Moving from one place to another is not easy, not even if you’re a royal. This is why Prince Harry’s decision to move to Canada with Meghan Markle and their son Archie is not going to be easy at all.
In fact, an immigration lawyer revealed that Prince Harry has a huge barrier to moving to Canada. Toronto-based lawyer Mario Bellissimo has warned the Duke of Sussex that his lack of higher education could make it hard for him to complete his plan.
“It’s definitely weighted heavily against him because you’re credited all the way up the scale from Ph.D. downwards,” he said. “Many of the applicants that are qualifying have higher education. Some have PhDs others have Masters. But they clearly have university degrees of some type or other types of professional post-secondary degrees.”
Canada uses a points-based immigration system based on an individual’s skills and status. To qualify for immigration, a minimum of 65 points out of 90 should be met. Some Canadian commentators then noted that Prince Harry will not have a special treatment and will go through this process like everyone else.
Although Prince Harry is a part of the royal family since birth, Mario Bellissimo said that this would not give him the advantage. In fact, the lawyer pointed out that Meghan Markle’s educational and work background would be more favorable with Canadian immigration authorities than his.
“It might surprise people but Meghan is the more desirable applicant from the Canadian immigration perspective because of her work experience,” he said. “She will likely have a good pathway because she has international recognition in an area of paid employment with acting.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could only live in Canada as visitors at the moment. So, there’s no need for a special visa to say in the country. However, this will only allow them to stay there for six months at a time.
But Dory Jade, head of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants, pointed out that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wealth may play a significant role.
“If the couple is willing to invest some of its fortune, estimated in the tens of millions of dollars, in Canada, they could probably qualify for one of the business/investor class visas,” she said. “It’s very common for wealthy people to come to Canada, open a business under a work permit and then convert it to [permanent residency]. We’re talking maybe less than 12 months, and they could start operating even before getting the work permit, I would say.”
