Despite the fact that Canada welcomes over 250,000 new immigrants each year, all newcomers must meet certain criteria. The application for permanent resident status in Canada is the first step in the immigration process. Permanent resident visa applications in Canada are divided into four categories under Canadian immigration law. Each of these categories has its own set of conditions for allowing you to remain in Canada.
Family Class members (closely related persons of Canadian residents living in Canada), Economic Immigrants (Canadian experience class, skilled workers, and business people), Humanitarian and Compassionate applicants (people accepted as immigrants for humanitarian or compassionate reasons), and Refugees are the four main categories of immigrants to Canada (people who are escaping persecution, torture or cruel and unusual punishment).
Family Class:
Immigrants in the Family Class have close relatives in Canada who have offered to support financially. You may sponsor your spouse, conjugal or common-law partner, dependent child (including adopted child), or another qualifying relative to become a permanent resident if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Immigrants for economic reasons:
Skilled employees, those with Canadian experience, and those who count under one of the company groups are all examples of economic immigrants. Since 2015, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has offered an electronic system called Express Entry to handle permanent residency applicants under some economic programs.
Class 1: Skilled Worker
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for individuals who are eligible and have work experience in a particular skilled trade who wish to become permanent residents. Applicants for the Federal Skilled Worker Program are considered permanent residents if they can live in Canada and contribute to the economy. Jobs and individuals who have desirable occupational skills, qualifications, and experience in the Canadian labor market are classified as professional workers.
2. Canadian Experience Class
Immigrants who are already in Canada and have temporary status but wish to apply for permanent residency are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class. Under the Canadian Experience Class, immigrants who have lived in Canada for a period of time, like temporary foreign workers or foreign students, and who have strong English and/or French language skills, are professional workers and have adjusted to life in Canada, maybe qualified to become permanent residents.
3. Business Class
Entrepreneurs, Self-Employed immigrants, and Investors are business groups for immigrants who have the money, expertise, and experience to run a business in Canada.
Applicants who are compassionate and humanitarian:
Compassionate applicants are those who may not otherwise be qualified to become permanent residents of Canada but who can qualify for humanitarian or compassionate reasons. There are one-of-a-kind situations that are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The following are some of the more common factors to consider:
- immigration to Canada,
- links to colleagues,
- children’s best interests,
- the ramifications of not approving the request
Class of Refugees:
The Refugee Class is for refugees in need of security who are unable or unable to return to their home country and plan to live in Canada. Citizens and permanent residents of Canada may sponsor people from other countries who are eligible to come to Canada as refugees.
Who is not qualified to immigrate to Canada?
Some persons are designated as “inadmissible” under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and are not permitted to enter the country.
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), you may be considered inadmissible, denied a visa, or denied entry to Canada for a variety of reasons, including:
- concerns about defense and security
- violations of civil or foreign rights
- criminality
- organzed criminality
- reasons of wellbeing
- monetary considerations
- misrepresentation
- non-compliance with the IRPA or
- having an inadmissible family member
People who want to immigrate to Canada must, in most cases, apply for a permanent resident visa before coming to Canada. Applications may be sent to a Canadian Embassy, Consulate, or High Commission abroad by mail or in person. Refugee applicants, in-home caregivers, spouses or common-law partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and those with humanitarian or compassionate reasons to be in Canada can apply while residing in Canada.
COVID-19 has caused several temporary changes:
The Canadian government has made temporary modifications to various immigration systems and procedures as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Visit canada.ca for the most up-to-date statistics.