 routes that will give you the highest possible chance of living and working in Canada:

1. Express Entry system;
2. Provincial Nominee Program;
3. Atlantic Immigration Pilot;
4. Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

1. Express Entry

The Express Entry (EE) system is a points-based system that manages 3 Canadian federal economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Trade Worker Program (FSTP) and the Canada Experience Class (CEC). As a highly-skilled professional, you would qualify to apply through the FSWP or the CEC (if you have at least 1 year of Canadian work experience). Your EE application will be entered into draws, which usually takes place every 2 weeks, and ranked against other applicants according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Applicants with the highest scores will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The Express Entry system is one of the most popular ways to immigrate to Canada as it does not require a job offer in Canada, allowing you to work anywhere, and that the application process can take as little as 6 months.

2. Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program allows you to live and work in Canada if you have a valid job offer in Canada that meets the labour demands of that particular province or territory. Each province/territory has its own PNP with specific in-demand occupations and if you receive a provincial nomination, which is worth 600 extra points you are basically guaranteed to receive an ITA for Canadian permanent residence. As mentioned previously, almost every PNP has a stream linked to the Express Entry system, which will speed up your application process from approximately 18 months if you apply directly to the province to 6months when you apply through Express Entry. Below is a list of PNP streams or categories, in each province or territory, for medical professionals who want to immigrate to Canada.

Canadian Immigration for Teachers
Province/Territory	Immigration Stream/Category
Alberta	Alberta Express Entry Stream
British Columbia	Express Entry: Skilled Worker Category
Newfoundland and Labrador	Express Entry: Skilled Worker Stream
Northwest Territories	Express Entry: Skilled Worker Stream
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry Stream
Prince Edward Island	Express Entry Stream
Saskatchewan	Express Entry: International Skilled Worker Category
Yukon	Express Entry: Skilled Worker Stream

3. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is perfect if you have your heart set on putting down roots in one of Canada’s coastal regions, namely Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Newfoundland & Labrador. In order to qualify for this program, you will need a valid job offer in one of Canada’s Atlantic provinces as well as meet other requirements such as language skills and work experience.

4. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

If you don’t see yourself settling down beside the ocean but are still yearning for the simple life then you may want to consider one of the 11 participating communities of Canada’s Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), namely Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick. You will once again need a valid job offer of at least one year in one of the participating communities as well as meet other requirements to apply to immigrate to Canada through the RNIP.

How We Can Help You Immigrate to Canada as a Teacher

Applying for a visa can be time-consuming and confusing. With strict deadlines, procedures and requirements to adhere to, it can be easy to make a mistake that could cost you your chance to immigrate to Canada. But with the guidance and assistance of one of our knowledgeable Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC’s), the process will be stress-free.

When you choose to use our expert at sober immigration and government trusted services, you will receive:

• An in-depth eligibility assessment
• Guidance on which of 70+ immigration programs and visas to choose from;
• An immigration plan tailored to your individual needs;
• A review and submission of all application forms and documentation; as well as
• Support through every step of the application process.