Brazilian citizens moving to Canada
Brazilian nationals typically move to Canada through its standard work, study, family, and skilled-migration routes rather than through a dedicated bilateral scheme. Eligibility and processing times are set by IRCC, so check each route below for its primary source.
We cover 8 Canada routes — 7 can be started without a job offer, and 6 lead to permanent residence.
Tourist entry
No. Brazilian nationals require a visa to enter Canada, even for short tourism. A separate residence or work route is required for long-term stay.
Treaty & bilateral memberships
No nationality-specific treaty routes apply.
Consular processing: a Canada consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence
What this means for Brazilian citizens
Of the 8 Canada routes we cover, 7 can be started without an employer sponsor and 6 can lead to permanent residence. Expect a language test or qualification-recognition step, since language alignment is only partial.
Headline figures — Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
Computed from our continuously re-verified, primary-sourced data. Indicative, not legal advice.
Government cost
CA$1,675
Single applicant, no dependants
Spouse adds CA$990 + CA$600 RPRF. Each dependent child adds CA$270 (raised from CA$260 on 30 April 2026). Family biometrics are capped at CA$170 per family.
Verified 1 June 2026 · IRCC — Fee list for permanent residence applications →
How long it takes
5 months – 8 months
IRCC service standard for Federal Skilled Worker under Express Entry is 5–8 months from AOR.
Verified 1 June 2026 · IRCC — Check processing times →
Time to permanent residence
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.
Leads to Permanent Residence (PR), then Canadian citizenship.
Will you qualify?
Express Entry ranks candidates by CRS score; estimate yours and compare it against recent draw cut-offs.
Estimate your score →Routes with nationality-specific notes
Each link opens the Brazilian-specific guide for that route.
Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
Federal points-based permanent residence for skilled workers without prior Canadian experience.
Brazilian FSW applicants concentrate in IT, engineering, healthcare, and finance. CAPES/MEC-accredited universities receive ECA via WES or IQAS on standard terms; Brazilian degrees from federal and major state universities clear ECA without supplementary documentation. The 2024 IRCC category-based draws targeting French-language proficiency are a meaningful CRS lifter for Brazilian candidates with TEF Canada or TCF Canada certification — the Romance-language proximity makes CLB 7+ French realistically achievable for Portuguese-native speakers within 6–12 months of focused study, and the resulting category-draw cut-offs are typically 50–80 CRS points lower than the general draw. Apostille via the Brazilian MFA (Itamaraty) covers degree certificates and Federal Police criminal records on a single-step basis.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Province-led permanent residence streams giving a 600 CRS boost when aligned with Express Entry.
Brazilian applicants use PNP particularly via Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW), BC PNP Tech, and Atlantic streams where French language can boost application standing. Brazilian degrees from CAPES-accredited universities receive ECA via WES or IQAS on standard terms. Quebec-bound applicants need CSQ before federal PR submission.
Start-Up Visa (Canada)
Permanent residence for entrepreneurs with endorsement from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator.
Brazilian founders increasingly use SUV as a Canadian entry alternative to the US E-2 (which Brazil does not qualify for). Accredited ECA on founder qualifications and a demonstrable connection between team background and business idea are the usual diligence items.
Spousal / common-law sponsorship (Canada)
Permanent residence sponsorship of spouses, common-law partners, or conjugal partners by Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Brazilian spousal applicants typically file outland via the consulate in São Paulo. Brazilian marriage certificates from cartórios de registro civil are accepted with Hague apostille via the Brazilian MFA. Federal Police criminal clearance is the standard police-certificate document. Inland applications using the Open Work Permit option are common where the Brazilian spouse already holds a Canadian work or study permit.
All Canada routes open to Brazilian applicants
General routes available to all nationalities. Click any to read the full guide.
Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Federal permanent-residence stream for applicants with qualifying Canadian work experience.
No job offer needed · Leads to permanent residence
Express Entry — Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
Permanent residence for qualified tradespeople with a Canadian job offer or provincial certification.
No job offer needed · Leads to permanent residence
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
Open work permit for graduates of eligible Canadian Designated Learning Institutions.
No job offer needed · Temporary
Canadian Study Permit
Study permit for international students at Designated Learning Institutions, governed by provincial study attestation caps.
Job offer required · Temporary
Recent policy changes affecting this route
What changed most recently on this route — each linked to its primary government source.
- 30 April 2026In force 30 April 2026
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 →
Frequently asked questions
Can Brazilian citizens enter Canada without a visa?+
No. Brazilian nationals require a visa to enter Canada, even for short tourism. A separate residence or work route is required for long-term stay.
Which Canada visa routes are best suited to Brazilian applicants?+
Common general routes used by Brazilian applicants include Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Start-Up Visa (Canada). Brazilian nationals typically move to Canada through its standard work, study, family, and skilled-migration routes rather than through a dedicated bilateral scheme. Eligibility and processing times are set by IRCC, so check each route below for its primary source.
Where do Brazilian applicants typically apply for a Canada visa?+
Applications are typically processed at a Canada consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence. Some digital and in-country applications can be filed directly with Canada's immigration authority without a consular visit.
Do Brazilian citizens need a job offer to move to Canada?+
Not necessarily. 7 of the 8 Canada routes we cover can be started without an employer sponsor, while the rest need a sponsoring employer or job offer. If you do not have an offer yet, the no-sponsor routes are the place to start.
Can Brazilian citizens get permanent residence in Canada?+
Yes. 6 of the 8 Canada routes we cover lead toward settlement or permanent residence; the others are temporary. Timelines vary by route, so check the settlement detail on each visa page.
How much does the Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) cost for a Brazilian applicant?+
Government fees for the worked example (Single applicant, no dependants) total about CA$1,675. Spouse adds CA$990 + CA$600 RPRF. Each dependent child adds CA$270 (raised from CA$260 on 30 April 2026). Family biometrics are capped at CA$170 per family. Figures from IRCC — Fee list for permanent residence applications, verified 1 June 2026. Treat these as indicative — confirm the current schedule on the official source before budgeting.
How long does the Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) take to process from Brazil?+
The typical published decision window is 5 months – 8 months. Brazilian applicants usually file via a Canada consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence, and consular-post backlogs can add to the wait. Source: IRCC — Check processing times, verified 1 June 2026.
How long until permanent residence in Canada?+
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. The route leads to Permanent Residence (PR), then Canadian citizenship. See IRCC — Canadian citizenship for the qualifying-residence rules.