Canada has always recognised the importance of immigration on its society, economy and future. Immigration has allowed the government to directly address labour shortages and to add growth to their workforce.
Considering the recent pandemic, Canada announced their plan to increase the number of permanent visas being applied for. To do this, they have not only increased quotas on already existing visas, but have introduced an additional 6 limited-time pathways directed at health care workers, essential workers, international students and French speakers from those categories to assist in the fight against the pandemic.
There are different pathways by which Canadian permanent residency (PR) are obtained. These are the most common pathways.
Most Common Pathways to Permanent Residency
-
Express Entry
-
Provincial Nominee Program
-
Canadian Express Class
-
Family Sponsorship
-
Business Immigration
Express Entry
The Federal Express Entry program evaluates applicants based on points, where the highest point scorers receive an invitation to apply for PR. Some factors that points are awarded for include (but are not limited to):
- Age
- Education
- Language skills (English and/or French)
- Canadian work experience
- Commitment to Canada
- Job offer
Provincial Nominee Program
Individuals who wish to migrate to a specific province or region in Canada, can apply through the Provincial Nominee Program in the province or territory where they want to settle. The provinces then pick candidates from the Express Entry pool who meet their province-specific labour market needs. The Canadian provinces that applicants can apply to are:
| · Alberta
· British Columbia · Manitoba · Nova Scotia · New Brunswick |
· Ontario
· Prince Edward Island · Quebec · Saskatchewan · Yukon |
Canadian Experience Class
This program is aimed towards foreigners who have worked in Canada recently and are now ready to settle down on a permanent basis. Some eligibility criteria include:
- Skilled work experience (worked minimum 12 months, full-time, in past 3 years)
- Language skills (English and/or French)
Family Sponsorship
Canada acknowledges the importance of families being together, so this category allows a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their family member to live with them, permanently. Avenues available to applicants include sponsoring their:
| · Spouse, partner, and/or dependent children
· Parents and grandparents · Adopted child |
· Children or grandchildren
· Relatives (e.g. nephew, niece) |
Business Immigration
This program was designed for business people who want to experience new opportunities and challenges in the industry, and are looking to manage and/or invest in a new or established business in Canada. Start-up business applications are assessed on a pass/fail basis of these main criteria:
- Qualifying business
- Language skills (English and/or French)
- Financial capacity
There is also a visa stream for those who are self-employed.
Additional pathways to PR (NOTE: only available for a limited time)
In addition to the above, 6 limited-time pathways are available to new-comers.
Health care workers (same for French speakers’ stream)
Below is a list of 40 occupations that is used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as eligible “health-related occupations”. If you are a French speaking health care worker, you should apply under the “French Speaking Health Care Workers” stream which has NO intake caps.
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 3011 | Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors |
| 3012 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 3111 | Specialist physicians |
| 3112 | General practitioners and family physicians |
| 3113 | Dentists |
| 3121 | Optometrists |
| 3122 | Chiropractors |
| 3124 | Allied primary health practitioners |
| 3125 | Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating |
| 3131 | Pharmacists |
| 3132 | Dietitians and nutritionists |
| 3141 | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists |
| 3142 | Physiotherapists |
| 3143 | Occupational therapists |
| 3144 | Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 3211 | Medical laboratory technologists |
| 3212 | Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants |
| 3214 | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists |
| 3215 | Medical radiation technologists |
| 3216 | Medical sonographers |
| 3217 | Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c. |
| 3219 | Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health) |
| 3221 | Denturists |
| 3222 | Dental hygienists and dental therapists |
| 3223 | Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants |
| 3231 | Opticians |
| 3232 | Practitioners of natural healing |
| 3233 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 3234 | Paramedical occupations |
| 3236 | Massage therapists |
| 3237 | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 3411 | Dental assistants |
| 3413 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 3414 | Other assisting occupations in support of health services |
| 4151 | Psychologists |
| 4152 | Social workers |
| 4153 | Family, marriage and other related counsellors |
| 4165 | Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
| 4212 | Social and community service workers |
| 4412 | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
Essential workers (same for French speakers’ stream)
Below is a list of 95 occupations that is used by IRCC as “other eligible essential occupations” from the major unit group, minor unit group and specific 4 digit group. If you are a French speaking essential worker, you should apply under the “French-Speaking Essential Workers” stream which has NO intake caps.
