Are you searching for the best guide on how to apply for Permanent Residence In Canada from outside Canada? We’ve got the right information here for you.
First, let us define what a Permanent Residence is. Permanent Residence is not the same as temporary residence as they are two different things.
Permanent Residence is the situation where a person has been given the status of permanent resident after immigrating into a foreign country. The recipient person is not a citizen of the country in which they are granted such permanent residence.
Now that we have defined what Permanent Residence is, let’s talk about Canadian permanent residence process in particular. Because, hey! That’s why you’re here, right?
The Canadian permanent residence is given to immigrants who move to Canada but are not Canadian citizens. People that are temporarily residing in Canada. For example, students, foreign workers etc., are not permanent residents but temporary ones.
How Does Permanent Residency Work In Canada? What Rights Do Permanent Residents Have?
When you become a permanent resident, you will have the full rights to do the following in Canada. They are:
- You will have access to social benefits that Canadian citizens have. Social benefits like health care benefits etc.
- You will be able to work, school and live in any place of your choice in Canada.
- You will be protected by the Canadian Law system as well as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
With all these rights come expectations and things you are not allowed to as well. For example, once you become a permanent resident, you have to pay taxes, respect the Canadian government and laws and so on.
There are certain things you will not be allowed to do. Like, you cannot run for a political position, and you might not be permitted to hold certain types of jobs. But of course, the benefits far outweigh the prohibitions.
How Can You Get Permanent Residence In Canada?
The process and full instructions are very long and detailed. We will only talk about the basics here.
- First, if you are still in your home country (not Canada), you should visit or contact the Canadian embassy in your country. Contacting them initiates / kicks off the whole permanent residence process for you.
- To get a permanent residence (PR) visa, you will submit a proof of medical history / certificate as well as your criminal record, if any.
- Obtain the PR form from www.canada.ca and fill in every detail requested. Once you’re done filling, submit the form.
- After filling, the next step is to pay the application fee for PR.
- After the payment has been made, you will be invited for interviews by the immigration officials to screen you.
It is important to note that there are different categories of application. And it is depending on the PR Visa application category you are in that some documents and requirements will be asked of you.
Are You Eligible For Permanent Residency In Canada?
Before you start thinking of applying for permanent residency, you should make sure that you are eligible so that you don’t waste your precious resources such as time and money on it.
There are 5 main categories that people should fall into when applying for PR. The categories are:
- Express Entry
- Business Immigration
- Family class immigration
- Canadian Experience class
- Provincial Nominee program
Each category has the set of criteria that need to be met to apply for PR. For example, Express Entry is for skilled workers whose skills are needed in Canada because there is a lack of sufficient skilled people for the field in the country.
Those that fall into the Provincial nominee category must have been selected by the province in which they wish to work. It is the provincial government that picks those that qualify in this category. If you neatly fit any of the categories mentioned above, then you have a high likelihood of being offered PR status.
Conclusion
As we said earlier, we only brushed through the basics of the application process for Canadian PR here. The full application process is very, very complex.
You can visit www.canada.ca for more detailed information about the application process for the different categories.
You might also want to consider consulting and hiring professional immigration help. There are companies that specialize in this.
To know the full list of documents you need to submit for application, there is a Document Checklist by the Canadian immigration. It is a PDF file you can download from www.canada.ca.
The right of PR fee is $500, the application processing fee is $825. The more family members you bring with you for PR, the more expensive it gets.
