Canadian Permanent Residence

Main pathways to permanent residence in Canada

Use this comparison to prepare for an assessment, not as a finding that you qualify. Provincial selection, invitations, intake limits and admissibility requirements can affect your application.

Express Entry: a system managing three programs

Express Entry manages the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Qualifying for the pool is different from receiving an invitation. Your score and the requirements of the invitation round matter.

Check the official program comparison before choosing a route. Someone with Canadian work experience and someone applying with foreign experience may face different requirements. A provincial nomination through Express Entry requires eligibility for both the provincial stream and an Express Entry program.

Family sponsorship

Family sponsorship is based on a qualifying relationship and an eligible sponsor, rather than a competitive CRS score. Explore our guides for spouses, common-law partners and dependent children. Having a relative in Canada does not mean every relative can sponsor you. Parents and grandparents have a separate intake process; IRCC currently labels that sponsorship program paused.

Business, caregiver and special programs

Do not assume an older program guide means applications are open. IRCC currently lists the federal Start-up Visa and Self-Employed Persons programs as paused. Its caregiver page lists the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots as closed and limits the old Live-in Caregiver Program to qualifying legacy cases. Provincial and Quebec business options require separate checks.

Before spending money on a proposed pathway, check IRCC's current immigration program list and caregiver program status. Historical guides remain useful for existing files, but should not be treated as an invitation to submit a new application. Our business immigration overview can help you frame questions for an assessment.

What determines your eligibility?

There is no single age limit, language score or work requirement for every permanent residence program. Start with the rules for your chosen route, then check how you will prove each requirement.

• Work history: collect dates, duties, hours, pay and employer records. For skilled programs, job duties matter when identifying the appropriate occupation code.
• Language and education: check which approved tests and credential assessments your program requires, and whether your results will remain valid at the relevant stage.
• Family circumstances: identify your spouse or partner and dependent children, including family members who will not accompany you.
• Financial requirements: distinguish settlement funds, sponsorship obligations and application fees. These are different requirements.
• Destination: a provincial or Quebec pathway may require a genuine intention to settle in that jurisdiction.
• Immigration history and admissibility: disclose relevant refusals, status issues and other requested information accurately.

If you are in Canada, review when your temporary status and authorization to work or study expire. A PR application alone does not extend them. See our work permit guide and seek advice before making employment or travel decisions.

How to prepare and apply for permanent residence

1. Choose a realistic pathway. Compare your documented circumstances against current requirements and intake availability.
2. Prepare the supporting evidence. Follow the program's checklist and country-specific instructions, rather than a generic document list.
3. Complete any selection stage. Depending on the route, this may involve an Express Entry profile, provincial nomination, community recommendation or sponsorship assessment.
4. Submit a complete application. Use the correct process, answer all questions truthfully, include the required documents and pay applicable fees.
5. Respond during processing. Monitor your account, meet document and biometric deadlines where required, and report relevant changes.
6. Complete the confirmation instructions. Follow IRCC's directions for confirming status in Canada or travelling to become a permanent resident.

Documents to organize before your consultation

Bring your passport details, current immigration documents, a dated education and employment history, language results if available, family information and any previous refusals. For a sponsorship assessment, bring information about the relationship and sponsor. For an economic assessment, organize employment duties and qualifications.

This is a preparation list, not the final submission checklist. Medical exams, police certificates, translations and financial evidence have program-specific instructions. Ask how to share sensitive documents securely before sending them.

Government fees, other costs and processing times

For the economic programs listed in IRCC's fee table, including Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program, the principal applicant's federal processing fee is CAD $990 and the right of permanent residence fee is CAD $600, totalling CAD $1,590. An accompanying spouse or partner has the same listed total; an accompanying dependent child is CAD $270. Checked November 12, 2026.

Other pathways have different fees. Check the official fee list for your application and family composition before paying. Provincial charges, biometrics where applicable, medical examinations, language tests, credential assessments, translations and professional services can add to the budget. Proof of settlement funds is separate from money paid as fees.

There is no universal PR processing time. The program, application completeness, verification requirements and available admission spaces can affect timing. Compare the relevant category using IRCC's processing-time tool. An estimate is not a guaranteed decision date and does not include every preparatory step or the time waiting for an invitation.

Common mistakes and what to do after a refusal

Avoid choosing a program from an outdated article, relying only on a job title, omitting requested family information, submitting inconsistent dates or assuming a temporary permit guarantees PR. Keep a copy of the complete application and evidence of submission. Explain discrepancies with reliable records rather than changing documents to fit a desired answer.

If IRCC raises concerns, read the letter and deadline carefully. Our procedural fairness guide explains how to organize a response. For an allegation of inaccurate or withheld information, see immigration misrepresentation.

After a refusal, preserve the decision and the date received. Reapplying, reconsideration, appeals and judicial review are different options with different availability and deadlines. Obtain a prompt assessment of your specific decision before choosing a route; do not assume a fresh application resolves the original problem.

Permanent resident status, PR cards and citizenship

PR status and a PR card are different. The card is proof of status; its expiry does not automatically end permanent residence. Permanent residents generally need 730 qualifying days in a five-year period, with rules for certain time abroad and for people who have held status for less than five years. Keep an accurate travel record and have any claimed exception assessed.

For returning to Canada by commercial carrier, check whether you need a valid PR card or a permanent resident travel document. If you may not meet the residency obligation, obtain advice about the consequences and any applicable humanitarian and compassionate considerations before applying.

PR is also different from Canadian citizenship. Citizenship requires a separate assessment and application where applicable. See IRCC's explanation of permanent resident status for rights, responsibilities and travel information.

Canadian permanent residence FAQs

Build a clear plan for your permanent residence application

At an assessment, we can discuss which pathways fit your circumstances, what evidence is missing and what steps need attention first. Ask about the agreed services, professional fees, who will handle your file and the responsibilities you will retain.

General information, not advice about an individual case. Program availability and requirements can change.