The best way to become a permanent citizen of Canada is to apply from India. You are able to live and work continuously in Canada if you have a PR status. Although the Canada Permanent Resident visa is permanent, it has only a five-year validity period.

If you are planning to move to Canada, you must be searching for a lot of answers to questions buzzing around your head, such as how to get permanent residency in Canada, what is the Canada PR process, etc. Also, you may have queries like the Canada PR requirements, how much time it would take for the whole process to complete, and so on.

Don’t worry; it’s nothing new.

It happens with every individual planning to move to a new nation. So, let us briefly discuss all these topics and have a little idea about Canadian immigration and the process involved.

Any foreign national who has been granted permanent resident status after moving to Canada but is not a citizen of Canada is known as a permanent resident of Canada. Canadian permanent residents enjoy almost similar rights to that of a Canadian citizen, with some exceptions. They must, however, preserve their status, unlike citizens, by completing certain conditions such as the residence requirement.

As a permanent resident of Canada, you’ll enjoy a lot of benefits. Some of them are as follows:

1. Opportunity to live and work anywhere in Canada

Permanent residents of Canada have the legal right to live and work anywhere in the country. For example, if a new public relations professional begins in Montreal but finds a better position in Toronto, he or she has every right to relocate. Permanent residents are not bound to any one employment or province.

Furthermore, Canadian permanent residents can leave and enter Canada using their Canadian permanent resident card or permanent resident travel credentials (PRTD).

2. Availability of universal healthcare and social service schemes

Healthcare in Canada is universal, which implies that everyone has access to free medical treatment. In addition, individuals who become permanent residents have access to Canada’s healthcare and social services schemes.

3. Family sponsorship

As a permanent resident, you can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children to Canada. However, if you apply for immigration through Express Entry, you can include your family on your original application and avoid having to sponsor them afterward.

4. Free education for children

Children of Canadian permanent residents are entitled to free education till the end of high school. Following graduation, post-secondary education is also significantly less expensive for permanent residents than for overseas students.

5. Opportunity to become a Canadian citizen

Gaining a Canadian permanent resident (PR) status is the first step in becoming a Canadian citizen. PRs can become citizens after living in Canada for three of the last five years. Once a permanent resident has obtained Canadian citizenship, they are eligible to vote, apply for a Canadian passport, and are no longer required to renew their status in the nation.

6. Protected rights

As a permanent resident, your rights will be protected under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Canada PR is a bit complex and tedious process wherein the Canada PR process time varies anywhere between 6 to 12 months. So now, when you are aware of the benefits of getting a Canadian PR, let us move ahead to understand the Canada PR requirements and process.

If you are planning to immigrate to Canada, then there are some essentials Canada PR requirements you need to meet, such as:

• Meet the 67 points eligibility criteria
• Complete the documentation and visa application process
• Match the required CRS cut-off score

If you are planning to move to Canada, the best way would be to get a Canadian PR which allows immigrants to work, live or study anywhere in Canada for a period of five years. There are multiple pathways to acquire a Canadian PR but before that, let us understand step by step Canada PR Visa process from India:

Step 1: Complete your ECA and appear for IELTS

Step 2: Create your Express Entry Profile

Step 3: Apply for PNP and get an ITA

Step 4: Complete your medical & background check

Step 5: Receive CoPR and then your PR Card

Let us discuss the whole process to get a Canada PR visa from India in brief:

Step 1: Complete your ECA (Education Credential Assessment)

Individuals applying for a Canadian PR may be required to show equivalence to Canadian education, i.e., candidates must get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) certificate.

Step 2: Appear for the English Language Proficiency Test (IELTS)

You’ll be required to demonstrate your language skills in any or both of Canada’s official languages, English or French.

Step 3: Create your Express Entry Profile

After successfully applying under any of the three federal economic immigration programs, you’ll be required to create an Express Entry profile under the Express Entry program itself.

Step 4: Apply for PNP (optional)

Express entry permits the candidate to apply for provincial nomination. If you obtain the certificate, you will receive additional 600 CRS points for your provincial nomination.

Step 5: Get an ITA

Higher-ranked profiles are then given an ITA (Invitation to Apply) to apply for a PR Visa within 60 days.

