Live and Work in Canada: Provinces, Routes and Real Costs

Canada is not one destination. It is ten provinces and three territories with different job markets, rents, taxes and nomination rules. The smart order is simple: pick the province that suits your job and budget, then pick the route that gets you there.

Start with the province, not the program

Many Nigerians start with "Express Entry or PNP?" A better first question is "where would my occupation actually get hired, and can I afford to live there?"

Three things decide that:

• Demand for your occupation. Nurses, trades and truck drivers are hired in very different places from software developers or accountants.
• Rent. It is the biggest cost in your first year by a wide margin.
• Provincial nomination rules. Most provinces favour people already working or studying there, or people with family there.

The table below uses CMHC's October 2025 figures for purpose-built apartments. "New tenant rent" is what people signing a fresh lease paid on average, which is closer to what you will pay on arrival.

All rents are monthly, in Canadian dollars. Rents keep moving, so check CMHC's latest report before you sign anything.

Two patterns stand out. Toronto and Vancouver cost the most, especially for new tenants. Alberta combines a high vacancy rate with no provincial sales tax, which is why it keeps attracting newcomers. For city detail, read our guides to living in Calgary and living in Manitoba.

The main routes, in one line each

IRCC lists the routes below. Each has its own guide on this site.

• Express Entry: the federal points system for skilled workers, scored by age, education, English or French, and experience. See our Express Entry guide.
• Provincial Nominee Programs: a province nominates you; through Express Entry, a nomination adds 600 points. See how PNPs work.
• Atlantic Immigration Program: needs a job offer from a designated employer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. See the Atlantic guide.
• Rural Community Immigration Pilot: a job offer from a designated employer in one of 18 participating communities, plus a community recommendation. See the rural pilot guide.
• Quebec: Quebec selects its own skilled workers and has no PNP. See the Quebec guide.
• Caregivers: IRCC currently lists every caregiver route to permanent residence as closed; only temporary caregiver work permits remain. See the caregiver guide.
• Study to PR: study in Canada, gain Canadian work experience, then apply through a PR route. See study permit to permanent residence.

Work permit or permanent residence?

These are different things, and mixing them up costs people money.

A work permit is temporary. An employer-specific permit ties you to one employer and job, and usually needs the employer to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). An open work permit lets you work for most employers, but only certain people qualify, such as some spouses of skilled workers and students.

Permanent residence lets you live and work anywhere in Canada, use public health care on the same terms as citizens, and later apply for citizenship.

For most Nigerians, the realistic path is one of these:

1. Apply for permanent residence directly through Express Entry from Nigeria.
2. Get a job offer, enter on a work permit, then use Canadian experience to qualify for a PNP or the Canadian Experience Class.
3. Study, work after graduating, then transition to permanent residence.

Option 2 depends on an employer willing to sponsor a foreign worker. Treat any "job offer" that comes with a fee as a red flag. Alberta's government, for example, states plainly that employers and agencies cannot charge workers a fee for a job offer.

Settlement funds: the current IRCC table

If you apply through the Federal Skilled Worker or Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must prove you have money to settle. IRCC's current table (last updated 7 July 2025) is:

You are exempt if you apply under the Canadian Experience Class, or if you are authorised to work in Canada and have a valid job offer. Exempt applicants still upload a letter explaining why.

IRCC updates this table, usually once a year. Check it on the day you submit your profile and again when you apply.

Healthcare when you land

Canada's public system is run province by province. You apply for a health card in your province and show it when you see a doctor.

IRCC warns that in some provinces you may wait up to three months for public cover to start. Buy private insurance that covers that gap before you travel. Prescription drugs, dental care and eye care are often only partly covered or not covered at all, so check your employer's benefits plan.

Realistic first-year costs

The settlement fund is a legal minimum, not a budget. Using CMHC's averages, a year in a two-bedroom costs about $30,564 in Toronto at new-tenant rates ($2,547 x 12) and about $18,852 in Winnipeg ($1,571 x 12). Both are more than the $15,263 a single applicant must show.

Your first-year budget should cover:

• First month's rent and a security deposit. Alberta caps deposits at one month's rent; other provinces have their own rules.
• Furniture and winter clothing. A proper winter coat, boots and gloves are not optional on the Prairies.
• Transport. A monthly transit pass in a big city, or a used car outside the main cities.
• Private health insurance for any waiting period.
• Credential and licensing fees if you work in a regulated profession such as nursing, engineering or teaching.
• Two to four months without full pay. Job searches often take longer than people expect.

Many newcomers start with a room or one-bedroom, or share with roommates, to stretch their savings while they find work.

Step by step: from Nigeria to your first month in Canada

1. Choose your province and occupation. Check your occupation's demand and wages on Job Bank for that province.
2. Take an approved language test. IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General or PTE Core for English; TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French. Results last two years.
3. Get your Educational Credential Assessment. Order transcripts from your Nigerian institution early; this is often the slowest step.
4. Check your passport. Renew it if it expires within the next two years, and make sure your NIN details match your documents.
5. Build your profile in Express Entry or the province's expression of interest system.
6. Request police certificates once invited. You need one from each country, including Nigeria, where you lived for six months in a row or longer after age 18, within the last 10 years.
7. Complete the medical exam with an IRCC panel physician.
8. Land, apply for your health card and Social Insurance Number, open a bank account and look for housing.

Pre-departure checklist

• Province chosen based on your occupation and rent
• Language test result under two years old
• ECA report (or professional body assessment)
• Bank letter matching IRCC's current proof of funds table
• Passport valid well beyond your planned arrival
• Police certificates for every country required
• Private health insurance for the first three months
• Licensing body contacted if your profession is regulated
• Temporary accommodation booked for your first two to four weeks
• Winter clothing budget set aside

The bottom line

Canada rewards people who plan by province. Match your occupation to where it is hired, budget well above the legal minimum, and use the route that fits your situation rather than the one that is most talked about. Every rule here changes, so confirm the details on IRCC and provincial websites before you pay any fee.