Apply for Canada Permanent Residency Visa
A Canada PR Visa Holder is one who is granted the Canadian permanent residency status by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; nevertheless, he/she is not a citizen of Canada. With a congenial environment to live, work and study, Canada has become one of the most sought-after destinations by the immigrants around the world. The Canada PR will help settle in the country and be a part of the diverse, friendly and helpful community and nation, with progressive economy. The new changes in the immigration laws have helped quicker and adjustable immigrant selection system, thus facilitating easy Permanent residency in Canada.
Get to Know Various Immigration Programs that Offer Canada PR
You can apply for Canada PR under any of the following immigration programs depending on your eligibility.
Skilled Migrants through Express Entry System.
Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Canadian Experience Class.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP).
Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker Program.
Family Sponsorship Programs.
Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Pilot Program.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot.
Caregivers Programs.
Caring for Children Program.
Caring for People with High Medical Needs Program.
Live-in Caregiver Program.
Self-Employed Program.
How to Apply for Canada PR?
(A)Under Skilled Migrants Stream through Express Entry System
The Canada PR application process starts only if you are invited to apply for the permanent residence. Once you receive a message in your account, you will know:
The program you are invited for, and
How to proceed further?
As you are invited based on your ranking for the information provided on the Canada Express Entry profile, you are required to show evidence of the information you furnished. In case the information you show does not match with the one on the profile, your application will be rejected. Furthermore, any misrepresentation of yourself through providing wrong information or missing out essential details will lead to:
The refusal of the application
Finding you in admissible
Preventing you from applying to migrate to Canada for 5 years
The steps explained below will help you know how to apply for Canada PR under skilled migrant stream.
1. Fill in the Online Application Form:
Log into your account.
Apply for Canada PR under Express Entry by clicking on the link provided and:
Fill in your answers, which have to be true and complete.
Check whether you have not missed out any mandatory fields in the application form because you will not be able to lodge your application form.
Save the information provided and go back if you need to provide any changes.
Next, go through the personalized “Document Checklist” as it will give you complete information of the supporting documents you need to provide. The “Document Checklist” is generated by the system once you have saved your completed application.
2. Gather All the Documents:
You should start this process immediately after you are placed in the Express Entry pool because you have only 90 days to apply for Canada PR. You have to get ready all the documents by making the digital copies of them. The digital documents are to be uploaded in any of file formats like .jpg,.tiff,.png, .doc, .docx and .pdf. The documents to upload are:
provincial nominations (in case you are nominated).
language efficiency test results.
valid job offers in writing from an employer in Canada (in case there is one).
evidence of your financial position to show that you have sufficient money to support yourself and your family members in Canada, where any of them accompanies you (in some cases).
valid passports (expired passports or other travel documents are not accepted).
Educational Credential Assessment reports (in case the results are included in your Express Entry profile).
medical exams.
police certificates.
any other documents on the “Document Checklist”.
These documents are essential for they are supporting evidence for the information provided in your Canada Express Entry profile.
Educational Credential Assessments
You have to submit an Educational Credential Assessment in case you are chosen for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and you possess educational qualifications from outside Canada or you were granted points for your foreign education, irrespective of the program you are invited to apply under.
3. Check Language Tests:
While applying for Canada PR, it is important to check the validity of the language test result because if the test results are expired, then you have to take the test again and get the results to apply before the last date of application. If not, you can decline the invitation and be in the pool to be considered later in future.
Where your test results are not valid for expired dates, your application will get rejected.
4. Get Police Certificates:
The Canada PR application asks for good character, where you need to get police certificates for you and your family members. You have to get it from the countries where you stayed for over 6 months in the last 10 years from the time you are 18 years old. Acquiring police certificates may sometimes take a long time and where you fail to produce them within 90 days you have to decline your invitation.
5. Check your Program Requirements:
This is another important step to follow before applying for Canada PR. The program for which you are chosen needs to looked into again for the criteria to ensure that you are eligible for it. By understanding the requirements for the program, you can get prepared to apply for it. In case you do not meet the criteria, it will help you to decide whether to accept the invitation or not.
6. Changes to Personal Situation:
It may happen that your personal situation changes and if your spouse’s or your circumstances change, the score may go high or low. It is important to calculate your score again to get better ranking in the Express Entry pool. Where your score recalculated is lower than the score in the round of invitations and if you are invited based on the previous highest score, it is better you may decline the invitation.
The following are the changes where your score may get lower:
You do not have a valid job offer any longer.
You do not hold a provincial nomination any longer.
Your language test scores are lower when you re-took them or are expired.
7. Pay your Fees:
This is one of the last stages of applying for Canada PR. You are required to pay the application processing fee for you, as well as your family accompanying you. The fee is paid online through your account, with a debit or credit card and the amount payable is based on the type of the visa applied for.
You have to pay the right of permanent residence fee of $490 for every applicant. However, the dependent children need not pay the fee. You need to pay this fee on having your application approved but before the issuance of the Canada PR.
