How to Apply for Canada PR from India?

In the last few years, Canada has emerged as the most preferred destination to settle as a permanent resident. It is one of the easiest countries to get a PR visa and a perfect place to live and work.

Its excellent infrastructure, the standard of living, available job opportunities, and safe and peaceful society, lure worldwide immigration aspirants. If you are looking to settle in Canada, the best pathway is to apply for a Canada PR from India. The PR status allows you to live and work in Canada permanently.

Although, it is permanent, however, the validity of the Canadian PR visa is five years. The PR visa is not Canadian Citizenship; however, it provides with you the pathway to becoming a Citizen of Canada.

Vital Benefits of Permanent Residency in Canada

• Live, study or work anywhere in Canada
• Apply for Canadian Citizenship after living in Canada for three year and meeting other requirements
• Sponsor eligible family members for Canadian PR
• Get free health care, school education, and other social benefits that a Canadian citizen receives.
• Protection under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

To get PR in Canada, you have to apply via the appropriate pathway, i.e. as a skilled worker, International student, etc.

How to get a Permanent Resident (PR) visa for Canada?

The Canadian government has designed various pathways/programs to obtain Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) visa depending on the immigration type or immigrant category. Since, every program has different process and requirements, there, to apply for PR visa; you will have to follow the application process of the immigration program relevant to your case.

Find below some popular pathways/programs to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency:

Popular programs/pathways to get Canada PR

The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offers several immigration programs to get permanent residency in Canada. The most popular are:

1. Express Entry Program– It is a point-based and online federal immigration program.
2. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) – The PNPs are immigration programs of Canadian provinces.
3. Investor/Entrepreneur Program– This program is for entrepreneurs/investors willing to start a new business or invest in Canada's existing business.
4. Self-employed Program– An individual with relevant experience, can immigrate to Canada under the self-employed immigration program
5. Family class Immigration– For Canadian permanent residents to sponsor their family members

How to get a PR visa through Express Entry System?

Express Entry System is the most popular pathway to get Canada PR for skilled workers. Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (then CIC) launched the Express Entry system in January 2015. Express Entry has three key categories:

1. Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP)
2. Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The first one, i.e. the Federal Skilled Workers Program, is for the Skilled Workers from Overseas. It invites skilled and talented people from overseas and allocates the permanent residency invitation to the selected candidates.

Eligibility Criteria/Selection Factors for Express Entry

To qualify for the express entry-FSW category, you need to score 67 points out of 100 for the below-given factors:

1. Age: The minimum age to apply is 18 years, while there is no upper age limit. However, the applicants between 18-35 years of age get maximum points. The points for the age factor start decreasing gradually after the age of 35.
2. Education: Your educational qualification must be minimum higher secondary as per Canadian Education standards. However, you may need more increased capabilities, i.e. gradation, depending upon the occupation (NOC Code) you apply.
3. Work experience: You need to have a minimum of one-year full-time work experience. However, based on the category you choose or to gain more points, your experience needs to be more than just one year. Moreover, your occupation must in Skill Type, 0, A, or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
4. Language ability: Proficiency in English or French is necessary. If you are proficient in English, you must have at least a score of six bands in your IELTS test result. You can earn extra points for language factors if you are proficient in French as well.
5. Adaptability:You can get points for this factor if your spouse or common-law partner has a connection to Canada. It means past education, work experience, relative, etc. in Canada or your spouse/partner has CLB 4 level of language proficiency.
6. Arranged employment: You can gain points for this factor, provided you have a valid employment offer from a Canadian employer.

What is the next step once you qualify for Express Entry-FSW Category?

If you meet the point's criteria of the FSW category of the Express Entry program, you need to submit EOI. Subsequently, you are in the Express Entry pool.

In the EE pool, you get a CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score based on factors, i.e. age, education, work experience, etc.

The IRCC can select you from this pool of eligible candidates, based on your CRS point score.

Express Entry holds draws periodically to select Candidates. If the IRCC selects you, you will get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a Canadian PR visa based on your point score.

Once you receive ITA, you need to apply for a Canadian PR along with the required documents within 60 days.

How to apply for a PR visa through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)?

If your point score in the express entry system is not high enough to get the ITA, you can apply in Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

You can apply in a PNP via two main methods to obtain a Canadian PR visa nomination.

• Get NOI from Province- Most of the provinces have an express entry linked stream through which they can access your express entry profile. The PNPs choose your profile from the EE pool and send a notification to accept the nomination. You require responding to this notification of interest and applying for the relevant PNP stream to obtain additional 600 CRS points in your express entry account.
• Apply for PNP directly– Moreover, if you want to settle in a particular province of Canada, you can now apply to its Provincial Nominee Program, if you are eligible.

The province will assess your profile, and if you fulfil the requirements, you will get a nomination for Canadian PR from the PNP. You can apply for Canada PR after you get the nomination certificate from that particular province.

Express Entry Target for Canada PR

Canadian government or Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) plans to invite more than one million permanent residents by 2023, as per its Immigration Levels Plan (2021-2023).

As far as the target for inviting permanent residents via economic immigration program, i.e. Express entry is concerned; Canada plans to invite 108,500 federal high skilled candidates in the year 2021. This target will keep on increasing year on year.

Apply for PR through the Business Immigration Program

Canada offers permanent residency to entrepreneurs/investors interested in starting a new or investing in Canada's existing business. The Business Investment stream (BIS) of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) is critical for immigrating to Canada as an Entrepreneur or Investor.

