Immigrate to Canada as a Hairstylist

Do you want to immigrate to Canada as a hairstylist? It’s a great and promising decision, as the beauty industry is rapidly growing. There are lots of opportunities available for hairstylists in Canada, from working in salons and spas to freelancing. You can also start up a personal business in Canada.

With its welcoming nature and diversified culture, Canada is open to allowing foreign hairstylists to immigrate to the country. In terms of career advancement, there are numerous opportunities in Canada for hairstylists to expand their skills and knowledge. Meanwhile, most salons and spas provide several ongoing training and education programs.

Also, many industry conferences, seminars, and events offer opportunities to gain valuable insights about the latest trends and techniques. If you want to immigrate to Canada as a hairstylist, there are some steps you’ll need to follow for a smooth transition. 

Keep reading as we take you through the various steps to immigrate to Canada as a hairstylist. Let’s begin!

Steps to Immigrate to Canada as a Hairstylist

Below are the required steps to follow if you want to immigrate to Canada as a hairstylist. Scroll down!

1. Determine your eligibility 

We recommend that you visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website to determine your eligibility. Meanwhile, Canada has over 70 visa pathways you can use to immigrate to the country. Once you check your eligibility, you will be able to guide yourself on the best pathway for your particular circumstances.

2. Have your qualifications accredited for Canada

If you want to live and work in Canada as a hairstylist, you must ensure that your foreign certificates are accredited and recognized in Canada. An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) confirms that your degree, diploma, or certificate is valid and equivalent to Canadian standards. Meanwhile, it’s essential because it’ll allow you to claim the Permanent Residency points for your education and training.

And also be required for employment, professional registration within Canada, and Canadian immigration services. If you are wondering where to do your assessment, listed below are the designated organizations licensed to do an assessment. Scroll down!

1. Comparative Education Service: University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.
2. International Credential Assessment Service of Canada.
3. World Education Services.
4. International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS).
5. International Credential Evaluation Service.

Aside from the assessment, your education and experience will be required to immigrate to Canada as a hairstylist. These include:

1. Secondary school education.
2. Extensive on-the-job training.
3. You may also be required to demonstrate your experience as a hairstylist.

You’ll be required to provide the necessary documentation and references to prove your abilities and experience during your evaluation process for Canadian Immigration.

3. Apply for your Canada visa

There are numerous pathways you can follow when planning to immigrate to Canada as a hairstylist, but the major 4 are listed below.

1. Express Entry system
2. Provincial Nominee Program
3. The Rural and Northern Immigration Program
4. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot

i. Express Entry

The Express Entry program is the best option for individuals who want to immigrate to Canada as a hairstylist. Aside from being the fastest, it’s also one of the simplest ways to immigrate to Canada. With the right age, language skills in French and/or English, qualifications, and other requirements, your relocation to Canada may be faster than you can imagine.

The first stage in your Canadian Express Entry program is to calculate your points for Express Entry using the Canadian Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Furthermore, some of the elements that determine your CRS Points include:

• Age.
• Qualifications.
• English/French ability.
• Your partner’s skills.
• Work experience.

ii. Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows foreigners who are skilled and semi-skilled to live and work in Canada. However, you must obtain a valid job offer in Canada of at least one year for most immigration streams. Eleven provinces and territories in Canada have their respective PNPs and each of them with their specific labor needs.

Furthermore, if you have the skills that your selected province or territory is looking for, you’ll receive a provincial nomination worth 600 points. This implies that you’ve been assured of an offer for Canadian permanent residence.

iii. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Hairstylists are highly in demand in Canada and because of this, you may qualify to immigrate to Canada through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP). Eleven participating communities are currently in the pilot program. However, you’ll need a valid job offer in one of the participating communities to be considered eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residency through the RNIP.

iv. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot allows skilled and semi-skilled foreign workers to relocate to Canada’s Atlantic provinces. Therefore, you may be eligible to apply since hairstylists are in high demand in the four Atlantic provinces.

4. Apply for a Hairstylist Job in Canada

As a highly skilled worker, you are not required to obtain a job to be able to move to Canada, however, it will speed it up. With a valid job offer, you can earn between 50 and 200 points and it will help with the immigration process. Therefore, the more points you acquire, the more your chance of receiving an invitation in one of the many offer rounds increases.

As a hairstylist in Canada, your job responsibilities may include the following:

1. Suggest hairstyles compatible with the client’s physical features or determine style from the client’s instructions and preferences.
2. Also, you’ll cut trim taper, curl wave, perm, and style hair.
3. Apply bleach, tints, dyes, or rinses to color frost or streak hair.
4. Analyze hair and scalp conditions and provide basic treatment or advice on beauty care treatments for scalp and hair.
5. Clean and style wigs, as well as hair pieces.
6. Apply hair extensions.
7. Add shampoo and rinse hair.

Pros and Cons of Being a Hairstylist

Just like every other job, profession, and career in the world, there are advantages and disadvantages of being a hairstylist. Irrespective of the pros and cons, you just have to be motivated, inspired, and love your job. But with this attitude, nothing will stop you from succeeding as a hairstylist or any other career you pursue.

Pros

1. Interaction with different types of people: As a hairstylist, you’ll meet a whole lot of clients, young or old, male or female, daily. It’s your business dealing with different personalities that add challenge and reward to the job. Meanwhile, you won’t be bored or depressed as each client requires specific hair care needs.
2. Work flexibility: The job role of a hairstylist is so flexible that you can choose your working hours, as well as your resting hours. As a hairstylist, you can also decide if you want to work for a salon or start up your business. You may opt to work in an 8-hour shift or by appointment only. In addition, you may offer home service.
3. Variety of services: These days, clients prefer a convenient all-inclusive salon where they can get different services like hair styling, facials, and nail care in one store. Therefore, working as a hairstylist alone won’t cut it, you need to learn other beauty services. This would make you gain more customers and also have job security. So, expect that every day, you might be performing a different service and not just the basic hair trimming.

Cons

1. Hair and Beauty responsibility: As a hairstylist, your clients expect you to improve their beauty and appearance and not ruin it. However, accidents are bound to happen and it might not be your fault, most clients will consider this as your flaw and they will likely not come back for your service.
2. Physical strain: As a hairstylist, you are expected to stand for long straight hours tending to customers. This can sometimes result in inflamed feet and ankles, growth of varicose veins, and back and joint pains. And may also affect your physical strength.
3. Competition among other hairstylists: There are a whole lot of other hairstylists out there, each with his or her skills. If you do not come up with an effective and unique marketing strategy, you will be left with just a few clients. To keep up with the trends, you may pursue extra training on the recent hairstylist techniques. You can decide to offer a light massage or any freebie that will make your service outstanding and special to your clients.

Conclusion

There are a few stages involved when planning to immigrate to Canada as a hairstylist. You must understand the immigration system, obtain a work permit, meet language requirements, and validate your credentials. As well as applying for a license, finding employment, and settling in Canada.

However, if you want to become a hairstylist in Canada, you will need to complete a hair styling program at a recognized institution. It can take anywhere from 9 months to 2 years to complete. Once you have completed the training, you must also obtain a license from the provincial regulatory body so you can practice. By taking these actions, you can start your new career as a hairstylist in Canada and make your relocation procedure as easy as possible.