Getting a Canada or UK visa from Pakistan
Pakistani applicants use two very different routes. For the UK, the Skilled Worker visa needs an employer to sponsor you first. Pakistani nationals were the second-largest group receiving Skilled Worker extensions in the year to March 2026, with 16,607 (Home Office). For Canada, Express Entry needs no job offer at all. Two steps work differently for Pakistan than almost anywhere else: your police certificate is provincial, not national, and your degree has to go through HEC before it reaches the Canadian assessor.
Which route fits you
UK: Skilled Worker. A licensed employer sponsors you, then you must be paid whichever is higher: the general salary threshold or the published going rate for your specific job. This is the busiest UK route for Pakistani applicants. See engineering salary thresholds if your offer is in that field.
UK: Health and Care Worker. Reduced fees and no health surcharge.
Canada: Express Entry. No job offer needed. You are scored on age, education, language and work history. Until 2 November 2026 a job offer adds no points. From 3 November 2026 an offer in a high-wage occupation adds 50 to 100 points, with no LMIA needed (what changes). Worth knowing, because agents still sell offers: pay nobody for one, as officers check that every offer is genuine.
Canada: family sponsorship. Pakistan was the fifth-largest source country for Canadian family reunification in 2024, with 4,355 admissions (IRCC Annual Report 2025). If you have a spouse or close family member who is already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, this is often the faster path.
→ Check your Canadian points: free, two minutes, no account.
What it costs from Pakistan
Rupee figures use the HMRC customs rate for September 2026 and are approximate.
| Official | Approx. PKR | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada PR, single adult | $1,590 (IRCC, effective April 30, 2026) | ≈ PKR 318,000 |
| Canada biometrics | $85 (IRCC, effective July 2, 2026) | ≈ PKR 17,000 |
| UK Skilled Worker, up to 3 years | £819 (UK Home Office, effective April 8, 2026) | ≈ PKR 308,000 |
| UK health surcharge | £1,035 (UK Home Office, effective February 6, 2024) per year | ≈ PKR 389,000 per year |
| UK Skilled Worker, 3 years all in | £3,924 (UK Home Office, effective April 8, 2026) | ≈ PKR 1,476,000 |
| UK TB test | PKR 10,000–15,000 | set in rupees by each clinic |
Worth noting: the UK health surcharge over three years costs more than the entire Canadian permanent residence application.
What is different for Pakistan
Your police certificate is provincial. There is no national one. Which authority you use depends on where you lived, and the processes are genuinely different (IRCC Pakistan):
| Province | How it works |
|---|---|
| Islamabad | Online, via Islamabad Police |
| Sindh | Online, via the Sindh Police portal |
| Punjab | Police Khidmat Markaz, and uniquely, you can apply at any of the 36 district offices, not only your own |
| Balochistan | Online, via Police Khidmat Markaz |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | In person only, at the SSP office. The only province with no online route. Also covers the merged tribal districts |
From abroad, you apply through the nearest Pakistani embassy or consulate with a certified copy of every passport page showing legal stay, a certified CNIC copy, three photographs and the fee. A relative in Pakistan can also apply for you, but it needs an affidavit on judicial stamp paper plus an authority letter, not a simple power of attorney. IRCC states plainly that the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad cannot help you get one.
Your degree goes through HEC first. This is the step people miss. For Canada you need a credential assessment, and for Pakistani institutions the documents do not go from your university to the assessor directly; they go to the Higher Education Commission, which then forwards them (WES guidance on Pakistan). Build in HEC attestation time before you even start the assessment. This is the single most common cause of a stalled Express Entry profile from Pakistan.
You are not exempt from proving English. Pakistan is not on the UK's list of majority-English-speaking countries (Appendix English Language), and Canada exempts nobody.
A TB test is required for UK stays over six months. Approved clinics in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Mirpur, priced in rupees (clinic list).
Biometrics. Canada: Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. UK: centres run by Gerry's International acting as agent for VFS Global, and the Islamabad centre is shared with Australia.
Related routes and guides
Also see
What to do next
Common questions
- Which province do I get my police certificate from?
Wherever you have lived. If that is more than one province, you may need more than one certificate. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the only one with no online option.
- Can my brother get my police certificate for me?
Yes, but he needs an affidavit on judicial stamp paper and an authority letter, not just a written request.
- Why is my Express Entry profile stuck?
Most often the credential assessment, because Pakistani documents route through HEC before reaching the assessor. Start HEC attestation early.
- Do I need a job offer for Canada?
No. Express Entry 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. If someone is charging you for one, that is worth questioning: officers check that every offer is genuine.
- Is the UK or Canada cheaper?
Canadian permanent residence is roughly PKR 335,000 in government fees. Three years of UK Skilled Worker is roughly PKR 1.48m, because of the health surcharge. But the UK route comes with a job.
- Do I need IELTS?
Yes for Canada, always. For the UK, a degree taught in English can replace it if an approved provider confirms it.
Rules last checked on September 14, 2026.