Temporary Resident Visa

A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), also referred to as a visitor visa, is an official document issued by a Canadian visa office. This TRV is placed in your passport to show that you have met the requirements for admission to Canada as a temporary resident (either as a visitor, a student, or a worker).

Study Permit

The study permit is a document allowing foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLI) in Canada. Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada. Canada has many world-class universities and colleges. Tuition fees, accommodation and other living expenses are lower than schools in United States or United Kingdom. Students in Post-Secondary institutions have the advantage of being able to work while studying. After a graduation, they are eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit up to maximum of three years. Skilled Canadian work experience gained through the Post-Graduation Work Permit will lead you to Canadian permanent residence.

Work Permit

You need a work permit to work in Canada legally. Most of work permits are issued under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and it is intended to help Canadian employer Recruit foreign workers in response to labour market shortages. Foreign workers must have an approved job offer and a work permit before arriving in Canada under the TFWP. Canadian employers intending to hire a foreign worker must obtain prior approval by applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). In some cases, foreign workers may qualify to work in Canada without a LMIA under various programs, such as the International Mobility Program.

Express Entry

Express Entry is the fastest pathway to permanent residence for skilled workers in Canada or overseas. Through Express Entry, qualified candidates can become a permanent resident of Canada in fast processing times of six months or less. It manages applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs,

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

Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from Express Entry through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet local labour market needs.

Quebec Immigration

The Government of Quebec is responsible for selecting economic immigrants to the province such as skilled workers and entrepreneurs. The Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de Sélection du Qubec – CSQ) is a document issued by the MIFI (the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration). The CSQ confirms an applicant has been selected for immigration to Québec and the candidate holding a CSQ can apply for a permanent residence to the Canada federal government.

[Skilled Worker]

• PEQ (Graduates): Immigrating after studying in Quebec
• PEQ (Worker): Immigrating after working in Quebec
• Regular Quebec Skilled Worker Program
• Quebec pilot program

[Immigration to Quebec as business people]

• Investor Program
• Entrepreneur Program
• Self-Employed Worker Program

Pilot Program

Canada has launched and is developing several pilots that have a regional or sectoral focus to spread the benefits of immigration to all parts of the country. This allows the government to respond to specific labour market challenges through targeted economic immigration strategies.

Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is designed to enable provinces and territories to support the immigration of people who have expressed an interest in settling in their province or territory, and who the province or territory believes will be able to contribute to the economic development and prosperity of that province or territory and Canada. People who have been selected by a province or territory other than Nunavut and Quebec can submit their PR application under this category.

Family Sponsorship

Would you like to live with your family in Canada? You can sponsor certain relatives to come to Canada if you’re at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident of Canada. To sponsor a relative to come to Canada as a permanent resident, you must support your relative financially when they arrive, be able to meet basic needs for yourself and your relative and make sure your relative doesn’t need social assistance.

Business Immigration

Canada’s Start-up Visa Program targets immigrant entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build businesses in Canada that are innovative, can create jobs for Canadians, and can compete on a global scale. Do you have an innovative business idea? If you can get support for your idea from one of the designated organizations, you may be able to immigrate to Canada. If you plan to live in Quebec, this federal program will not apply to you. Quebec is in charge of its own business immigration program and you can find more information on immigration website of Quebec.

Self-Employed Person

Self-employed person in cultural activities or athletics or a person who has taken part in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level can immigrate to Canada under this category. Canada will assess you on selection criteria that include your experience, education, age, language abilities and adaptability to make the decision on your PR application.

Super Visa

The Super Visa is a temporary resident multiple entry visa for parents or grandparents with a duration of up to ten years that will allow applicants to remain in Canada for up to 24 months without the need for renewal of their status.

Rehabilitation

In general, temporary residents and applicants applying for permanent residence are considered to be criminally inadmissible if the person was convicted of an offence in Canada or outside of Canada. If you are inadmissible to come to Canada because of past criminal activities, you have to be rehabilitated by IRCC. Rehabilitation removes the grounds of criminal inadmissibility and it means that you lead a stable lifestyle and that you are unlikely to be involved in any further criminal activity.

You are eligible to apply for rehabilitation if you have:

committed an act outside of Canada and five (5) years have elapsed since the act;
been convicted outside of Canada and five (5) years have passed since the end of the sentence imposed.

Citizenship

Have you lived in Canada for at least 3 out of the last 5 years (1,095 days) as a permanent resident and would you like to obtain Canadian citizenship? To become a Canadian citizen, most applicants must

- be a permanent resident
- have lived in Canada for at least 3 out of the last 5 years (1,095 days)
- have filed your taxes, if you need to pass a citizenship test
- prove your language skills in English or French
- Other requirements may apply

PR Renewal

If you have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years as a permanent resident and want to keep your permanent resident status, you have to renew it. These 730 days don’t need to be continuous and some of your time abroad may count towards the 730 days under special circumstances.