• Issued 4.4 lakh Canada PR visas in 2022
• Welcoming 1.5 million new PRs by 2025
• 1 Million jobs lying vacant for 100+ days
• Earn 5 to 8 times your current salary
• Access to Universal Healthcare System
• FREE Education for your children
• Retirement benefits
• Easiest path to get Canadian Citizenship

Canada permanent resident status is given to a candidate who got the Canada PR visa while immigrating to Canada but is not equal to Canadian citizenship. With Permanent Residency, candidates can live in Canada permanently for 5 years. After living in Canada on PR status for 4 years, the candidate can apply for citizenship based on eligibility.

“Did You Know: You can get a Canada PR Visa without a job offer in Canada.” 

Canada PR Process

Canada PR process is an easy 7-step procedure for applicants who meet the eligibility and requirements. By following the 7 steps, you can process your Canada PR visa application. A Permanent Resident (PR) visa has become prominent among immigrants who are willing to settle in ‘Maple Leaf country.’ It depends upon the path you choose to apply for the Canada PR visa.

Here is the list of paths that guide you on the Canada PR process.

• Express Entry
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• Quebec Immigration
• Atlantic Immigration Program
• Canada start-up visa program

Canada PR Eligibility 

• 67 points in Canada points Grid
• Age below 40 years
• IELTS / PTE Score
• Educational Credential Assessment
• Proof of Funds
• Job offer in Canada (optional)

Canada PR Requirements

Below is the checklist of Canada PR requirements you need to check before applying for permanent residence in Canada.

• Age
• Education
• Work experience
• Language ability
• Adaptability
• Arranged employment
• Police verification certificate

Application for a Canada PR visa through the PNP program requires the applicants to have some connection to the province. You can either work in that province or study there. You can be eligible if you have a job offer from an employer in the province. To qualify under this program, you should be able to get 67 points out of 100 in the eligibility factors given below:

1. Age: Those between 18-35 years get maximum points. Those above 35 get lesser points, while the maximum age to qualify is 45 years.
2. Education: Under this category, your educational qualification must be equal to higher secondary education under Canadian standards.

1. Work experience: For minimum points, you should have at least one year of full-time work experience. More years of work experience means more points. Your occupation must be listed as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

1. Language ability: You must have at least 6 bands in your IELTS test, and the score must be less than 2 years old. You get extra points if you are proficient in French.

1. Adaptability: If your spouse or common-law partner is willing to migrate with you to Canada, you are entitled to 10 extra points for adaptability.

1. Arranged employment: You can gain a maximum of 10 points if you have a valid offer from a Canadian employer.

How to get Canada PR?

Indians applying for a Canada PR visa need to meet all the eligibility criteria and arrange all the requirements. Then, follow the below steps to file your Canada PR visa application from India.

• Step 1: Complete your language ability tests even before you start the application process. Take the IELTS exam and get the required scores. If required, you might need to take a French language test.
• Step 2: Submit your application based on the requirements of the immigration program you have decided on.
• Step 3: Submit all the required documents. Ensure you provide only genuine documents. Remember that the education and work experience documents require authentication.
• Step 4: Gather the required documents for proof of funds to support your stay in Canada. Get your medical checkup and police verification records ready.
• Step 5: Your documents will go through a mandatory examination by an immigration officer. Be prepared to provide any additional information if required.
• Step 6: You will receive confirmation of your PR status and will receive a COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence) card.
• Step 7: Apply for your PR card and fly to Canada.

ECA – Educational Credential Assessment 

An important step while applying for your Canada PR visa is to apply for the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), which is required if you have done your education outside Canada. The ECA report will show that your educational credentials are equal to Canadian secondary school credentials or post-secondary educational credentials.

The ECA is required if you are applying for a visa through the Express Entry program to prove that your foreign education degree or credential is valid and is equal to a Canadian degree. The following categories of PR applicants need to get an ECA

• Applicants who have completed their education outside Canada and are applying for a PR visa under the Federal Skilled Workers Program.
• Applicants who need to earn points for education received outside Canada.
• Applicants whose spouse or partner is coming with them to Canada and who need to get an ECA for them as well in order to earn points for their education in the PR visa application.
• An ECA is usually required for your highest level of education; for example, if you have a master’s degree, you will need an ECA for only that and not for your bachelor’s degree. However, if you have two or more credentials, you will need an ECA for both if you need credentials from both of them.

