In this article, we will explain the complete guide on Canadian permanent residency, the different paths for PR, the process, and the requirements.

What is Canadian PR?

A Canadian PR is permanent resident status in Canada, allowing you to live permanently there. But you are not a Canadian citizen.

How to become Canadian PR?

There are multiple ways to become Canadian PR, so everyone’s journey is unique to get Canadian permanent residency. You should live outside of Quebec province because Quebec province has its own immigration programs.

What are the documents required to get Canadian PR?

You must provide documents relevant to the profile for which you claim points.

• Education Transcripts
• Employment experience letters
• Valid WES Report
• IELTS score card
• Valid passport
• Medicals & police clearance certificate
• Proof of identity

Different ways to get PR:

1. Express Entry
2. Provincial Nominee Program

Express Entry

What is “express entry”?

Express entry allows skilled workers in Canada and abroad to obtain Canadian permanent residency.

What is the express entry process?

• Submit your profile and enter in the express entry pool
• You will receive an invitation to apply if you meet the minimum points requirement
• Submit your application within 60 days
• File processing standard time is six months
• If successful, you will become a Canadian PR

Three types of immigration programs are managed using Express Entry:

1. Canadian Experience Class
2. Federal Skilled Worker Program
3. Federal Skilled Trades Program

Let’s discuss above mention programs in more detail:

Canadian Experience Class

This class applies only to skilled workers who have Canadian work experience gained in the three years before applying.

Minimum requirements:

• Canadian Language Score 7 for Teer 0 or Teer 1 jobs
• Canadian Language Score 5 for Teer 2 or Teer 3 jobs
• Your language test should be valid on the day when you apply for the PR.
• You should have at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada in the previous three years while under the temporary resident status.
• There is no education requirement, but you will get points if you have a certificate, diploma, or degree from Canada or foreign education.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

Under this program, only candidates with foreign work experience who want to move permanently to Canada can apply.

Minimum requirements:

• You have one year of experience within the previous ten years in one of these National Occupational classifications (NOC) TEER categories: TEER 0, TEER 1, TEER 2, TEER 3
• Language test score should be 7 in all four modules (writing, reading, listening and speaking).
• You have earned a certificate, diploma, or degree from a secondary or post-secondary institution in Canada or abroad.
• If you have foreign education, you must complete credential and an educational credential assessment(that shows your education is equal to Canadian education).
• You have enough money to settle in Canada and a valid job offer to work legally in Canada.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

Under this program, skilled workers who want to become permanent residents can apply based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

Minimum requirements

• The candidate has at least two years of full-time work experience within the previous five years and meets the job requirements for a skilled trade.
• There is no education requirement, but you will get points if you have a secondary or post-secondary institution certificate, diploma, or degree within Canada or from a foreign institution.
• You have an educational credential assessment if you have a foreign institute education.
• You must have enough money to show for your and your family’s settlement.
• A province or territory assesses your trade because you need an employer to provide experience and training in Canada. Every province or territory’s process is different. You should check the government trade website.
• The language test score should be 5 for speaking and listening and 4 for reading and writing. 

Provincial Nominee Program

The PNP program works for candidates who have skills, education, and work experience in a specific province or territory and want to live and become PR in the same province or territory.

Application process:

A candidate must pass a medical exam and get a police check to start the process, no matter which province or territory they want to live in Canada.

You can apply through the non-express entry process or express entry.

Non-Express Entry process:

• You must apply in a specific province or territory to get a nomination under a non-express entry stream.
• You have to fulfill the eligibility requirements of the province to get the nomination.
• If you received the nomination, you could apply for permanent residence online.
• Non-express entry application processing times are longer than express entry.

Express Entry process:

There are two ways to apply:

Firstly, you contact the province and territory and apply for nomination under the express entry stream.

If the province and territory give you a nomination, then you can create an express entry profile or update your existing profile.

OR

You can create an express entry profile and inform the province or territory you are interested in.

If you get a “notification of interest” from a province or territory on your account, you directly contact the province or territory and apply to their express entry stream.

If your visa file is refused, Read this article