Permanent Residence in Canada

Written by Luis Minvielle Moderated by Oleksandra Dosii

Luis Minvielle

Luis is a writer with over 5 years of experience in B2B software. Even though he has always worked in tech, a sector he regularly publishes about, his initial incursions into writing were, curiously enough, music essays discussing scenes from different parts of the world—most likely to deal with his unfulfilled ambition of becoming a neo-soul crooner.

Oleksandra Dosii

Oleksandra is a dedicated marketer with a passion for growing HR-tech products. She believes content marketing is about delivering high-quality content that provides value—not just generating leads. Since 2016, Oleksandra has been involved in tech talent relocation.

Last update: September 15, 2024

Next update: Scheduled for February 1, 2025

You don’t need to have lived in Canada to become a permanent resident. That’s right—whether you’ve lived in Canada for five or zero years, you can apply for a Canadian permanent residence if you meet the required criteria. A permanent residence permit allows immigrants to live, work, and study in Canada while enjoying many of the same benefits as Canadian citizens. This guide covers the advantages of holding a permanent residence in Canada, the eligibility criteria, the application process, and more.

What is a Canadian permanent residence permit?

A permanent resident (Canada PR) is someone who has immigrated to Canada and holds PR status, but is not a Canadian citizen. However, they must retain their status by fulfilling specific requirements, such as meeting the residency obligation. The PR card serves as proof of your status, which you can retain permanently even when your card expires.

Can you request permanent residency in Canada from outside Canada?

Yes, you can start the permanent residence process from outside or even within Canada. This is in contrast with other permits, like work permits, which were traditionally only obtainable from outside Canada.

What are the exclusive benefits of a Canadian permanent residence permit?

As a permanent resident, you receive many of the same social benefits as Canadian citizens, including access to a social insurance number for employment and health care coverage. You have the freedom to live, work, or study anywhere in Canada, the right to apply for Canadian citizenship, and the protection of Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

When can you apply for a Canadian permanent residence permit?

In Canada, permits rely on a points system. There are plenty of score systems—don’t mix them up. Meeting the criteria below is necessary to apply in the first place, and some items can earn you a good score for Canadian Permanent Residence request:

• Age: Individuals aged 18 to 35 receive the highest preference and maximum points.
• Education: Educational qualifications must be equivalent to or higher than Canadian secondary education.
• Work experience: A minimum of one year of full-time work experience in an organisation is required.
• Language ability: A minimum score of six bands in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is necessary.
• Adaptability: An additional 10 points are awarded if a common-law partner or spouse is also applying.
• Arranged employment: An extra 10 points are granted if an individual has a job offer from Canada.

This score can go up to 100. A minimum of 67 points out of 100 is required to be eligible. If you meet these criteria, you can submit your profile. There are several programmes available to receive a Canadian permanent residence. Up next will describe the most common programs, and those that will most likely work for you.

Express Entry

Express Entry is an online system used to manage applications for permanent residence from skilled workers. It includes three immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): For people with skilled work experience in managerial, professional, or technical jobs.
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): For people qualified in a skilled trade. There are more than 300 skilled trades in Canada, and their government lists the five most in-demand per province.
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC): For those with skilled work experience in Canada.

Applicants create an online profile, and are ranked according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) based on the criteria mentioned above. The highest-ranking candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

What are the max points for a Canadian Comprehensive Ranking System? What is a good CRS score?

The max points for a CRS are 1,200. You don’t need that many points. In early 2024, 3,200 workers received the invitation with a score of 420. If you’ve ever read about a Canadian score system that sometimes adds up to 600, it’s this one.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Most Canadian provinces and territories have their own immigration programs, known as Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). These are designed to meet specific local labour market needs. The PNP application process will vary based on the system you choose to apply from: Express Entry or Non-Express Entry.

Applicants can be nominated by a province or territory, which gives them a higher chance of being invited to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry system by granting 600 additional points that will help you get your ITA.

Quebec-Selected Skilled Workers

Quebec has its own immigration program for skilled workers who wish to live in the province. So if you are looking to live in this province specifically, you must apply to the Government of Quebec for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). To obtain the CSQ, you need to go through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) or other specific immigration programs offered by the province. Once obtained, they can apply for permanent residence.