Apply for PR in Canada as Self-employed Person

A foreign national, who has relevant experience, can be self-employed in Canada, and contribute to the economy. The IRCC select the applicants based on the following criteria:

• The applicant has relevant experience, i.e.
• He/she has taken part in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level or
• An applicant is a self-employed person in cultural activities or athletics.
• The applicant has the intent and ability to be self-employed in Canada.
• He/she fulfil the program's selection parameters and

Apart from above, such an applicant also needs to meet the medical and security requirements.

Apply for PR in Canada through Family sponsorship

If you are 18 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, you can sponsor certain relatives under the Family Class. The relative can be:

• Your dependent child (this includes an adopted child) or
• Your spouse,
• Your conjugal or common-law partner,
• Other eligible relatives.
• If your family member can become a permanent resident, they can live, work, and study in Canada.

Eligibility requirements for a sponsor of family visa 

• A sponsor needs to be 18 years of age and a permanent resident or citizen of Canada
• Show evidence that he/she is financially capable of supporting family members or dependents
• Sponsor must agree to keep the family members for a certain period
• The sponsor should either be in Canada or have the intent to live
• Should not be bankrupt
• Shouldn't have any charge of a criminal offence against him/her
• He/she shouldn't be under a removal order

The stepwise process to apply for a Canadian PR visa?

If you are ready with your plans to apply for permanent residency in Canada, you can follow the below process. Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are the two most common and popular programs to apply. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Obtain key documents, i.e. ECA (Educational Credential Assessment) and English/French language ability tests results before submitting the profile.

If you are proficient in English, take the IELTS exam. You need to obtain the English test with the required level of proficiency. The approved French test result is also acceptable.

Step 2: Score minimum points based on age, education, experience, etc. If applying through the Express entry-FSW category, you need to score a minimum of 67 points out of 100.

Step 3: Submit your EOI (Expression of Interest) profile based on the immigration program you are applying.

Step 4: Get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from the particular program you have applied.

Step 5: Once you get the ITA, be ready to submit application, along with all the required documents, i.e. education and employment-related documents, proof of funds, etc.

Step 6: Get your medical check-up done, obtain a medical certificate along with the PCC (Police Clearance Certificate), and submit your application.

Step 7: After applying, the concerned immigration officer will verify your application and documents. The officer may also ask you to provide additional information or documents (only if required).

Step 8: If IRCC approves your application, you will get confirmation of your PR and get a COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence) document.

In general, the Canada PR application processing time is 6- 8 months. However, it also depends on the immigration program you are applying along with some other vital factors.

These factors are the status of your submitted application and documents, the time elapsed in responding to any query asked by the office, etc.

What are the Canada PR application fees? 

• The Canada PR visa fee for the primary applicant– Processing Fee CAD 825 + Right of PR fee – CAD 500
• Spouse/common-law partner or family member fee – Processing fee CAD 825+ Right of PR free CAD 500
• Child (Under 22 years of age) – Processing fee CAD 225

There are other charges involved when you estimate the total cost of Canada PR, i.e. IELTS/ECA fee, medical and PCC charges, etc.

Click here to see the total cost of applying Canada PR.

Proof of funds

As an applicant of the Canadian permanent residency, you also need to show the settlement funds or proof of funds.

You need to show this amount to confirm that you are capable and ready to support the stay of your family members and self until you get your first income.

This amount may vary depending upon the size of the family, i.e. the number of family members. You can produce several documents to show proof of funds, i.e. letter from the bank, etc.

Dos and Don'ts for a Canadian PR Holder

Find below the dos and don'ts for a Canada PR holder.

Things a PR holder can do:

• Live, work and study anywhere in Canada.
• Obtain Social Security benefits, i.e. free healthcare coverage and school education for kids
• Get protection under Canadian law and charter of the Citizenship act.
• Sponsor eligible family member to Canada
• Apply for Citizenship after meeting the residency requirements

Things a PR holder cannot do

• Vote in elections or run a political office
• Get a job that needs a high-security clearance.

Duties and responsibilities of a PR visa holder

• As a Canadian permanent resident, you must carry your PR card or PRTD (permanent resident travel document) when travelling to Canada.
• You will not board a flight, boat, train, or bus to Canada if you do not carry the same.
• Ensure that this card is valid when you travel back to Canada after moving outside the maple leaf country.
• Apply for a new PR if the existing one has expired.

Canada PR Renewal Process

To renew your existing PR, make sure that you have stayed in Canada for a minimum of 730 days in the last five years.

This period is not necessarily a period of constant stay; however, you must have a record of living in Canada for this period to renew your visa. Applicant meeting this condition can apply for the renewal of a PR visa.

What can make you lose your PR status?

A PR holder can lose PR status in the following cases:

1. an adjudicator concludes that you are no longer a permanent resident post an investigation or PRTD appeal
2. you willingly or voluntarily surrender your permanent resident status;
3. There is a removal or elimination order against you, which is still applicable.
4. You become a citizen of Canada.

Obtaining permanent residency in Canada can be a cumbersome process for any individual. It is more so if you are going through the process for the first time.

In such a scenario, a genuine and trusted Canadian visa consultant's help and assistance prove crucial.

As a consultant for Canadian immigration, Visas Avenue helped thousands of applicants over the years to apply and get the PR Visa. To start your process with the VA team, you can call on our Toll-Free Number- 78-18-000-777 or fill the free assessment form to get a call back from the expert.