Getting a Canadian or UK visa from Algeria
You can apply for Canadian permanent residence or a UK work visa from Algeria. Canada's Express Entry needs no job offer, and French, which many Algerians studied in, counts in your favour: extra points, French-language invitation rounds and the Francophone Mobility work permit. The UK's Skilled Worker visa needs a sponsoring employer and an approved English test, and Algeria is on the UK's TB test list.
Which route fits you
Canada: Express Entry. No job offer needed. You are scored on age, education, language and work history, and the highest scores are invited to apply. Strong French in all four skills earns additional points, with more if your English is solid too (CRS criteria). IRCC also holds invitation rounds only for candidates with strong French (category-based selection).
Canada: Francophone Mobility (Mobilité francophone). An employer anywhere in Canada except Quebec can hire you on this work permit without a labour market impact assessment. You need a job offer and intermediate spoken and listening French. Jobs at every skill level qualify, except primary agriculture at the lower levels (IRCC eligibility).
Canada: Quebec. Quebec selects its own skilled workers under an agreement with the federal government. You apply to Quebec first, then to IRCC for permanent residence (IRCC: Quebec-selected skilled workers). Express Entry does not cover Quebec.
Canada: Provincial Nominee Programs. A province nominates you, which adds enough points to make an invitation all but certain. Worth checking if your Express Entry score is mid-range.
UK: Skilled Worker. A licensed employer must sponsor you first. Then you must be paid whichever is higher, the general threshold or the going rate for your job. Care worker recruitment from overseas has closed, so an agent offering UK care jobs from Algeria is selling a route that no longer exists.
→ Work out your Canadian points: it takes about two minutes and tells you where you stand before you spend anything.
What it costs from Algeria
Government fees are set in Canadian dollars and pounds. What you pay in dinars depends on the rate your bank or card applies on the day, so treat any conversion as approximate.
| Official fee | |
|---|---|
| Canada PR, single adult (processing + right of permanent residence fee) | $1,590 (IRCC, effective April 30, 2026) |
| Canada biometrics | $85 (IRCC, effective July 2, 2026) |
| UK Skilled Worker, up to 3 years | £819 (UK Home Office, effective April 8, 2026) |
| UK health surcharge | £1,035 (UK Home Office, effective February 6, 2024) per year |
| UK Skilled Worker, 3 years all in | £3,924 (UK Home Office, effective April 8, 2026) |
The health surcharge is paid upfront for the whole visa, and over three years it costs more than the visa fee. For Canada, budget too for your language test, credential assessment and translations.
What is different for Algeria
Your police certificate is the Bulletin n° 3. It is issued by the Ministry of Justice's criminal records service (Service des casiers judiciaires) in Algiers. IRCC says you can apply at your local police station or online on the Ministry of Justice website, and that any translation is at your own expense (IRCC Algeria). If the copy you receive is in Arabic only, Canada needs it translated into French or English.
French documents need no translation for Canada; Arabic ones do. IRCC accepts documents in English or French. Anything else needs an English or French translation, the translator's affidavit and a certified copy of the original (IRCC help centre). The UK wants a certified translation of anything not in English or Welsh, French included (gov.uk: documents you must provide).
Take the Canadian versions of the French tests. Express Entry accepts TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French, and CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English (IRCC language tests). A general TEF or TCF certificate, or IELTS Academic, will not be accepted.
The UK will not exempt you from English. Only nationals of a short list of majority-English-speaking countries are treated as meeting the requirement, and Algeria is not one of them (Appendix English Language). Plan for a Secure English Language Test with an approved provider, or a degree taught in English confirmed by Ecctis (gov.uk: knowledge of English).
A TB test is required for a long UK stay. Algeria is on the UK's tuberculosis test list. Only Home Office approved clinics count, and the current list has them in Algiers (approved clinic list).
A criminal record certificate for some UK jobs too. If you will work in education, healthcare, therapy or social services, the UK asks for a criminal record certificate when you apply from abroad (gov.uk: documents you must provide).
Your degree needs assessing for Canada. The Federal Skilled Worker program requires an Educational Credential Assessment for immigration purposes, from a designated organisation such as WES, ICAS, IQAS, the University of Toronto's Comparative Education Service or BCIT's ICES; doctors, pharmacists and architects use their professional body (IRCC: ECA).
Biometrics. Fingerprints and a photo are taken at contracted visa application centres. Find yours through the official pages only: IRCC and gov.uk.
Related routes and guides
Also see
What to do next
Common questions
- Do I need a job offer to move to Canada from Algeria?
Not for Express Entry, which does not require one. Until 2 November 2026 a job offer adds no points; from 3 November 2026 an offer in one of Canada's high-wage occupations adds 50 to 100 points, and 12 months of Canadian work in one can add up to 70. A Francophone Mobility work permit does need one.
- Is my French enough to help my Canadian application?
It helps if you prove it with TEF Canada or TCF Canada. Strong results in all four skills add points, and French-language invitation rounds are open to you.
- Can I go to Quebec through Express Entry?
No. Quebec runs its own selection; you apply to Quebec first and to IRCC afterwards.
- Which police certificate does Canada want from Algeria?
The Bulletin n° 3 from the Ministry of Justice's criminal records service. Apply at a police station or online.
- How much money do I need to show for Canada?
A single applicant needs $15,263 (IRCC, effective July 7, 2025) in funds you can prove are yours; borrowed money does not count. The figure rises with family size. Check your figure.
- Does a degree taught in French count for the UK English requirement?
No. Only a degree taught in English, confirmed by Ecctis, can replace the English test.
Rules last checked on September 14, 2026.