Becoming a Permanent Resident in Canada
Canada is a land of opportunity and thousands of people seek to become permanent residents and get their PR card every single year. In fact, Canada has been increasing the number of successful applicants each year. The Canadian government plans to invite 411,000 individuals to become permanent residents in 2022 and that number continues to grow!
What is a Canadian Permanent Resident?
A permanent resident is someone who has been given permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada, but is not a Canadian citizen. Permanent residents are citizens of other countries. A person in Canada temporarily, like a student or foreign worker, is not a permanent resident.
How to Become a Canadian Permanent Resident in 2022
The requirements and process steps are different depending on which route you take so it’s important to learn more and think about speaking with an immigration professional. Once you’ve been accepted or invited to become a Canadian permanent resident, you will be given a PR Card.
Who Can Apply for Permanent Resident Status?
Anyone is allowed to apply for permanent residency in Canada but only qualified individuals will be accepted. To find if you are eligible for permanent residency you will be examined by your:
- age
- level of education
- official language proficiency
- second official language
- Canadian work experience
5 Main Immigration Pathways for Canadian Permanent Residency
1.Express Entry
The Express Entry system manages permanent residency applications for permanent for immigrants who can fill jobs where there is a lack of available skilled Canadian workers through specific economic immigration programs. Explore the links below to learn more!
2. Business Immigration
Canada offers tremendous opportunities to foreigners who come with business intentions. Canada’s business immigration pathways us for newcomers who have experience in owning, managing, or investing in businesses.
3. Family Sponsorship
Family sponsorship is a way to reunite families in Canada. Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their family members to immigrate to Canada through several sponsorship programs.
4. Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an immigration program aimed to help temporary foreign workers and foreign students already in Canada to apply their work experience and education toward their Canada PR applications. Explore the links below to learn more!
5. Provincial Nominee Program
The Provincial Nominee Programs are for those who have the skills, education, and work experience to fill labor shortages in Canada. Each province and territory has its own streams that target students, business people, and workers.
Adjust Your Temporary Status to Permanent Residency
Whether you are in Canada temporarily to live, work, or study, you are given the option to adjust your status to permanent residency.
Work Permit – Applying for permanent residency through a work permit is very common and can be done through:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Study Permit – As an international student in Canada looking for permanent residency, you have very similar options to those with a work permit. The best way to successfully obtain permanent residency with a study permit in Canada is to apply for the Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) program and then applying for permanent residency.
Visitor Visa – It’s very rare to successfully adjust your temporary status to permanent residency with a tourist/visitor visa but there are some exceptions. Usually, the only way to do this is to qualify for as a refugee or have a partner that is a Canadian citizen.
Canada’s Multi-Year Immigration Plan
Canada each year plans to invite and accept thousands of individuals to become permanent residents. As you can see by the chart below, over 1 million permanent residents are being accepted to live in Canada.
Related Article: Canada’s Multi-Year Plan on Immigration 2022-2024.
2022
431,645
2023
447,055
2024
451,000
Get Help to Apply for Permanent Residency in Canada
The permanent residence application process can be very complex, time-consuming, and difficult. Many temporary residents change their status to permanent residency, therefore it is therefore essential that if you are considering applying for Canadian permanent residence, you get professional immigration help throughout the Canada PR process. The last thing you want is to be told your application is refused after months (or sometimes years) of waiting.
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