Permanent Resident Visa

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 It is an ideal time to apply for Canadian immigration as long-term plans project a steady increase in the number of immigrants accepted to Canada each year. Canada offers many programs which allow a person to apply for Canadian permanent residence. While these programs differ greatly, they can be broken down into four categories:

• Economic Immigration Programs
• Business Immigration Programs
• Family Sponsorship Programs
• Humanitarian and Refugee Pathways

The majority of Canada’s new immigrants are accepted through economic immigration programs. These programs are designed to help those with relevant work experience and/or education to resettle in Canada and contribute to the Canadian economy. There are several different categories of economic immigration programs. 

 In January 2015, the federal government introduced the Express Entry system for managing Canadian permanent resident applications submitted through economic programs. The Express Entry system encompasses three different programs:

1. Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
2. Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

As well, each of Canada’s provinces and territories operates their own immigration programs, called Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs). Some of these PNPs are aligned with Express Entry. This means that a province can nominate a foreign national for Express Entry immigration to Canada!

The Express Entry system is a merit-based immigration system. This means that simply meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee that a person will be able to immigrate to Canada. Instead, all eligible candidates are ranked against one another based on a number of criteria, and only the most competitive candidates are invited to submit an application for permanent residence.

The province of Quebec retains a high level of autonomy and authority over its immigration programs and policies. For this reason, Quebec’s immigration programs are unique, offering a number of pathways not available in the other provinces.

Generally, those interested in applying for permanent residence in Quebec must first apply for and receive a certificate de selection du Québec (CSQ). Once an applicant has a CSQ, they are eligible to submit an official application for permanent residence to the federal immigration authorities. Quebec offers two economic immigration programs for those interested in immigrating to the province:

1. Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW)
2. Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)

 Canada has ten provinces and three territories. With the exception of Quebec, all of these provinces and territories manage their own immigration programs designed to target their individual economic and demographic needs, called Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). PNPs vary greatly in terms of program type, eligibility requirements, and applications procedures 

 In 2017, Canada’s Atlantic provinces launched a new immigration program designed to stimulate economic growth in the region. The program is considered a pilot program, meaning it’s the first of its kind and is subject to change. This program aims to accept a maximum number of 2,000 new immigrants each year, with quotas increasing to 4,000 by 2020.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot program is unique because it allows designated employers from the Atlantic provinces to hire foreign nationals without obtaining a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The designated employers assist eligible foreign nationals with the submission of permanent residency applications and long-term settlements. Canada’s Atlantic provinces include New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.