Step 6: Complete your medical and background check

In this case, you must get a Medical and Police Clearance Certificate (PCC). Once these documents are submitted, IRCC will review your PR Visa application. If there are any further requirements, the candidate must be prepared to give the requested information at this stage.

Step 7: Receive CoPR

Following a satisfactory application review, you will be awarded a CoPR (Confirmation of Permanent Resident) at this stage.

And that’s it!

Now you can enter Canada as an Indian permanent resident!

First things first, if you are planning to move to Canada, checking your Canada PR eligibility should be your first step toward Canada immigration. Here, you should know that individuals applying for a Canadian PR visa under the Express Entry program are assessed on a points-based selection process popularly known as the 67 points eligibility system. The Express Entry System is divided into three sections:

• Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

If you are a skilled worker, you can apply for a permanent residency visa under the Federal Skilled Workers Program. The Canadian government launched this initiative in 2015 to attract qualified and skilled professionals.

To be eligible for this program, you must score 67 points out of 100 based on the following six selection factors:

1. Age (Maximum 12 points)

Those aged 18 to 35 receive the maximum points. Those over the age of 35 receive fewer points, while the highest age to qualify is 45.

2. Education (Maximum 25 points)

Your educational qualification must be equivalent to higher secondary education in Canada, which will help you gain the maximum points in this category.

3. Work experience (Maximum 15 points)

To gain good points in this category, you should have at least one year of full-time job experience, wherein more job experience means more points. Also, your occupation must be categorized in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B.

4. Language ability (Maximum 24 points)

You should have at least an overall IELTS score of  6.0 bands to gain minimum language ability points. You can also earn bonus points based on your fluency in the French language.

5. Adaptability (Maximum 10 points)

If your spouse or common-law partner is willing to accompany you to Canada, you will receive 10 bonus points for flexibility or adaptability factors.

6. Arranged employment (Maximum 10 points)

If you have a genuine offer from a Canadian company, you can earn up to 10 points.

Submitting the right set of documents is the most important step for your Canada immigration journey. One single mistake can make or break your chances of immigrating to Canada. The list of required documents to move to Canada from India is as given below:

•         ECA (Educational Credential Assessment)
•         Language test results (IELTS etc.)
•         Education Documents (like degrees, diplomas, or certificates)
•         Identity proof documents
•         Proof of funds
•         Medical certificate and Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)
•         Traveling documents like passport and so on
•         Other documents, if required by the authority

There are over 100 immigration pathways to Canada PR. However, the following are the major Canada immigration pathways that allow an Indian to move to Canada:

1. Express Entry

Express Entry is the fastest way to move to Canada as a permanent resident. Under the Express Entry program, you can immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker.

2. Family Sponsorship

Under the family sponsorship program, you can sponsor applications of your relatives and other family members to immigrate.

3. Provincial nominees

You can move to Canada by getting nominated by a Canadian province or territory.

4. Quebec selected skilled-workers program

You can also opt to move to Quebec province in Canada as a skilled worker.

5. Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) program

AIP is a PR pathway for skilled foreign workers and international graduates from a Canadian institution who want to work and live in one of Canada’s 4 Atlantic provinces, i.e., Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Newfoundland and Labrador.

6. Caregivers

You can also choose to move to Canada as a caregiver to children, elderly people or those with special medical needs.

7. Start-up Visa

If you are someone with a start-up plan in mind, you can move to Canada on a Start-up visa. It will ultimately help the Canadian economy to boost and grow at a rapid pace.

8. Self-employed

Immigrate to Canada as self-employed in cultural or athletic activities.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: You can move to Canada under this pilot program which primarily helps smaller Canadian communities to grow and contribute more to the Canadian economy.

As you can see, this is not the exhaustive list of available programs, but yes, the pathways mentioned above are some of the most prominent Canadian immigration pathways.

WISA India offers expert Canada immigration services to individuals of all backgrounds. If you are a professional or student looking to move to Canada, you can trust our team of experienced, certified and professional Canada PR experts.

We will not only guarantee you Canada PR success but assure you of providing end to end customer services, right from immigration guidance, IELTS preparation, documentation, and visa filing to post landing services. We are here to make your Canada immigration journey much smoother, easier and more comfortable.

So, stop waiting and contact us now to begin your Canada PR application process!