Permanent Residence

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Express Entry is a competitive immigration system that ranks all eligible candidates against one another and then invites the best-ranking candidates to apply for Canadian permanent resident status through regular draws from a pool of eligible candidates.

These invitation rounds typically take place every two weeks, and the vast majority involve candidates from the Express Entry Federal Economic programs. A job offer is not required in order to be eligible for an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA), though additional points are awarded if a candidate has one. Candidates are ranked in the pool based on a score that considers factors such as language skills proficiency in English or French, education points, work experience points, age, arranged employment in Canada, and adaptability.

Express Entry manages applications for three economic immigration programs

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to meet local labour market needs.

Before you start this program, there are two documents you will need to have in hand. They are English and/or French language test results and, in some cases, an Education Credential Assessment if you completed your studies outside of Canada to show that you’re eligible for Express Entry.

People who are educated in and/or have worked in Canada can apply for permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class program. This class is for educated, skilled workers who already have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents.

The minimum requirements for an individual to be eligible under this program include:

• At least 1 year of full-time (or an equal amount of part-time) skilled work experience in Canada within 3 years of applying. Your work experience must be Skill TEER Type 0 (managerial occupations), Skill TEER Type 1 (professional occupations), or Skill TEER TYPE 2 (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).

The Canadian work experience must be done under proper authorization. You must have legal status while working or studying in Canada. The work experience must be paid, full-time, or the equivalent hours of part-time. Full-time means at least 30 hours per week. You must have had this work experience in Canada. You can also work part-time, for example, 15 hours per week for 24 months. It is important to note that the 1 year of full-time work experience in Canada does not have to be done in the same position. It is possible to combine two or more jobs together, as long as the work experience adds up to 1 year or more. You don't need a job offer for this – you could, in theory, even be unemployed and still apply.

• Skilled work experience according to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC). If you were in a co-op program (or another academic program with a similar work placement or internship), your co-op work experience does not count towards this 1 year. You can only count the work experience that you get after you graduate. Part-time work while you are a full-time student does not count towards your eligible work experience. You must show that you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the National Occupational Classification. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed. If you are a graduate of a post-secondary institution in Canada and have studied as a full-time student for at least 2 academic years or more, you may be eligible to apply under the CEC. You must still have the required work experience to be eligible to apply. You must have attained this work experience after you graduated, not on a student visa. If you have work experience while on a post-graduation work permit or a similar work permit, it is considered valid.
• Meet the Canadian Language Benchmark in English and French, depending on the job level. If your work experience is in National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type TEER 0 or skill TEER 1 occupations, you must meet the minimum level of CLB 7 in each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening). If your work experience is in NOC skill TEER 2 or 3 occupations, you must meet the minimum level of CLB 5 in each language ability. Meet the minimum language skills needed for your NOC category, and your application will not be processed.
• You must reside outside of the province of Quebec (Quebec has its own way of selecting skilled workers), and you must be admissible into Canada.

The spousal sponsorship program is part of family-class immigration. Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse (including common-law or conjugal partner) or dependent child to immigrate to Canada as a permanent resident. In order to be considered a spouse, the marriage must be one that is valid both under the laws of the jurisdiction where it took place and under Canadian law. Both the sponsor and the sponsored person must meet certain requirements to qualify.

Individuals under these categories are eligible for sponsorship:

• Spouse: legally valid marriage in country of origin and under Canadian law
• Common-law partner: At least 1 year of uninterrupted cohabitation in a conjugal relationship
• Conjugal partner: Conjugal relationship for at least 12 months (permanence and commitment similar to marriage or common-law) where the couple is prevented from living together due to immigration barriers, religious reasons, sexual orientation or marital status (e.g., married to someone else, where divorce is not possible in country of origin)
• Same-sex relationships: considered valid for immigration purposes under these categories

The basic requirements for immigration to Canada as the partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsor are as follows.

The Home Child Care Provider is a program that allows caregivers and their family members to come to Canada with the intent of gaining work experience and then applying to be permanent residents. The Home Support Worker allows qualified caregivers and their families to come to Canada to work and apply for permanent residence.

You must meet the eligibility requirements and have a job offer to work in one of the 2 programs, i.e., home childcare provider and home support worker for the elderly. Through these programs, you’ll get an open work permit to come to Canada and work temporarily. This work permit:

• Is occupation-restricted (you have to work in that specific occupation)
• Doesn’t need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• Allows you to get the work experience you need to be eligible to apply for permanent residence

If you recently worked as a home childcare provider or support worker, your experience may count towards your eligibility for permanent residence.

To participate in one of the Pilots, you must meet the following requirements:

1. You must have a genuine and valid job offer from a Canadian employer.
2. Language Skills:
   1. You will be required to take a skills test, for which you must attain either CLB5 in English or NLCL5 in French. The skills tested are:
      1. Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking
3. Admissible to Canada:
   1. You must ensure you have a valid police certificate upon entry. You must pass a medical exam and carry a copy of both documents when you travel to Canada.
4. Your employer must:
   1. Demonstrate an inability to fill the position by hiring a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident
   2. Possess the financial ability to pay the caregiver’s wages
   3. Provide reasonable living space in their house
   4. Make a job offer to the caregiver, either for caregiving for a child, senior, or a person with a disability.

Minors below the age of 18 years old who try to enter Canada without the proper documents or who are with adults other than their parents or legal guardian(s) will be checked more closely.

To be eligible for a super visa, you must:

• Be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
• Have a signed letter from your child or grandchild who has invited you to Canada that includes
• A promise of financial support for the length of your visit
• The list and number of people in the household of this person
• A copy of this person’s Canadian citizenship or permanent resident document
• Have medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company that is valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry, at least $100,000 insurance coverage
• Have proof that the medical insurance has been paid (quotes are not accepted)

You must also apply for a super visa from outside Canada, which is allowed to enter Canada, take a medical exam by an authorized medical practitioner and meet certain other conditions. You are not allowed to include dependants in this application.