Other programs

Other programs offered by Canada include:

• Start-up visa: For entrepreneurs with business ideas supported by Canadian investors. As well as a business idea, you need only 14k to apply, but processing times are of slightly more than 3 years.
• Caregivers: Allows caregivers to apply for permanent residence after gaining work experience in Canada caring for children, the elderly, or people with high medical needs.
• Atlantic immigration program: Targets skilled workers and international graduates to settle in Canada's Atlantic provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick).
• Rural and northern immigration pilot: A community-driven program to attract skilled foreign workers to smaller communities across Canada.
• Agri-food Pilot: Designed for foreign workers in the agriculture and food processing industries to obtain permanent residence.
• Refugees: Provides protection and a pathway to permanent residence for individuals fleeing persecution and danger in their home countries.

What documents are required to apply for a Canadian permanent residence permit?

You need to present different documents for the two steps involved in the process of getting your Canadian permanent residence:

For your online profile

• Valid passport (it should expire over 6 months after the day you apply)
• Language test results (English or French)
• Proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes
• Provincial nomination (if applicable)
• Written job offer from an employer in Canada (if applicable)
• Proof of work experience
• Certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a competent Canadian authority — such as a Canadian province or territory (if applicable)
• Proof of funds (if applicable). We’ll see to that below.

Proof of funds

If the program you are applying through requires proof of funds, through an official letter from any bank or financial institution you have an account in. If you have a valid job offer, you don’t need to show proof of funds, even if it applies to your program. The minimum needed is updated every year on the Canadian government website.

For your application (if you’ve received an ITA)

If you have received an invitation, you should upload copies of the same documents you uploaded for your profile, plus the following:

• Police certificates
• Birth certificate, if you’re declaring dependent children
• Adoption certificate, when a dependent child is listed as “adopted”
• Use of a Representative form (if you’ve hired a representative)
• Certificate according to the marital status declared: Marriage certificate; Divorce certificate and legal separation agreement; Death certificate if widowed; Common-law union form (if you’ve declared your marital status as “common-law”)
• Any other documents that you feel are relevant to your application

How to apply for permanent residency in Canada?

These are the steps you should follow if you want to apply for Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry:

1. Determine your eligibility

Each of the three programs within Express Entry has different requirements, like language proficiency, age, education, and adaptability (a job offer in Canada). Check your eligibility using this tool. If you have foreign education, you need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

2. Create an Express Entry profile

For your profile, you should upload the documents detailed above. Based on the information provided, you’ll receive a CRS score. This score determines your rank in the Express Entry pool.

3. Receive an ITA

The Canadian government regularly conducts draws from the Express Entry pool, inviting the highest-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence. If your CRS score is above the cut-off for a particular draw, you will receive an ITA.

4. Submit your permanent residence application

After receiving an ITA, you have 60 days to submit your application for permanent residence together with the documents mentioned before, including the payment of the fee. You may be required to provide biometrics (fingerprints and photos) at a designated centre.

5. Wait for the outcome

The processing time varies, but it generally takes around 6 months from the date of submission. You can check the status of your application online.

6. Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR)

If your application is approved, you will receive a COPR document and a permanent resident visa (if you’re from a visa-required country). You must arrive in Canada before your COPR expires to complete the landing process and officially become a permanent resident. Upon arrival, you should present your COPR and visa to the immigration officer at the port of entry in Canada. After arriving, you will receive your Permanent Resident card by mail. Yes, it’s a physical card by snail mail, not an emailed attachment. You’ll need a mailing address for this one.

Can your family members get permanent residency? Family Sponsorship in Canada, explained

Canadian citizens and permanent residents over 18 years of age can sponsor certain family members to come to Canada as permanent residents. Eligible relatives include:

• Spouse or dependent children
• Adopted child
• Parents and grandparents
• Other relatives

To be an eligible candidate to become a sponsor, you have to be able to support your family member financially, making sure they don’t need social assistance from the government.

What are Canadian permanent residence permit fees?

As of September 2024.

What if your application is rejected?

Your permanent residence application can be refused for various reasons, including criminality, incomplete documents or missed deadlines. To understand why your application was refused, review the refusal letter or submit an Access to Information Request to get a more detailed explanation. This will help you decide if reapplying is worthwhile. Note that reapplying with the same documents may result in another refusal.

You can reapply again at any time, unless your refusal letter says otherwise. Alternatively, you may appeal the decision to the Federal Court of Canada if there was a legal or factual error, by filing a Notice to the Federal Court. Your chances of being rejected are greatly minimised, however, if your application is being sponsored by a Canadian employer from the get-go.

Talk to an immigration expert

A Canadian job offer can increase your eligibility for permanent residence from 10 up to 600 points, making it your best bet to receive an invitation to apply. To find your job offer from a Canadian company, you can try Relocate.me.

Relocate.me connects jobseekers wishing to move internationally with employers willing to sponsor your relocation. We can also connect you with experts who’ll offer you consulting services so you can relocate to Canada.

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