Canada vs Islamic Republic of Iran
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Canada
Canada's permanent-residence system is dominated by Express Entry, covering Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades, plus Provincial Nominee Programs. Temporary routes include LMIA-based work permits, International Mobility Program, and the Post-Graduation Work Permit.
- Official portal
- IRCC
- Languages
- English, French
- Currency
- Canadian dollar
Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran publishes public non-immigrant visa guidance through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eVisa portal and the MFA traveller pages. The source-backed packet covers visa-waiver tourism entry, tourist, entry, pilgrimage, education, temporary work, transit, media, investment, marital and medical visa categories, while avoiding unsupported permanent-residence or citizenship claims.
- Official portal
- Evisa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran
- Languages
- Persian
- Currency
- Iranian rial
How Canada and Islamic Republic of Iran differ
| Dimension | Canada | Islamic Republic of Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 8 | 11 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 7 | 5 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 6 | 0 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Arrival as PR → citizenship eligibility at 3 years. Temp-to-PR transition (Express Entry or PNP from inside Canada) typically adds another 1-3 years. | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) | Temporary Work Visa |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | IRCC service standard for Federal Skilled Worker under Express Entry is 5–8 months from AOR. | — |
| Skilled visa government fees | Canada Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker) costs about CA$1,675 in government fees for a single applicant, plus roughly CA$550 in pre-application third-party costs (ECA + language test). | — |
| Official languages | English, French | Persian |
| Currency | Canadian dollar | Iranian rial |
| Primary regulator | CICC | MFA |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 1 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Canada
Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- Canada Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker) costs about CA$1,675 in government fees for a single applicant, plus roughly CA$550 in pre-application third-party costs (ECA + language test).
- Processing time
- IRCC service standard for Federal Skilled Worker under Express Entry is 5–8 months from AOR.
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Islamic Republic of Iran
Temporary Work Visa
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Recent policy activity
Last 6 months. Each entry links to its primary government source.
- 30 April 2026Canada
Canada: PR fees rise (30 Apr 2026), category-based Express Entry, Start-up Visa closed, arranged-employment points removed
A run of IRCC changes through 2025-26 reshaped Express Entry economics and closed the Start-up Visa to new applicants.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Routes unique to Canada
Visa routes side by side
Canada (8)
Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Express Entry — Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 3 years.
Start-Up Visa (Canada)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Canadian Study Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Programme length plus 90 days.
Spousal / common-law sponsorship (Canada)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Islamic Republic of Iran (11)
Visa-Waiver Tourism Entry
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 15 days for the MFA-listed ordinary-passport tourism waiver; other bilateral waivers depend on the nationality-specific rule.
Tourist Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and permitted stay are shown on the issued visa; confirm the grant terms before travel.
Entry Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and permitted stay are shown on the issued visa or mission instruction.
Pilgrimage Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and stay length are shown on the issued pilgrimage visa.
Education Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and stay conditions are set by the issued visa and the Iranian academic or ministry approval.
Temporary Work Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and work conditions are set by the issued visa and the approved labour certificate.
Transit Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Transit-only permission; validity and transit stay are shown on the issued visa.
Media Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and conditions are shown on the issued media visa and permit.
Investment Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and conditions are shown on the issued visa and investment approval.
Marital Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and stay conditions are shown on the issued marital visa.
Medical Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Validity and stay conditions are shown on the issued medical visa and treatment approval.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Canada or Islamic Republic of Iran?+
Canada’s Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) is the dominant skilled route; Islamic Republic of Iran’s Temporary Work Visa is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Which immigration system has changed more recently, Canada or Islamic Republic of Iran?+
In the last 6 months: 1 logged policy change for Canada, 0 for Islamic Republic of Iran. See the recent-policy section above for the details, each linked to its primary source.
Does Canada or Islamic Republic of Iran have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Canada has more: 7 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 5 for Islamic Republic of Iran. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.