In recent years, Canada has emerged as an attractive destination for immigrants thanks to its excellent civic and health infrastructure. A Canada Permanent Residence (PR) visa makes an immigrant eligible for living and working in Canada as per eligibility. A Canada PR visa holder is also suitable for several social benefits and expedites Canadian citizenship. In this post, let us explore the various pathways and eligibility requirements for Canada PR immigration.
Canada PR Immigration Pathways and Eligibility Guidelines:
A points-based eligibility criterion is the first step towards a Canada PR application. Points are allotted to you in your application as per your educational qualifications, work experience, age, and English proficiency, among other factors. The main pathways to Canada PR immigration are listed below.
- Federal Economic Class
- Family Class Sponsorship
- Provincial Nominee Program
- Business Immigration Program
- Temporary Residence First, then Permanent
Most Canada PR immigration applications are processed under the Federal Economic Class program using the Express Entry PR Canada. Express Entry has the following three types of subprograms under it:
- Federal Skilled Workers is a program that accepts applications based on the points scored in the skilled worker points criteria. Applicants need to pass with at least 67 points to be eligible. You score points based on education, language proficiency, age, work experience, arranged employment, and adaptability factors.
- Federal Skilled Trades is a quota-based program. Through this track, Canada accepts a limited number of applications every year.
- Canada Experience Class is for applicants who have spent considerable time living and working in Canada and contributing to the Canadian economy.
Steps to Express Entry PR for Canada:
As the name suggests, Express Entry is the quickest way to a Canada PR with a 6-month timeline for processing the visa. Here are the steps to apply for Express Entry PR.
- Determine basic eligibility: As a first step, ensure that you’re above 18 years of age, have a graduate degree, at least three years of work experience, and can speak and write English reasonably well. If you’re pretty confident you meet these conditions, you can proceed to learn more about how you can certify these qualities and apply for Express Entry PR Canada.
- Certify English proficiency: You will need to take an IELTS or CELPIP test to validate your English skills. Either of these tests is permitted as proof by Canadian immigration authorities. There will be a minimum cut-off for the tests, and based on your score, you will be awarded points.
- Assessment of educational qualifications: If you’re applying under the Federal Skilled Worker track, you must establish Canadian education equivalency for your capabilities. Once your qualifications are assessed, your chances of acceptance increase even if you’re applying through other tracks of Express entry PR.
- Validate your work experience: For applying through Express Entry, you need to make sure your work experience fits into one of Canada’s job skills listed in the National Occupation Classification (NOC). If your work experience doesn’t seem to fit into one of them, your application has a high chance of being rejected.
- Determine final eligibility and create an online profile: Once you have your English proficiency scores and have identified the right skill that maps to your work experience in the NOC, you need to check your eligibility online. If eligible, you will need to submit your profile online. This online profile has a one-year validity during which you may update your details with any new scores or information. Based on your online profile, you will enter into a pool of applicants. You may potentially receive an invite to apply for PR based on your scores. Note that this is not an assurance of PR.
- Respond to the invite to apply: The final step in the application process for Express Entry occurs once you receive the invitation to apply (ITA). At this stage, you will have 90 days to respond to the invite with complete details and comply with any documentation requests. You will also need to show your self-supporting financial capabilities for successful immigration. In addition, you may also have to furnish certification of your non-criminal background. Ensure that you have documentation in the form of bank statements, police clearance, etc., ready in a timely fashion.
The final stage is to wait for your Express Entry application response. This may take up to six to eight months.
If you meet the essential eligibility factors, you can significantly increase your chances of getting a Canada PR by doing some homework. There are plenty of training material and mock IELTS tests online to help prepare for the final exam to certify your English proficiency. Similarly, go through online resources for common application mistakes to ensure you steer clear of them. If you plan to prepare well, you can take advantage of Canada’s Express Entry PR and avail the benefits of a residency in Canada.