What is a Canadian Permanent Resident Visa and Who Qualifies?
- Who qualifies
- Requirements in different provinces
- When concurrently applying for a non-immigrant visa
- Including other family members
- When Canadian citizenship can be obtained
A Canadian permanent resident visa permits the holder to reside and earn a livelihood
anywhere within Canada. Certain privileges and obligations as a Canadian are given
with such status.
Who qualifies
Individuals who are able to obtain a sufficient number
of points according to selection criteria established
by the Canadian government. Points are awarded for factors such as education, age,
experience, occupational demand in Canada and language abilities. Individuals possessing
a first-level university degree (or currently in a graduate program) with at least
one year of related experience would likely be good candidates. Scientists, engineers,
systems analysts/programmers, and accountants are but some of the occupations which
afford high points. You may wish to refer to a detailed summary of the current Selection
Criteria for additional details on such, or the current General Occupations List
for a listing of the available occupations for a Federal Application.
In addition to the skilled worker category, there are also the and family classes
in which applicants may qualify for immigration.
Requirements in different provinces
The province of Quebec has the right to select its own candidates for immigration, and as such has its own Selection Criteria. This means that anyone with an intended destination within Quebec must satisfy these Selection Criteria. The list of open occupations for Quebec is considerably shorter than that of the list for a Federal Application.
When concurrently applying for a non-immigrant visa
According to the Canadian Immigration SELECTION AND CONTROL manual which immigration officers are legally bound to adhere to, an individual who has applied for Canadian permanent residence (PR) is subject to the same requirements as others when seeking entry into Canada as a visitor. The individual should therefore possess reasonable purposes for entry and should understand that he or she must leave Canada in order to receive the immigrant visa. The implications for this vary with an individual's place of residence. For countries where residents enjoy relatively easy flow across Canadian borders, PR applicants may utilize the ease of entry in order to better acquaint themselves with their intended destination. Those residing in regions that do not enjoy this benefit will not necessarily suffer in their PR application, however.
A non-immigrant application may be more closely scrutinized in the presence of a concurrent immigration application, as there is an apparent tendency to immigrate. If the ties of the applicant to his/her home can be demonstrated, however, such an application may succeed. The presence of a non-immigrant application should have no effect on an immigration application.
Including other family members
The spouse and any dependent children (i.e., under the age of 19; or in excess of that age, not having interrupted their schooling for over 12 months) are included in the application of the principal applicant. When there exist humanitarian and compassionate grounds an elderly parent may be included as an accompanying dependent. Otherwise parents may be sponsored after the applicant has become a permanent resident.
When Canadian citizenship can be obtained
Citizenship and immigration in Canada
Canadian citizenship is voluntary and may be applied for after 3 years of
physical residence in Canada. Time spent outside of Canada beyond what may be
expected for normal reasons (i.e., vacations, etc.) may not be counted towards
such.
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