The other fees to pay are for:
Language tests
Educational Credential Assessments
Health checks
Police checks and certificates
Document translations
You have to pay professional fees for any services received from the visa consultant.
8. Submit your Complete Application:
This is the last step and before submitting the application for Canada PR, please ensure once again whether you have:
(B) Under Family Sponsorships Stream
Once you meet the eligibility criteria for any of the family sponsorship programs like sponsor your spouse, partner or dependent children; sponsor your adopted children and other relatives; or sponsor your parents and grandparents, you can apply for the Canada PR under your required program by following the steps given below:
1. Find Out your Eligibility:
The first step in the Canada PR process under family sponsorships is to determine whether you are eligible to sponsor. You can sponsor if you are:
18 years or more.
A Canadian citizen.
A person registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act in Canada.
A permanent resident of Canada.
Where you live in Quebec, you have to satisfy the Quebec immigration sponsorship requirements.
2. Get your Application Package:
You need to get the right application package, which has the forms, checklist and instructions. To find the right instructions and checklist, you need to select from the options online:
Person who is being sponsored.
The residence country of the sponsored person.
The country where the documents supporting the claims in your application were issued.
Where you want to sponsor your parents and grandparents, you have to let know the immigration office you intention by sending an interest to sponsor online and get an invitation to lodge the completed application.
3. Fill in the Application Form:
To fill out the forms, go through the checklist, which will guide you to complete the forms. In case there are forms not to be filled in, you will know. Where the application form needs more space to provide answers to certain questions, you may do so in a separate blank page. All the forms are to be completed appropriately and signed. It is essential for applying for Canada PR to declare all the family members though they are not permanent residents or citizens of Canada.
With regard to the parent and grandparent sponsorship, the filling out of the application form happens only after you receive an invitation to lodge your application.
4. Gather Required Documents:
Your application must have all the supporting documents to qualify for Canada PR. While gathering documents, you are required to check for the country-specific requirements. The following documents must be sent along with the application:
Proof of Identity documents that include photographs, Canadian permanent resident cards, certified copies of passports and travel documents.
The birth certificates of your family members.
Marriage certificate or document showing proof of registration of your marriage.
A copy of an adoption order in case of sponsor your adopted children.
Sufficient evidence showing that you satisfy the minimum income requirements.
Your agreement in writing to support your relatives for an agreed amount of time. This applies for the sponsor of other relatives under the family sponsorship program.
Police certificates from the country you reside.
5. Pay your Application Fees:
Once you have prepared your application form, the next step is to pay the fee. The amount of fee to be paid depends on the type of the family sponsorship program you are applying for.
The fee for sponsor your spouse/partner; parent or grandparent; or relative (22 years or older) is CAN $ 1,040, which includes sponsorship fee of $ 75, principal applicant processing fee of $ 475 and right of permanent residence fee of $ 490.
Where you include any dependent children or dependent adopted children, the processing fee is $ 150 each.
6. Submit your Application:
This last stage of applying for Canada PR under the family sponsorships requires you to do the following:
Keep the copy of the checklist on the top to help easy processing of the application
Next, place the barcode pages, if there are any
After that, keep the supporting documents in the order given in the checklist.
Once you have arranged the application in order, send it by mail or courier.
(C) Under Investors Stream
The Canada PR under the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital (IIVC) Pilot Program allows you to settle in Canada as an international investor if you possess necessary skills and abilities to contribute to the economic growth of the country. To apply under the investor stream, you have to follow the steps given below.
1. Determine your Eligibility:
As a prospective immigrant investor, find out whether you are eligible to apply for Canada PR under the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital (IIVC) Pilot Program. The eligibility asks for meeting the following requirements:
Personal net worth of CDN $10 million or more gained through lawful private sector business or investment activities.
Proof of personal net worth in the form of a due diligence report from the authorized service providers.
Non-guaranteed investment of CDN $2 million in the IIVC fund.
Language Skills in English or French.
Educational qualification of post-secondary certificate, degree or diploma of minimum one year in Canada or a foreign equivalent degree or certificate validated by ECA (Educational Credential Assessment).
You are not inadmissible to Canada for reasons like health, security or finance.
2. Fill out the Application Form:
You can apply for Canada PR under the IIVC program only on paper. For the purpose, you have to download the application form, fill in and then validate the form to create barcodes. Other than the general application form, you need to fill in and sign the following forms:
Schedule A – Background / Declaration form.
Schedule 17 – Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Class.
Additional Dependents/Declaration.
Supplementary Information – Your travels.
Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union form in case you are a member in a Common-law union.
Additional family information form.
Representative form in case you are using the services of representatives.
3. Gather all the Documents:
Your application must have all the supporting documents such as:
The certified copy of the information page of your valid passport or travel document, offering details like the passport number, name, country of origin, issued and expiry dates and photograph.
