Residence Visa For Canada
The majority of individuals who are looking to get a Canadian Residence Visa aren’t Canadian residents at the current moment. If you wish to reside in Canada on a permanent basis, but aren’t a Canadian resident at this moment, you need to apply for a Family Preference or an Expert Preference visa (subclass {name of subclass}).
Canada welcomes thousands of immigrants each year. Each is looking for residence visa in Canada. Now, there are many factors that must be included at the time of application. In this post, we will focus on education, WES and PNP programs.
Permanent Residence is granted to a foreign national who has already has been approved for the Quebec Immigration Program. The process of applying for a Permanent Resident Visa (and maybe even Immigrant Visa) for Canada requires proper process and documentation.
More than 12,000 international immigrants are welcomed every year through the Canadian Government’s Express Entry System. Just by qualifying in this pool of candidates, you will be able to apply for Canadian permanent residence and live in Canada as a resident of Canada. The best thing about this program is that it gives you a chance to choose your preferred province for immigration to Canada. A full list of the Express Entry eligible trades can be found here . For instance, if you were an electrical engineer from India and are interested in immigrating to Canada through Express Entry, you would have a couple options at your disposal. You could either choose Quebec Skilled Worker Program or British Columbia PNP Program if your qualifications meet the respective criteria. Both programs offer permanent residence in Canada. Unlike Quebec with its limited spots based on the PNP program, British Columbia has no such caps placed on it when it comes to foreign workers choosing to settle there.
Residence Visa For Canada
A Permanent Canada Visa is a visa which allows the holder to stay in Canada permanently. It is an immigration visa, just like the Green Card is for the United States. Once you get a Permanent Canada Visa, you can move to any province of Canada, live, work, and study there. You are considered a Canadian Permanent Resident.
Once your visa is approved, you will get a Permanent Resident Card. This card, otherwise known as a Canadian PR Card proves that you have permanent residence in Canada. You must have it with you at all times, especially when you travel.
You must be at least 18 years old to apply and you can apply with your child if they are under 18 years old.
What Are the Benefits of a Canada Permanent Visa?
As a Canada Permanent Resident, you are allowed to do the following:
- You can get most social benefits that Canadians get such as health care coverage;
- You can live, study, or work anywhere in Canada;
- You get protection under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
- You can apply for a Canadian citizenship once you are eligible;
To get these benefits though, you must regularly pay Canadian taxes and respect the laws. Even if you are a permanent resident of Canada, you are not allowed to vote or run for political office as well as hold jobs that need high-level security clearance.
What are the Types of the Permanent Canada Visas?
Depending on your situation, there are different ways to get an immigration visa for Canada. There are four categories which have their own visas for permanent residence, so you can get the status through the following:
- Finding a permanent job in Canada
- Getting sponsored by your family
- Opening a business or investing in Canada
- Other permanent visas
Finding a Permanent Job in Canada
The most attainable way to get a Permanent Canada Visa is to find a job in the country. There are different programs which will lead to such a visa, as described in the table below.
Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) visa is given to qualified tradespeople in different occupations such as:
- Electricians
- Carpenters
- Aircraft Mechanics
- Machinists
- Ironworkers
- Welders
- Crane Operators
- Heavy-duty Equipment Mechanics
- Plumbers, etc.
Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) visa is given to those who have occupations which are required in Canada. You must check the types of occupations Canada needs when you start planning to apply and obtain the necessary points.
Provincial Nomination Programs
The Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP) visa is for semi or low-skilled workers who can contribute to the Canadian economy though their work. The workers get placement in different provinces of Canada where the demand for their work is higher.
Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker Program
If you have one of the occupations required in the Canadian province of Quebec and you are fluent in French, then you can apply for the Quebec-Selected Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) visa which will allow you to move and work permanently there.
Getting sponsored by your family
If you have close family in Canada such as a spouse, parents, or children who are Canadian Permanent Residents or Citizens, then you can get sponsored through them and call for family union. Through this, you can get on the Family Sponsorship Program which allows you to become a Permanent Resident of Canada.
Opening a business or investing in Canada
The Canadian economy is continuously developing and if you are a businessperson who can contribute to it with resources, then you can get one of the Canadian Permanent Visas as follows.
Immigrant Investor Program
The Immigrant Investor Program visa is given to people with a net worth of at least CAD$800,000 who will make investments in the Canadian economy.
They must invest at least CAD$400,000 and the government will return the investment to them in 5 years without any interest.
Immigrant Investor Program –Entrepreneur Program
The Entrepreneur Program visa is given to people with a net worth of at least CAD$300,000 who will be individually involved in contributing to the Canadian economy.
These investors must commit to owning and managing at least one third of a Canadian business as well as create and maintain employment within 3 years of being in the country.
Self-employed Persons Program
The Self-employed Persons Program visa is given to people who have skills in business, athletics, culture, or farming and can start their own businesses.
These people must demonstrate how they will finance the business and prove their skills in those particular areas.
Other permanent visas
Other permanent visas are those that do not necessarily fit within the categories above but are valid ways to get permanent residence in Canada.
Live-in Caregiver Program
This visa is given to caregivers that are qualified to care for elderly, disabled people, or children and live in a private home in Canada.
Canadian Experience Class
This visa is given to those who have a temporary student visa or a temporary workers visa and want to switch to a permanent resident status.
They either have a Canadian education or work experience and have settled into Canadian society.
What are the requirements of the Permanent Canada Visas?
All Canadian Visas have general requirements and visa specific requirements. The general requirements for the Permanent Canada Visas are as follows:
- A valid government-issued passport with at least one blank page that is not the last page.
- If you have application documents in a language other than English or French, you must translate them through an authorized and verified translator.
- Two (2) photos following the Canada Photo Requirements.
- Have a clean criminal history and prove it through court documents.
- Proof of paid visa and processing fees.
- Signed and filled out a Visa Application Center (VAC) consent form.
- Medical exam certificate.
If you fulfill these requirements, then you will have visa specific requirements.
How to apply for a Permanent Canada Visa?
Each Permanent Canada Visa has their own application process, but they have some similarities. In general, you will have to go through the following steps to apply.
- Visit the Government of Canada website and go to Immigrate and then to “Find out if you can apply”. Take the questionnaire and wait for the results.
- If you qualify for any of the permanent visas, you will get a reference code and instructions on how to apply.
- Create an account using your bank information or the Government of Canada login (GCKey)/.
- Start and submit your application by inputting your reference code and completing the necessary documents.
- When you submit your application, you will have to also pay the application fees.
- Wait for processing and if necessary, attend a visa interview and give your biometrics information.
- Check your account frequently for any notifications on the status of your visa processing.
- If your visa is approved, mail in your passport according to the instructions that the Canadian Consulate sends you with the processing fees.
- The Consulate will stamp the visa on your passport and send you a Permanent Resident Travel Card (PRTC) with your passport via mail.
- You can then travel to Canada and wait for your Canada PR Card to be mailed to you.
- Congratulations! You are a Canadian Permanent Resident.