Getting a UK or Canada visa from Venezuela
You can apply for a UK or Canadian visa from inside Venezuela or from wherever you live now. Canada's Express Entry needs no job offer; the UK's Skilled Worker visa needs a licensed employer to sponsor you first. Both countries require a visa even for a visit, and it is the documents rather than the routes that stall Venezuelan applications: the police certificate is online only, and Canada accepts a passport that expired under the 2019 extension decree.
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. 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), so pay nobody who offers to sell you one: officers check that every offer is genuine.
Canada: category draws. IRCC's current categories are French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades and education occupations (IRCC category-based selection). Candidates eligible for a category can be invited at lower scores than the general pool.
Canada: Provincial Nominee Program. A nomination adds 600 points to your Express Entry score, which all but secures an invitation. Each province sets its own streams and its own quota (IRCC: provincial nominees).
UK: Skilled Worker. A licensed employer sponsors you first. Then the salary rule: you must be paid whichever is higher, the general threshold or the going rate for your job. Care worker recruitment from overseas has closed since July 2025.
UK: Health and Care Worker. For qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals and adult social care professionals with a sponsor: lower fees and no health surcharge (gov.uk).
Study first. A Canadian study permit or a UK Student visa needs an offer from a licensed institution and proof of funds (IRCC, gov.uk). Neither is a work route by itself.
UK Ancestry does not apply. It is for Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, and Venezuela is not a Commonwealth member (member list).
→ Work out your Canadian points: about two minutes, before you spend anything.
What it costs from Venezuela
Fees are set in Canadian dollars and pounds, and you pay in those currencies. We do not convert to bolívares: the rate moves too fast for a printed figure to stay right. Check the day's rate on HMRC's monthly exchange rates or with your bank, and expect your bank's rate to be worse.
| Official | |
|---|---|
| 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 what most people miss. Over three years it costs more than the visa itself, and it is paid upfront.
What is different for Venezuela
Canada accepts a passport that expired under the 2019 decree. IRCC recognises the National Assembly decree of 7 June 2019 extending the validity of Venezuelan passports: holders can keep using a passport that expired less than five years ago or is about to expire, for a visitor visa, a study or work permit, permanent residence, a PR card or a PR travel document. Provisional passports are excluded (IRCC notice on Venezuelan passports). This is an IRCC rule and says nothing about the UK, so read the notice again on the day you apply.
The police certificate is online only, and consulates cannot help. The document is the Certificado de antecedentes penales, requested on the website of the Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Interiores, Justicia y Paz under "Servicios a la Ciudadanía" and "Certificaciones para trámites internacionales". You need your cédula number, the instructions are in Spanish only, and the process is the same whether you live in Venezuela or abroad; IRCC states that Venezuelan embassies and consulates can no longer help with it (IRCC: police certificate, Venezuela). For UK purposes gov.uk describes the same website and adds that the certificate then needs an apostille from the foreign ministry (gov.uk: countries Q to Z).
You need a visa to visit either country. Venezuela is on the UK's visa national list (Appendix Visitor: Visa National List) and among Canada's visa-required countries, with no eTA option (IRCC entry requirements). When a first work or study permit is approved, IRCC issues the visa with it.
Spanish earns nothing, and you are not exempt from the English test. The UK exempts nationals of 18 majority-English-speaking countries and Venezuela is not one of them, so a Skilled Worker application needs an approved test at level B2 or a degree that Ecctis confirms was taught in English (Appendix English Language). Canada scores only English and French, through CELPIP, IELTS General Training or PTE Core, or TEF Canada and TCF Canada; no test in Spanish counts (IRCC language tests).
No TB test. Venezuela is not on the list of countries whose residents need a tuberculosis test for a UK visa of more than six months (gov.uk TB test list).
Your degree needs assessing for Canada, and biometrics are in Caracas. Express Entry needs an educational credential assessment from an IRCC-designated organisation, less than five years old when you submit your profile and your application (IRCC ECA). Canada's visa application centre in Venezuela is in Caracas; if you live elsewhere, IRCC's list covers most countries (IRCC: find a visa application centre).
Related routes and guides
Also see
What to do next
Common questions
- Do I need a job offer to move to Canada from Venezuela?
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.
- Can I use an expired Venezuelan passport for Canada?
If it is covered by the 2019 decree and expired less than five years ago, IRCC's notice says yes, for visitor, study, work and permanent residence applications. Provisional passports are not covered. The notice says nothing about the UK.
- Does Spanish count for anything?
No. Canada scores English and French only; the UK scores English only. A degree taught in English can replace the UK test if Ecctis confirms it; Canada always needs a test.
- Can a consulate get my police certificate for me?
No. IRCC says Venezuelan embassies and consulates can no longer help. The certificate is requested online through the interior ministry's website with your cédula number, from inside or outside Venezuela.
- Do I need a visa just to visit?
Yes, for both countries. Venezuela is a UK visa national and a Canadian visa-required country, with no ETA or eTA option.
- How much money do I need to show for Canada?
It depends on family size and is set by IRCC. The money must be in an account you can prove you control; borrowed money and property equity do not count. Check the current figure.
- Which is cheaper, Canada or the UK?
Canadian permanent residence for a single adult is $1,590 (IRCC, effective April 30, 2026) in government fees plus biometrics. A three-year UK Skilled Worker visa is £3,924 (UK Home Office, effective April 8, 2026) once the health surcharge is included. But the UK route comes with a job and Canada's does not.
Rules last checked on September 14, 2026.