Canada

Hi Jaskaran,
Which course you should study is a choice you have to make, please know what you want, your areas of interests, etc. You have also not provided any information such as your education background.

Hello,
The IELTS requirement is mainly a requirement by the university. You may check with them directly if 5.5 can be considered basis your profile. They may suggest you a bridge course too. Talking about the visa, it will come into the picture after you have received the admission offer from the university.

Hi,
This will depend on the nature of your gap. Universities will evaluate the same. You can further apply for the student visa only after you have been accepted by an university. Decide what to study and check the entry requirements. Submit a good application and on time for better chances of admissions and visa.

Hello,
You may surely file PR before you go to Canada under Express entry (newly introduced) or skill shortage category. The process is listed on Canadian High Commission website. You may also follow the alternate route which is faster in case your academic background is good and you are applying for the diploma in the related category having required IELTS scores & GPA in Undergrad degree.
So, it really depends on which route you may want to follow - both are open for deserving students/people.

Hello,
I would say both countries are good for Industrial Engineering and helps you build your career. Canada has an edge being geographically larger and number of industries being present there giving more scope of getting placed. It also depends on the university you are doing the course from and how have you performed, which ultimately results in better placements.

Canadian Universities and degrees are globally recognised. The scope is as good as you are. You will have opportunities equivalent to what you would have had if you had graduated from any American University of equivalent global ranking.

Your eligibility for a student loan is independent of the country you are planning to go to for education. It is more dependent on your profile both academic and financial (profile) of parents.

Apart from your graduation percentage, everything else looks good. You should apply to all top universities and focus on writing amazing essays (SoP) and getting good recommendations. Try for University of Toronto, UBC, University of Waterloo, etc.