You can get your ECA from one of the designated organizations given below:

• World Education Services
• Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
• International Qualifications Assessment Service
• International Credential Evaluation Service
• Medical Council of Canada (the professional body for Doctors)
• Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (the professional body for Pharmacists)

The IRCC will only accept assessments that are issued on or after the date the organizations were designated to issue ECA reports for immigration applicants.

ECA fees  

You should choose your organization based on your occupation; for instance, if you are a Pharmacist (NOC code 3131) and you need a license to practice, you must get your report from the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada.

Benefits of Canada Permanent Residency

As a Canada PR visa holder, you can enjoy the following benefits:

• Can apply for Canadian citizenship in the future
• Can live, work and study anywhere in Canada
• Eligible for healthcare and other social benefits enjoyed by Canadian citizens
• Protection under Canadian law

You will have to exclusively apply for the Canada PR visa if you are a student or a worker from a foreign country; it does not automatically make you a permanent resident of the country.

Refugees from another country do not automatically become permanent residents. Their status as a refugee must be approved by the Immigration and Refugee Board. Subsequent to this, they can apply for and obtain a PR status.

What is a Canada PR Visa?

A Canada Permanent Resident Visa is a gateway to get permanent resident status in Canada. Canada PR Visa is valid for 5 years, and candidates with a Canada PR card can live, study, and work in Canada freely. Based on their eligibility, they can apply for Canada Citizenship.

Do’s and Don’ts of Canada Permanent Resident:

Canada PR via Express Entry

Candidates applying for the Canada PR visa through the Express Entry program will have to go through a points-based selection system. The Express Entry System basically consists of three sub-categories:

1. Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP)
2. Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

If you are an overseas skilled worker, you can apply for a Canada PR visa under the Federal Skilled Workers Program. This was initiated by the Canadian government in 2015 to encourage skilled workers to come and settle in the country.

Canada PR via PNP

Canada offers nearly 80 different Provincial Nominee Programs or PNP, which have their individual eligibility requirements. The PNP program allows provinces to meet their individual immigration needs by helping them fill jobs that are in demand and meet labor shortages in their province.

Most PNPs require applicants to have some connection to the province. They should have either worked earlier in that province or studied there. Or they should have a job offer from an employer in the province for a job visa. However, there are some PNPs that require no previous connection to the province you are applying for; you can apply for a Canada PR visa directly to the PNP program of that province.

The popular PNP programs for a Canada PR visa are:

• Saskatchewan PNP
• Manitoba PNP
• Alberta PNP
• Ontario PNP
• New Brunswick PNP
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island
• British Columbia

Jobs in Canada for Indians

Stat Can reports that there are 1 million jobs in Canada for overseas skilled professionals. The table below gives you all the information about the top-in-demand occupations in Canada, along with the average salary range.

IT Jobs in Canada

IT companies in Canada are hiring more foreign workers. As per the recent news, there is high demand for IT professionals under Express Entry. The top IT jobs are listed below:

The total cost for a Canada PR visa is 2,500 CAD – 3,000 CAD. This cost varies based on the number of applicants.

• Single applicant is 2,340 CAD
• Couple with no kids, it costs 4,680 CAD
• Couple with one kid, it costs  5,285 CAD

It is the sum of your application fees for you and your spouse and dependents, fees for medical examination, English language test, ECA fees, PCC fees, etc.

The below table gives you all the information about the total costs for a Canada PR visa.

Proof of Funds for Canada PR

Immigration candidates should also provide proof of funds called settlement funds to prove that they have the required funds to support their stay and that of their dependents once they come to Canada till they are able to earn their income in the country. Letters from banks where the money is deposited are required as proof. The settlement funds will vary depending on the number of family members of the primary PR applicant.

*Variations in cost: If you decide to take the services of an immigration consultant to help you in the PR visa process, then you will have to factor in the cost of their services while calculating the cost of your PR visa.

Canada PR Processing Time

The general processing time for the Canada PR visa is 6 to 8 months. However, the processing time depends on the program under which you made an application. For instance, if you applied under the CEC program, your application will be processed within three to four months.

*Note: If you have applied through the Express Entry program, you will have to apply within 90 days if you get an invitation to apply.

*Note: Table last updated on 7th May 2022

Disclaimer: For IELTS/CELPIP/PTE, fees may change without prior notice.