Permanent residence
Would you like to make Canada your home and get permanent residence here? Then there may be a few steps and procedures you may not be aware of.
First and foremost, you must determine your eligibility for permanent residence in Canada. Then you must meet certain criteria and submit a PR application.
To learn everything you need to know about Canada PR eligibility, keep reading.
Ways to Get Permanent Residence in Canada
Here’s a quick summary you can refer to about the many different paths to Canadian permanent residency.
Study: International students studying in Canada can apply for permanent resident status in Canada while in school or after they graduate.
Spouse/common law: Being married to a Canadian or being in a common law partnership with one allows them to sponsor you for PR.
Federal skilled worker class: This program is for talented people with international job experience who want to permanently migrate to Canada.
Federal skilled trades class: Like the above, it’s for skilled people with international job experience, but you must have work experience in a skilled trade like construction.
Canadian Experience class: Also known as CEC, for qualified workers with work experience in Canada who wish to become permanent residents.
Eligibility for Canadian PR
Here’s how you can be eligible for each class of permanent residency.
Student class
The Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Provincial Nominee Program are all permanent residence categories that students may qualify for. The major economic immigration scheme is Express Entry, and to enter this scheme you must be eligible for one of the federal economic immigration programs. The Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS assigns a score to each applicant. Students who have earned a Canadian post-secondary educational certification can increase their CRS score by up to 30 points, providing them a significant edge over everyone else.
Marriage or common law partnership
Your Canadian spouse or partner can act as a sponsor for your permanent residence application. When they agree to be a sponsor, they must sign an agreement committing to provide financial assistance for your basic requirements as well as the needs of any dependent children. As the sponsored person, you must be the spouse or common-law partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Canada and have valid immigration status. If you're married, remember that the only way your partner can sponsor you is if your union is legally recognised. If a same-sex marriage takes place outside of Canada, the ceremony must be recognised in the country where it takes place.
Skilled Worker
This is the first of the three types of applications managed through Express Entry, and covers all types of skilled workers who want to become permanent residents. For this type of application, the definition of skilled is highly particular. Skilled work experience implies that you have worked in one of three NOC job areas. These include managerial, professional, technical, and skilled trade occupations. If you meet all of the basic requirements, IRCC will evaluate your application based on the criteria of: age, education, work experience, French and English skills, adaptability to Canada and whether you have a legitimate offer of a job yet. These considerations are part of a 100-point grid used to determine eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You gain points based on how well you perform in each of the six named areas. Currently, the pass mark is 67 points.
Skilled Trades
The Canadian government recognises that there are labour shortages in many specialised trades. As a result, the Federal Skilled Trades Class is the only federal economic immigration program that specifically targets workers in trades occupations. This course is designed for qualified, experienced tradespeople from across the world who want to move to Canada. Applicants must have at least two years of full-time - or an equal amount of part-time - employment experience in a skilled trade within the last five years before applying. The skilled trade must also match the work requirements outlined in the National Occupational Classification list.
Canadian experience class
Applicants must have worked in a skilled occupation for at least 12 months in Canada. Candidates must submit an application within three years of completing one year of qualifying experience.
How much does Canadian permanent residency cost?
When it comes to permanent residency costs, Canada PR is quite cost-effective when compared to other popular immigration locations.
The fee for permanent residency is CAD 500 per person (for adults). To help reduce processing delays, the cost can be paid at the same time as your application fees. You will be refunded if your application is not approved.
For Express Entry, while the registration for the program itself is free, you will pay when you receive your Invitation to Apply (ITA).
You must pay a CAD 825 processing fee after receiving the ITA and fully completing your application. Your spouse or common-law partner is included in this fee. However, each dependent child accompanying you to Canada will be charged an additional CAD 225 fee.
Also, keep in mind that you will need to have money to support yourself and your family in Canada. You should have enough savings set aside to show the Canadian government that you can do so.
How long does Canadian permanent residency take?
The IRCC keeps an up to date record of how long processing times are taking currently. If you are eligible, you can also apply for urgent processing of your application. It also allows you to check the current status of your application. If you are applying in the time during the COVID-19 pandemic you should also be aware that the processing times are delayed. As of July 2021, the current processing time is 67 days.
So, now you know everything you need to know about permanent residence in Canada and how you can get it. Still undecided? Check out our guide to the benefits of being a permanent resident in Canada.