The original copy of the language test results.
Documents showing the evidence of post-secondary degree, certificate or diploma or Education Credential Assessments validating your foreign equivalent degree or certificate.
Copies of certificates showing your birth, name change, marriage, or divorce of yours and your spouse or common-law partner if he/she is included in the application.
In case of dependent children, the copies of their birth certificates or adoption papers.
Two photo copies and self-addressed labels, where one is written in English or French and the other in the official language of your country.
medical exams.
police certificates.
any other documents on the “Document Checklist”
4. Pay your Application Fees:
To process your Canada PR under the IIVC Pilot Program, you have to pay CDN $ 1050 as an application fee and CDN $ 490 for the “Right of Permanent Residence Fee”. As for the additional family member like your spouse or common-law partner, you have to pay an additional amount of CDN $ 550 plus CDN $ 490 for the “Right of Permanent Residence Fee”. In case of any dependent children included in the application, you have to pay CDN $ 150 each. The application fee is not refundable in case the processing is started and the application is rejected or cancelled; however, the “Right of Permanent Residence Fee” is refundable.
5. Conduct Health Checks:
For the purpose of applying for Canada PR, you need to undergo medical exam with a doctor on the list of panel physicians. The health checks referred may be chest x-rays and laboratory tests. You have to get ready the health check reports ready before submitting your application.
6. Submit your Completed Application:
This is the last step in the process and it is essential to check for the following to avoid the sending back of your application.
The application form is duly filled and signed.
You paid the processing fee.
Met the language necessities.
Have enough evidence showing your educational qualification.
Provided all other documents supporting your claims in the application form.
Once you ensure the above, you can lodge your application, which will be processed.
Note: The IRCC is not accepting any application for the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Pilot Program now and the processing time for it is not available.
(D) Under Care givers Stream
If you want to apply for Canada PR under the Caregivers program, you can do so in any one of the three ways you are eligible for:
Caring for Children Program.
Caring for People with High Medical Needs Program.
Live-in Caregiver Program.
The steps explained below will help you know how to apply for Canada PR under any of the above mentioned Caregivers program.
1. Get the Application Package:
You can find the application package, which includes all the required forms and guide for the specific program. The guide, with the generic application form helps you to fill out the details correctly.
2. Fill out the Application Form:
The next step is to fill out the application form by providing enough information on the mandatory fields. Once it is done, you are required to validate the Generic Application Form for Canada online by clicking on the “Validate” button. The process will not be complete if you leave out any fields. After the validation, print the form and barcode pages (which appear after the validation). You have to follow the same process for the other forms too. Next, you have to sign on the all the forms and date them, wherever required.
3. Gather All Supporting Documents:
Your application must have all the supporting documents against your claims in the application to qualify for Canada PR.
4. Pay the Application Fee:
You have to pay the processing fee, which includes both yours and your family members included in the application. Other than the application fee, there is the “Right of Permanent Residence Fee”, which is refundable if your application is rejected or you cancel your application.
Generally, the fee payable for any of the Care givers program include CAN $ 1,040, which includes sponsorship fee of $ 75, principal applicant processing fee of $ 475 and right of permanent residence fee of $ 490.
The other fees incurred are for the health checks, language skills testing, police certificates and acquiring Educational Credential Assessment report. The payment of processing fee can be made online.
5. Submitting your Application Form:
The final step in the Canada PR process under Caregivers stream is to submit the application form. You need to recheck the application to ensure:
You have answered all the questions.
Signed the forms.
Included all the supporting documents, including the evidence showing the fee payment.
Arranged the application according to the order given in the checklist.
Finally, mail the application package to the address provided.
What is Benefits of Canada PR?
The Canada PR offers you the following benefits:
You can stay and work anywhere in Canada for an indefinite time.
You will become eligible for Canadian citizenship after three years staying in Canada as a Canada PR.
With Canada PR, your children can have free public education. As most of the universities and educational institutions are funded by provinces, each province carries out its own education system.
You can have free access to healthcare services called Medicare, which is publicly funded health care system. Your family and you can avail both primary health care and supplemental coverage. Being a Canada PR you get a health insurance card, where you do not have to pay directly for the health-care services.
Certain family relatives can come to Canada on family sponsorship.
You can enjoy the employee benefits being a Canada PR. Some of the benefits are group life insurance, vehicle allowances, pension benefits, health and dental insurance and training expenses.
On becoming a Canadian citizen, you can travel to over 150 countries with a Canadian passport.
You can enjoy the same rights of those enjoyed by the citizens.
Where you are a foreign trained worker, you stand eligible for a Foreign Credential Recognition Program, which helps you find a job in your field quickly.
Get to Know what is Permanent Resident Card
The Canada PR card is an evidence of your permanent resident status in Canada. You need to carry this card and show it with your passport on demand. The Permanent Resident Card offers you protection under Canadian law and the “Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms”. It also helps you apply for the Canadian citizenship.
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