This status grants people who are not Canadian citizens the right to live and work in Canada without any time limit on their stay.
Permanent Residence
Express Entry (Federal Skilled Workers Program)
It is an online system that is used to manage applications for permanent residence from skilled workers.
How the program works
Canada ranks eligible candidates in the Express Entry pool using a points-based system known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-scoring candidates are then invited to apply for permanent residence during regular draws.
To be eligible to apply as a Federal Skilled Worker, you must score at least 67 out of 100 points on a selection grid used to assess Express Entry candidates.
This 100-point system evaluates applicants based on key factors including language skills, age, education, work experience, arranged employment in Canada, and adaptability.
How to apply
Fill out the online form, if you’re eligible, the tool will send you to your online account to fill out an Express Entry profile.
To complete your profile, you’ll need:
- information from certain documents (for example, language test results)
- your National Occupational Classification (NOC) job title and code
Get ready to accept an invitation to apply. If you are invited to apply, you’ll have 60 days to submit a complete application.
If you are invited to apply for permanent residence, you’ll get a message in your account telling you:
- which program you’ve been invited to apply for
- what to do next
You’ll need to show proof of the information you gave in your Express Entry profile.
If you’re not invited to apply within 12 months of submitting your Express Entry profile, it will automatically expire, and it will be removed from the system. You can still create a new profile. If your profile is about to expire, you can print out screenshots of your profile to make it easier to re-enter your data.
Canadian Experience Class
The CEC is a permanent residence category for people with skilled work experience in Canada. It was developed for temporary foreign workers and foreign graduates with qualifying Canadian work experience.
The Canadian Experience Class program is one out of three economic programs within the online Express Entry system.
Minimum Requirements
- To qualify, you must have at least 12 months of full-time (or equal part-time) paid skilled work experience in Canada within the last 3 years before applying.
The work must be done with proper authorization, in a NOC 0, A, or B occupation
This means working 30 hours/week for 12 months, or 15 hours/week for 24 months.
Self-employment or work completed while studying full-time does not count.
- meet the minimum level benchmark depending on the skill type level of your occupation
There is no education requirement for this program, but to be awarded points for Express Entry you must complete an Education Credential Assessment (ECA). You will need; a Canadian secondary school (high school) or post-secondary school certificate, diploma, or degree.
How Canadian Work Experience is calculated
Your skilled work experience must be paid work including paid wages or earned commission. Volunteer work or unpaid internships are not counted.
For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than 1 part-time job to get the hours you need to apply!
- Obtain a Canadian work permit and complete a year of work:
- Create an Express Entry profile:
- Receive an ITA
- Complete a medical, provide security background checks, and submit an application
- Receive confirmation of permanent resident status and receive PR card
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
Each province and territory has its own “streams” (immigration programs that target certain groups) and requirements. For example, in a program stream, provinces and territories may target: students, business people, skilled workers, or semi-skilled workers
This program is for workers who
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Possess the skills, education, and work experience to contribute to the economy of a specific province or territory.
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Have the desire to live in that province or territory.
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Aim to become permanent residents of Canada.
To be nominated by a province or territory, you must follow the instructions on their official website and contact them directly. It’s important to note that Quebec operates its own immigration system and does not participate in the Provincial Nominee Program.
How is it different from Express Entry?
The Provincial Nominee Program allows Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals for immigration based on specific criteria set by the provincial government. If successful, applicants receive a provincial nomination, which can be used to apply to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.
In contrast, Express Entry is a federal immigration system that selects skilled workers for permanent residency based on factors like age, education, work experience, and language ability, and does not require a provincial nomination.
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Provinces and territories that operate a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) can nominate candidates through the Express Entry pool, in addition to nominating foreign nationals to the existing paper-based process.
- Determine Your Eligibility
- Start the Application Process
- Check the Process Times
- Provide Required Documents
- Prepare Your Arrival to Canada or Apply Again With Corrections to Application
The Business Program
If you are interested in doing business in Canada, you may be eligible for a permanent residence through the Canada Business Immigration Program.
Individuals with business or managerial experience and a relatively high net worth may apply for Canadian permanent residence under the Canada Business Immigration Program, which includes the following sub-categories:
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Investors
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Entrepreneurs
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Self-Employed Persons
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PNP Business Programs
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Corporate Immigration
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for processing under the Business Immigration Program, you must:
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Have received a Letter of Support from a designated entity.
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Meet the language requirements.
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Have sufficient settlement funds that are transferable and available, free of debts or other obligations, excluding any investment made by a designated entity into your business
Test your eligibility!
Take our FREE online test
Work Permit
The Canadian work permit visa allows business people, permanent workers, temporary workers, students, and others to work in Canada.
Types of work permits
An employer-specific work permit lets you work in Canada according to the conditions on your work permit, such as:
- the name of the specific employer you can work for
- how long you can work
- the location where you can work (if applicable)
An open work permit lets you work for any employer in Canada, except for one that:
- is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions
- regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services, or erotic massages
Eligibility requirements
Post-graduation work permit
You may be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) if you graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI) and want to stay in Canada temporarily to work.