Canada- Permanent Residence
A common option for people seeking to immigrate to Canada is a Canada PR visa
Many people have attempted to immigrate to Canada because of the country’s welcoming policies toward immigrants and the government’s encouragement of their arrival and settlement.
Aside from this, relocating to Canada offers the promise of a comfortable way of life and suitable housing. Numerous employment options exist, and personal independence is promised. You still retain your nationality from your home country even after receiving a PR visa.
Benefits of Canada PR visa
As a PR visa holder, you can enjoy the following benefits:
- Can apply for Canadian citizenship in the future
- Can study and live anywhere in Canada
- Able to get the same healthcare and other social benefits as Canadian citizens
There are a number of different ways of Canada immigration below.
Express Entry
PNP (Province Nomination Program)
Overview of Express Entry Immigration Programs
Express Entry strives to make the immigration process simpler and quicker for applicants. While Express Entry is not an immigration program in itself, it is a system used by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to select candidates for immigration to Canada using the following current immigration programs:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program
- The Canadian Experience Class
- A select number of Provincial Nominee Programs
How to Prepare for Express Entry:
Candidates must take an English and/or French Language test. They must also have their post-secondary education credentials assessed according to Canadian standards. Candidates should ensure they are not inadmissible to Canada for criminality or medical reasons. Those who are must deal with these issues prior to making an application.
An Express Entry applicant must submit:
- English test results (IELTS),
- and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report to prove that they have the equivalent education level
What is Federal Skilled Worker Program
One of three federal immigration programmes that use the Express Entry system is the Federal Skilled Worker Program for Canada.
Under Express Entry, federal skilled workers in 370 occupations who meet minimum entry requirements submit an Express Entry Reserve Expression of Interest Profile. Candidate profiles in the pool are ranked according to a comprehensive ranking system. Applicants with the best score will receive an invitation for permanent residence. Applicants who receive an invitation must submit a complete application within 60 days.
To qualify as a Federal Skilled Worker a candidate must have suitable education, work experience, age and language ability in English or French. Qualified candidates are selected under the Express Entry Immigration system to apply for permanent residence.
To qualify for admission to the Express Entry Pool as a Federal Skilled Worker, applicants must meet the following conditions:
- Possess one-year of continuous full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment within the previous 10 years in one of 370 eligible occupations listed under the applicable National Occupational Classification system;
- The work experience must be classified within TEER categories 0 (management occupations), 1 (occupations that usually require a university degree), 2 (occupations that require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of 2 or more years, or are supervisory
- Score sufficient point under the skilled worker point grid comprising of six selection factors. The Current pass mark is 67 point
- Undergo language testing from a recognized third party and demonstrate intermediate-level language skills in English or French corresponding to the Canadian Language Benchmark of 7.
- Possess suitable settlement funding.
Step 1:
See if you meet the FSTP’s eligibility criteria. CanadaVisa has a free eligibility tool.
Step 2:
If you meet the eligibility criteria of the FSTP or another Express Entry program, you will need to complete an English and/or French language test officially recognized by IRCC. If you have studied abroad in an eligible program, you may also want to claim the additional CRS points you are eligible for by obtaining an Educational Credential Assessment. More information is available on CanadaVisa’s Express Entry page.
Step 3:
Submit your Express Entry profile on IRCC’s website for free.
Step 4:
Follow IRCC’s Express Entry draws to see if you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Draws tend to take place every two weeks.
Step 5:
If you receive an ITA, submit your completed permanent residence application to IRCC within the specified deadline. IRCC’s processing standard for permanent residence applications is six months or less for most applicants.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible for the FSTP, you must:
- have valid job offers of continuous, paid, full-time employment (at least 30 hours a week) from up to two employers in Canada for at least one year OR a certificate of qualification* from a provincial or territorial body;
- provide proof of basic language proficiency from a designated language testing organization, demonstrating that the applicant meets the minimum threshold set by IRCC — Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, CLB 4 for reading and writing;
- have obtained 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) in the skilled trade in the five years before applying; and
- be able to demonstrate the skills and experience and that they have performed the essential duties of the occupation.
A certificate of qualification proves that a foreign national is qualified to work in a skilled trade occupation in Canada. With a certificate of qualification, applicants prove they have passed a certification exam or met all the requirements to practice their trade in a specific province or territory.
Canadian Experience Class:
This Program is designed for skilled workers who have work experience in Canada and wish to become permanent residents.
To be eligible to apply, you must:
- Have at least 1 year of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada
- Apply within 3 years of obtaining your skilled work experience
- Have had legal status while working, or studying, in Canada
- Meet minimum language levels in English or French; and
- Plan to live outside the province of Quebec
You can find a detailed list of eligibility requirements on the IRCC website
What kind of work experience do you need?
Your work experience must be Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or Skill Level B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).
Your work experience must be paid, full-time or the equivalent hours part-time. Full-time means at least 30 hours per week. You must have had this work experience in Canada.
If you are a graduate of a post-secondary institution in Canada and have studied as a full-time student for at least 2 academic years, you may be eligible to apply under the CEC.
You must still have the required work experience to be eligible to apply. You must have gotten this work experience after you graduated, not on a student visa. If you got work experience while on a post-graduation work permit or a similar work permit, it is considered valid.
If you were in a co-op program (or another academic program with a similar work placement or internship), your co-op work experience does not count towards this 1 year. You can only count work experience that you get after you graduate. Part-time work while you were a full-time student does not count towards your eligible work experience.
