By Hans Ngala
The US government announced that entries were being accepted for the US diversity visa (DV) lottery which allows expatriates to live and work in the US. As the name suggests, it is a visa meant at diversifying both the demographics of the United States as well as its economy by attracting people from different nationalities with diverse skill sets.
Every year, 50.000 DV visas are issued by the United States government. This is a form of soft power by the world’s greatest superpower as it seeks to make itself stronger and more attractive.
Naturally, some people have assumed that America’s northern neighbor, Canada; also has a DV lottery program. This is not the case, however.
The US and Canada are close neighbors and standards of living are almost the same in both countries, with the US Dollar having a slightly higher value than the Canadian Dollar.
Canada is also relatively safer than the US in terms of gun violence and healthcare is also slightly cheaper in Canada than in the US sometimes, US residents travel to Canada for cheaper healthcare especially those with conditions such as diabetes which is much more expensive to treat in the US!
So does Canada have a visa lottery?
The simple answer is no. Canada however has a tailored way for foreigners with skills to migrate there. Canada has Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) with the criteria for each province varying slightly from each province. However, the PNPs generally look for skilled laborers to immigrate to Canada. Some of the sought-after skills include truck drivers, engineers of various specialties, nurses, farmers, plumbers, etc. So anyone who has practical skills would qualify.
Cameroonians are especially at an advantage because a province like Quebec seeks people who speak French and English. Other factors such as longevity in your field, your level of education, age, your health etc also determine whether the Canadian government would issue you with Canadian permanent residence because they generally look for young people with skills to offer Canadian employers.
Also, a huge consideration would be the money that is needed. Generally, the Canadian authorities would require that you have about FCFA 5 million or more in your account for 1 year of stay in Canada. If you intend to travel with your family, that would be FCFA 5 million per person.
So no Cameroonian should trust any agent who claims to have connections and can facilitate the Canadian lottery because it simply does not exist.
If you want to travel to Canada, make sure you have at least 5 years of continued (un-interrupted) experience as a professional in a practical/professional field, take an IELTS or TOEFL exam one year before your intended date of travel, make sure you have at least FCFA 5 million in your account, if you have a bachelor’s degree and above, that increases your chances of getting a Canadian visa among a host of other factors. Be sure to contact the Canadian High Commission in Yaounde for the most accurate information, so that you avoid falling into the hands of fraudsters.