| Major Unit Group | NOC Code | Occupation |
| 66 – Sales support occupations | 6611 | Cashiers |
| 6621 | Service station attendants | |
| 6622 | Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers | |
| 6623 | Other sales related occupations | |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7201 | Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations |
| 7202 | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations | |
| 7203 | Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades | |
| 7204 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades | |
| 7205 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers | |
| 7231 | Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | |
| 7232 | Tool and die makers | |
| 7233 | Sheet metal workers | |
| 7234 | Boilermakers | |
| 7235 | Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters | |
| 7236 | Ironworkers | |
| 7237 | Welders and related machine operators | |
| 7241 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) | |
| 7242 | Industrial electricians | |
| 7243 | Power system electricians | |
| 7244 | Electrical power line and cable workers | |
| 7245 | Telecommunications line and cable workers | |
| 7246 | Telecommunications installation and repair workers | |
| 7247 | Cable television service and maintenance technicians | |
| 7251 | Plumbers | |
| 7252 | Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers | |
| 7253 | Gas fitters | |
| 7271 | Carpenters | |
| 7272 | Cabinetmakers | |
| 7281 | Bricklayers | |
| 7282 | Concrete finishers | |
| 7283 | Tilesetters | |
| 7284 | Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers | |
| 7291 | Roofers and shinglers | |
| 7292 | Glaziers | |
| 7293 | Insulators | |
| 7294 | Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) | |
| 7295 | Floor covering installers | |
| 74 – Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers | 7441 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| 7442 | Waterworks and gas maintenance workers | |
| 7444 | Pest controllers and fumigators | |
| 7445 | Other repairers and servicers | |
| 7451 | Longshore workers | |
| 7452 | Material handlers | |
| 75 – Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| 7512 | Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators | |
| 7513 | Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs | |
| 7514 | Delivery and courier service drivers | |
| 7521 | Heavy equipment operators (except crane) | |
| 7522 | Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers | |
| 7531 | Railway yard and track maintenance workers | |
| 7532 | Water transport deck and engine room crew | |
| 7533 | Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations | |
| 7534 | Air transport ramp attendants | |
| 7535 | Other automotive mechanical installers and servicers | |
| 76 – Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations | 7611 | Construction trades helpers and labourers |
| 7612 | Other trades helpers and labourers | |
| 7621 | Public works and maintenance labourers | |
| 7622 | Railway and motor transport labourers | |
| 86 – Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers | 8611 | Harvesting labourers |
| 8612 | Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers | |
| 8613 | Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers | |
| 8614 | Mine labourers | |
| 8615 | Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers | |
| 8616 | Logging and forestry labourers |
| Minor Unit Group | NOC Code | Occupation |
| 151 – Mail and message distribution occupations | 1511 | Mail, postal and related workers |
| 1512 | Letter carriers | |
| 1513 | Couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors | |
| 642 – Retail salesperson | 6421 | Retail salespersons |
| 673 – Cleaners | 6731 | Light duty cleaners |
| 6732 | Specialized cleaners | |
| 6733 | Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents | |
| 843 – Agriculture and horticulture workers | 8431 | General farm workers |
| 8432 | Nursery and greenhouse workers | |
| 844 – Other workers in fishing and trapping and hunting occupations | 8441 | Fishing vessel deckhands |
| 8442 | Trappers and hunters | |
| 946 – Machine operators and related workers in food, beverage and associated products processing | 9461 | Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing |
| 9462 | Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers | |
| 9463 | Fish and seafood plant workers | |
| 9465 | Testers and graders, food and beverage processing |
| Specific 4 digit unit groups | |
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 821 | Managers in agriculture |
| 822 | Managers in horticulture |
| 4031 | French and French Immersion Secondary school teachers (language of instruction must be French) |
| 4032 | French and French Immersion Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (language of instruction must be French) |
| 4411 | Home child care providers |
| 4413 | Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants |
| 6331 | Retail butchers |
| 6523 | Airline ticket and service agents |
| 6524 | Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks |
| 6541 | Security guards and related security service occupations |
| 6551 | Customer services representatives – financial institutions |
| 6552 | Other customer and information services representatives |
| 8252 | Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers |
| 8255 | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services |
| 9617 | Labourers in food and beverage processing |
| 9618 | Labourers in fish and seafood processing |
Recently Graduated International Students (same for French speakers’ stream)
Recently graduated international students who wish to stay in Canada after completion of their studies and enter the workforce, may do so under this stream once it is re-opened. If you are a French speaking graduate, you should apply under the French stream, which has NO intake caps. Some factors that applicants are assessed on include:
- Institution where academic credentials were obtained
- Occupation
- Language skills (English and/or French)
Advantages of Canadian Permanent Residency
There are many benefits that you can look forward to when beginning your new life in Canada.
Application process
The Canada PR process can be time consuming, complex, and challenging. The process steps vary from pathway to pathway, but it generally requires the determining of your eligibility, meeting set requirements of a particular stream, completing a valid online application, and ensuring all the correct documents have been submitted.
Kunal Thakur
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant R#519955
Kunal Thakur is a passionate Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), holding close to two decades of immigration experience, during which he has successfully guided thousands of immigrants in their immigration journey. He is quick in responding to client queries and would always give his clients the right advice. Kunal also brings immense value in all his talks and discourses on immigration and when not in front of his laptop reading and analysing client cases he could be seen exploring new places and trying new things. Kunal is currently based in Adelaide, Australia. You can book a time with him here.
RCIC: R519955
