London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 14, 2026

Canada Stupid Immigration Policy: Prince Harry's lack of education could prevent him moving to Canada

On a modern time where the top 800 out of the 1000 rich peoplei n the world are drop outs with no high education and some no formal education at all, when the top tech giants start rejecting jobs applicants that "wasted their time in university instead of dealing with the real life" - Prince Harry may have to go back to school if he wants to settle down in Canada with his family.
The Duke of Sussex has just touched down in Vancouver to begin a new chapter outside of the royal household, but speculation is already mounting about how, exactly, he plans to do that.

Meghan and Harry have not said how long they plan to stay in Canada with their son Archie, but if they decide to stay there for good, they will have to apply for permanent residency.

Despite being one of the most famous men in the world, this will be easier said than done for the Prince.

Canadian lawyer Mario Bellissimo says the Duke’s age, 35, past work experience, and the fact he did not go to university, will all ‘weigh heavily against him’ if he goes through the immigration application process.

The Toronto-based lawyer said it is ‘quite unusual’ for an individual applying for immigration to not have any form of higher education.

He said: ‘It’s definitely weighted heavily against him because you’re credited all the way up the scale from PhD downwards.

‘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.’

Unlike his eldest brother, William, who studied at St Andrews University before joining the RAF, Harry went straight into the military after school.

He served in the Army for ten years and rose to the rank of Captain, but unfortunately for Harry, his military heroics will not ‘benefit’ any application, Mr Bellissimo said.

Mr Bellissimo added that Harry’s previous philanthropic work is also not credited by the Canadian immigration system, which favours successful self-employed candidates, or those with a ‘proven track record of business management’.

He said: ‘As it stands right now, he will have a tough time. I don’t know if he will be going back to school.’

The immigration expert explained how the Duke may have to rely on his wife Meghan being the ‘principal applicant’ in any immigration process.

Meghan spent several years earning money in Toronto, while filming the TV show Suits – which makes her the more ‘desirable’ applicant over Harry.

Mr Bellissimo said: ‘It might surprise people but Meghan is the more desirable applicant from the Canadian immigration perspective because of her work experience.

‘She will likely have a good pathway because she has international recognition in an area of paid employment with acting.

‘International recognition is not enough. It has to be in an area where you earn income, either through the direct self-employment, or work experience in that same area.’

Mr Bellissimo added that Harry’s positive global recognition ‘definitely assists’ him but his connection to the British royal family has no ‘constitutional citizenship benefits’.

This has been confirmed by the Canadian government, which stated: ‘There are no provisions in the Citizenship Act that confer Canadian citizenship status to members of the Royal Family.

‘In order to become legal permanent residents of Canada, they would need to apply through our normal immigration processes.’

If Harry and Meghan go for a more temporary life in Canada, they can live there for six months at a time with visitor visas and no formal paperwork.

However, the issue with the visitor visa is that it does not allow Meghan and Harry to work in Canada.

As part of the royal split, the couple will no longer receive public funds, and have to repay the £2.4 million taxpayers spent renovating Frogmore Cottage – their family home in Windsor – so they will likely choose a more lucrative route.

Meghan could apply for a self-employed work permit because of her previous work experience, but she may opt for permanent residency under express entry.

The Suits star can do this by qualifying for Canada’s ‘federal skilled worker’ category, which allows individuals in the arts and sports the opportunity to emigrate to Canada.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record Amid Severe Heatwaves
Harrods Faces Potential £150 Million Compensation Bill Over Al Fayed Abuse Claims
UK Parliament Opens Debate on Landmark Assisted Dying Legislation
Metropolitan Police Investigate Reform UK Over Alleged Foreign Electoral Donations
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in July as AI Investment Boosts Activity
Bank of England Signals Caution on Rates as Inflation Pressures Persist
Tesco Alerts Police After Scammers Use Its Branding in AI-Generated Fraud
Lindy Cameron Appointed First Female Permanent Under-Secretary at UK Foreign Office
UK Government to Rewrite Student Loan Guidance After Mis-Selling Criticism
Welsh First Minister Warns Andy Burnham Government to Respect Devolution
Trump’s Falkland Islands Remarks Trigger New Diplomatic Tension With Britain
Reform UK Receives Record £72 Million Donation From Cryptocurrency Billionaires
UK Bans Imports From Israeli West Bank Settlements and Sanctions Supporting Institutions
Bayeux Tapestry Draws Large Crowds at British Museum
Cuts to International Aid Raise Concerns Over Fragile Overseas Health Systems
UK Airlines and Logistics Operators Adjust Capacity as Fuel Costs Rise
UK Mortgage Arrears Edge Lower in Second Quarter
UK Government Advances New Devolution Offers for English Councils
UK Parliament Begins Debate on NHS Governance and Single Patient Record Reforms
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North Devolution Initiative
UK Parliament Rejects Assisted Dying Bill for Terminally Ill Adults
UK Bans Goods From Israeli Settlements in the Occupied West Bank
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Technology Services Strengthen
Metropolitan Police Continue Investigation Into Reform UK Political Financing
Chinese Crypto Entrepreneur Leon Li Identified as Seller of £190 Million London Mansion
Trades Union Congress Proposes Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Surcharge
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for State Pension Triple Lock to Be Scrapped
Anthropic Says Claude Helped Disrupt Biological Weapons and Cyber Espionage Threats
UK Imposes Sanctions Over Israeli Settlements and West Bank Violence
UK Reimposes Sectoral Sanctions on Iran’s Aviation, Shipping and Energy Networks
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as AI and Programming Services Lift Activity
UK House of Commons Rejects Assisted Dying Bill by 286 Votes to 270
UK Reviews Nationwide Emergency Alert Tests After Systems Meet Reliability Targets
UK Seeks Faster Rail Links Across Northern Industrial Corridors
British Business Bank Allocates £150 Million for High-Growth Companies in Northern England
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Possible Amid Pay Dispute and £500 Million Savings Drive
UK Backs Short Extension of UN Sudan Sanctions Regime
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Defends Early Prison Release Reforms and Growth Strategy
Reform UK Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Effort to Circumvent Foreign Donation Rules
UK Analysts Warn Tax Rises or Spending Cuts May Be Needed to Preserve Fiscal Headroom
Jaguar Land Rover Plans Up to 4,000 Job Cuts in £1.7 Billion Cost-Saving Drive
UK Chancellor Warns of Difficult October Budget as Borrowing Costs Rise
UK Declares Israeli Occupation of West Bank Unlawful and Expands Sanctions
UK House of Commons Rejects Assisted Dying Bill for England and Wales
English Councils to Gain Power to Introduce Tourist Taxes by 2028
Kemi Badenoch Reshuffles Conservative Shadow Cabinet
×