Moving to Canada promises a high quality of life and lucrative career opportunities. Thus, the number of skilled and qualified professionals seeking permanent residency (PR) visa for Canada is growing rapidly. A permanent resident is not a person who was born in Canada but he/she is somebody who has been given a permanent resident status after migrating to the country. The PR visa for Canada allows them to settle in Canada permanently with their family.
It is a residency status under which the holder of the PR is granted a right to live in the host country permanently. As mentioned before, a permanent resident is not a citizen of the host country. Once the PR card has been issued, the individual can move in and out of Canada by simply presenting his/her passport along with a valid PR card.
The permanent residents do not automatically become citizens of Canada till the time they are given Canadian citizenship. The PR card is issued for a certain period, however, your PR status does not expire with the PR card. Once you get PR, you need to maintain your PR status by living in Canada for a minimum of 730 days in 60 months (5 years).
There are many benefits of becoming a permanent resident of Canada such as:
Freely exit and enter the country through land, air, or water transport.
Study, work, and stay anywhere you want in the country.
Become eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.
Gain many social benefits including health care coverage.
After becoming a permanent resident of Canada, you will be liable to pay taxes. However, you won’t be able to vote or run for a political office. You can also not hold certain jobs that require a high level of security clearance. The PR card once expired, needs to be re-issued to serve as a valid travel document.
Canada welcomes the most number of immigrants in the world. In the year 2026 alone, the Canadian Government aims to extend the permanent residency invite to 3,51,000 migrants. While anyone can apply for Canadian permanent residency, it is offered to qualified candidates only.
PR in Canada can be applied via several pathways. Let us know more about them:
Express Entry –
The Express Entry program is for those immigrants who are seeking permanent residency in Canada and can fill the shortage of workers in a particular field of work. For this, certain fields have been identified where skilled Canadian workers are in short supply.
To qualify under this category, the applicant is assessed through the Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS. Some of the factors that affect your eligibility are as follows:
o Age
o Proficiency in the official language
o Educational background
o Second official language
o Canadian work experience
Business Immigration –
For the candidates who want to set up their business or wish to invest in Canadian businesses, business immigration is a good option. To qualify under this category, the candidate is assessed on their experience in managing, owning, and investing in a business. There is also a Start-Up Visa available under this category to help create jobs in Canada.
Family Class Immigration –
This pathway is opted by several candidates. The family class immigration requires the sponsoring of family members by an existing Canadian PR holder or a Canadian citizen. It is offered by the Canadian Government as a way for reuniting families.
Canadian Experience Class –
Also known as CEC, the Canadian Experience Class is an immigration pathway that is available for foreign students pursuing their studies in Canada. It also supports workers holding temporary resident visas with valid work permits so that they can settle as permanent residents in the country.
Provincial Nominee Program –
It is a pathway available to candidates who meet certain requisites as specified by particular Canadian territories and provinces. The streams and programs are listed by the province and the candidates can apply under these streams as
You need to score a minimum of 67 immigration points and meet the cut-off CRS score of individual draws to be eligible for Canada PR.
Let us understand how to earn immigration points to meet the PR requirement:
Work experience –
An applicant must have a minimum of 12 months of full-time work experience to apply for a PR. Based on the work experience, a maximum of 15 points may be awarded to an aspirant.
Work Experience (In years)
Points Awarded
6 years or more
15
4-5 years
13
2-3 years
11
1 year
9
Language Proficiency in English or French –
The candidate must be proficient in English and/or French. The proficiency level is measured by the test results of the following language proficiency tests:
o Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
o Test d’evaluation de français (TEF)
o International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
The four parameters on which the candidates are accessed include listening, speaking, writing, and reading. Based on the scores in these four categories, the candidate must meet level 7 of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB). The maximum number of points that can be awarded here are 24. Additional four points are awarded if the candidate’s score meets the CLB level four and above in their second official language.
Educational Qualification –
The evaluation of your educational qualification is done by Educational credential assessment (ECA) and the minimum level of education required for a PR application is a high school diploma. The highest points that can be awarded here are 25.
Arranged Employment –
If you hold an employment offer in Canada or are already working in the country in a Skill Level O, A, or B, according to the NOC list, you will be awarded a maximum of 10 points.
Proof of funds –
It is mandatory to present a proof of funds that should cover an aspirant’s living expenses for one year after he/she arrives in Canada. An amount of at least CAD 12,960 will be considered sufficient in 2026.
Age –
The age of the candidate must be between 18 and 49 years during the application. A maximum of 12 points may be awarded to professionals between the 18 and 35 age group.
For an individual applicant, the PR visa for Canada from India costs around CAD 1,040 or approximately INR 54,240.
With over 12 years of experience in the education sector, Harjeet specializes in study abroad counseling and visa management. She has a proven ability to guide students through university applications...
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