New Year’s resolutions can be powerful vehicles to aid as well as advance your immigration journey. 

The surges of motivation that mark the beginning of the year can work two-fold, i.e., to help you meet your personal goals and to increase your eligibility and competitiveness as an applicant for Canadian immigration.  

Today, we will discuss how you can work immigration benefits into New Year’s resolutions. 

So, without further ado, let us begin!

Resolution 1: Learning Language Or Improving Language Ability

How Does It Benefit Immigration? 

Canada’s immigration system rewards language ability because it predicts how easy you will be able to work and settle in Canada. Well, this has a major impact on the short and medium-term success of newcomers in the labor market. 

For many people who are English speakers, attaining a higher level in the language can be a goal, specifically when it comes to spoken or written English. 

In addition, learning or improving French is another common goal, as it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. 

Moreover, improving your ability in either language can improve your chances of immigration. 

For example, stronger language skills significantly increase a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, especially in the skills transferability section, where language ability combines with work experience and education to award extra points.

Having skills in both English and French further strengthens this advantage for applicants. This means that the applicants can double up on score benefits. 

For instance, along with the core language points as well as skills transferability, an additional 50 points are available under the CRS just for French speakers. 

French has become increasingly important to Canadian immigration in recent years.

IRCC introduced a new French proficiency category in the Express Entry system in late 2023 & has signaled that it will continue to expand targeted immigration of French speakers outside Quebec in the coming years.

Further to this, multiple provincial and regional pathways target French speakers, implying that gaining ability in the language can increase the number of immigration options that applicants have. Some examples of such pathways include: 

  • The Northwest Territories’ Francophone Stream
  • Ontario’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker Pathway 
  • The Francophone Minority Community Student Pilot 

Resolution Two: Increasing Savings And Overall Financial Health 

In order to work immigration benefits into New Year’s resolutions, you can increase your savings and overall financial health. 

How Does It Benefit Immigration? 

For many Canadian temporary and permanent residence (PR) pathways, applicants must demonstrate they have sufficient funds to support themselves and any accompanying family members upon arrival. These are called settlement funds.

Settlement funds often determine eligibility, as the Canadian government wants to see that applicants have enough money to support themselves upon arrival.

The amount of required money also increases for each family member who accompanies the principal applicant on their application to Canada. In other cases, authorities do not publish a fixed amount, so proving access to substantial funds improves your chances of approval.

Below are examples of settlement funds for single applicants. Authorities update these figures 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; You must show you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home.  
Express EntryMinimum funds are based on family size:  
1 applicant: $15,263  
2 applicants: $19,001
3 applicants: $23,360   

NOTE: Express Entry Funds: You don’t need proof of funds if you’re applying under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program, or if you are authorized to work in Canada & have a valid job offer, even if applying under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). 

Resolution 3: Supporting Your Partner 

How Does It Benefit Immigration? 

If you are 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. Moreover, in some cases even grants eligibility points for your partner’s abilities as well as qualifications. 

Supporting your partner in measurable ways, such as helping them improve their language skills, increase their educational attainment, or gain Canadian work experience, can strengthen your overall profile. 

In systems like Express Entry, a spouse or partner’s factors can contribute to the combined competitiveness of your application.

In addition, due to CRS scoring factors and considerations around occupational category-based draws, your partner might actually be the better principal applicant. Couples can benefit from submitting two separate applicant 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.

Palina Immigration Consultancy, a Canadian immigration leader, promises excellence and tailored pathways for your Canadian journey. Get in touch with us at Palinaimmigration.com.