How to work immigration benefits into your New Year’s resolutions
New Year’s resolutions can be powerful vehicles to aid and advance your immigration journey.
The surges of motivation that mark the start of the year can work two-fold: both to help you meet your personal goals and to increase your eligibility and competitiveness as a candidate for Canadian immigration.
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is, and how you can improve it
Below, we cover how three common New Year’s resolutions can have the added impact of benefiting your immigration journey to Canada.
Resolution 1: Learning a language or improving language ability
“This is the year I want to get serious about learning French/English.”
How it benefits immigration
Canada’s immigration system (particularly the Express Entry system) heavily rewards language ability because it predicts how easily you’ll be able to work and settle in Canada, and has a significant impact on the short and medium-term success of newcomers in the labour market.
For many people who are English speakers, attaining a higher level in the language can often be a goal, particularly when it comes to spoken or written English.
In addition, learning or improving French ability is another common goal, with the language being one of the most widely spoken in the world.
Increasing ability in either language can benefit your immigration chances.
For example, your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score significantly increases as your language ability does, particularly in the “skills transferability” points section, where language ability is combined with work experience and education to give candidates combination points.
This effect is further augmented for candidates who have abilities in both English and French, due to the fact that the CRS awards points for both these factors, meaning candidates can double up on score benefits.
For example, in addition to core language points and skills transferability, an additional 50 points are available under the CRS just for French speakers.
The relevance of French to Canadian immigration in recent years also cannot be overstated.
Not only has Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) instituted a new French proficiency category within the Express Entry system in late 2023, but the department has also telegraphed that the targeted immigration of French speakers outside of Quebec is only set to increase in the coming years.
Further to this, multiple provincial and regional pathways specifically target French speakers, meaning that gaining ability in the language can meaningfully increase the number of immigration options that candidates have. Some examples of such pathways include:
- Ontario’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker Pathway;
- The Northwest Territories’ Francophone Stream; and
- The Francophone Minority Community Student Pilot.
Resolution 2: Increasing savings and overall financial health
“I’m going to save more this year and get my finances under control.”
How it benefits immigration
For many Canadian temporary (visitor visa/work/study permit) and permanent residence (PR) pathways, applicants need to show that they have enough money to support themselves and any accompanying family members when they arrive—these are called settlement funds.
Settlement funds can often be a make-or-break eligibility criterion for a lot of applicants, as Canada’s government usually wants to see significant sums of money to be assured that applicants can support themselves when they arrive in the country.
The amount of required money also increases for each family member who accompanies the principal applicant on their application to Canada. In other cases (such as for many temporary resident pathways), there is no fixed amount published, so being able to prove access to substantial funds is an advantage to your chances of approval.
Some examples of settlement funds for single applicants are given below. Note that these figures are updated every year to keep pace with inflation:
| Applicant type | Required funds / what you must show |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa applicant (TRV) | No fixed minimum amount published. Applicants must show you have enough money to maintain yourself and your family members in Canada and to return home. |
| Study permit applicant (outside Quebec) | You must prove enough money (without working in Canada) to pay for (1) tuition, (2) living expenses for you + accompanying family, and (3) transportation to and from Canada. Minimum living expenses for the first year (excludes tuition + transportation; applies if you apply on/after September 1, 2025): 1 applicant: $22,895 2 applicants: $28,502 3 applicants: $35,040 |
| Work permit applicant (PGWP / open work permit / LMIA-based work permit) | No fixed minimum amount published. Applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis; Youmust show you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home. |
| Express Entry* | Minimum funds are based on family size: 1 applicant: $15,263 2 applicants: $19,001 3 applicants: $23,360 |
*Express Entry funds: You don’t need proof of funds if you’re applying under the Canadian Experience Class program, or if you’re authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer, even if applying under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Resolution 3: Supporting your partner
“I want to be a better partner—more supportive, more intentional, do more together.”
How it benefits immigration
If you’re immigrating as a couple, the best strategy is often to treat it like a shared project. This is because Canada allows partners to be added as part of an immigration profile, and in some cases (like Express Entry) even grants eligibility points for your partner’s abilities and qualifications.
Supporting your partner in measurable ways—particularly around helping them improve their language skills, increasing educational attainment, or gaining Canadian work experience—can strengthen your overall profile.
In systems like Express Entry, a spouse/partner’s factors can contribute to the combined competitiveness of your application, through spousal points.
In addition, due to CRS scoring factors and considerations around occupational category-based draws, your partner may actually be the better principal applicant. Couples can benefit from submitting two separate candidate profiles with either person as the principal applicant.
Lastly, because a partner (specifically a spouse or common-law partner) can be added to any immigration applicant under Canada’s system, helping your spouse in applicable fields like their language ability, education, or work experience can open doors to provincial pathways to PR for both of you.
See how competitive your Express Entry profile is, and how you can improve it
- Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
- Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
