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Canada Permanent Residency

Everything you need to know about becoming a permanent resident of Canada — from eligibility and Express Entry to pathways, processing times, and life after PR.

Processing Time

6–12 months (Express Entry)

Visa Fee

CAD 850 (Principal Applicant)

Validity

Permanent (Renewal every 5 years)

Overview

Why Canada?
The ultimate destination for a new life.

Canada welcomes over 500,000 new permanent residents every year, making it one of the world’s most immigration-friendly nations. With universal healthcare, excellent public education, diverse job opportunities, and a clear pathway to citizenship, Canadian permanent residency offers you and your family a secure future in one of the world’s most livable countries.

This guide covers everything you need to know: eligibility requirements, the Express Entry system, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), required documents, costs, processing times, and the step-by-step application process to make Canada your permanent home.

Universal Healthcare

Access to free public healthcare for you and your family, with no insurance premiums in most provinces.

Work & Live Anywhere

Live, work, and study anywhere in Canada with full mobility rights across all provinces and territories.

Path to Citizenship

Apply for Canadian citizenship after living in Canada for 3 out of 5 years as a permanent resident.

Social Benefits

Qualify for Canada Child Benefit, employment insurance, pension plans, and other government support programs.

Sponsor Family Members

Bring your spouse, dependent children, parents, and grandparents to Canada through family sponsorship programs.

Quality of Life

Enjoy political stability, safety, excellent education system, and consistently high rankings in global quality of life indexes.

Detailed Guides

Explore by type.
Find your perfect pathway.

Express Entry

The fastest immigration pathway for skilled workers through Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades pro...

6–12 months
CAD 850
Read guide

Provincial Nominee Program

Get nominated by a Canadian province or territory based on their specific economic and labour market needs.

15–19 months
CAD 850
Read guide

Canadian Experience Class

Perfect for international students and temporary workers who already have Canadian work experience.

6–12 months
CAD 850
Read guide

Family Sponsorship

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, dependent children, parents, and grandparents.

12–24 months
CAD 1,050
Read guide

Atlantic Immigration Program

An employer-driven program helping skilled workers and international graduates settle in Canada’s Atlantic provinces.

6–12 months
CAD 850
Read guide

Start-Up Visa

For innovative entrepreneurs with a qualifying business idea and support from a designated Canadian organization.

12–16 months
CAD 2,140
Read guide

Application Process

Step by step.
Your complete roadmap.

01

Check Your Eligibility

Determine which immigration program you qualify for based on your work experience, education, language skills, and other factors.

02

Take Language Tests

Complete IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF language tests. Higher scores significantly improve your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

03

Get ECA (If Applicable)

Have your foreign credentials assessed by designated organizations like WES, ICAS, or IQAS to verify Canadian equivalency.

04

Create Express Entry Profile

Submit your profile to the Express Entry pool. You’ll receive a CRS score based on age, education, work experience, and language ability.

05

Receive Invitation to Apply

Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in regular draws. You have 60 days to submit your complete application after receiving an ITA.

06

Submit Complete Application

Upload all required documents including police certificates, medical exams, proof of funds, and pay the application fees within the 60-day deadline.

FAQ

Common questions.
Clear answers.

Canadian permanent residency (PR) grants you the right to live, work, and study anywhere in Canada indefinitely. As a permanent resident, you get access to most social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, including universal healthcare and can apply for citizenship after meeting residency requirements.
The main PR application fee is CAD 850 per adult and CAD 230 per dependent child. You’ll also pay CAD 515 for the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF). Additional costs include language tests (INR 15,000–17,000), Educational Credential Assessment (CAD 200–300), medical exams (CAD 200–450), and police certificates.
Processing times vary by program. Express Entry applications typically take 6–12 months from ITA to final decision. Provincial Nominee Programs take 15–19 months on average, while family sponsorship can take 12–24 months. Start-up Visa and Atlantic Immigration Program applications usually process in 12–16 months.
Express Entry is Canada’s main immigration system for skilled workers, managing three programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. You create an online profile and receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. IRCC conducts regular draws and invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residency.
The minimum CRS score varies with each draw and depends on the number of candidates in the pool. Recent draws have seen cutoff scores ranging from 470–540 for all-program draws. Category-based draws for specific occupations may have different score requirements. A Provincial Nominee Program certificate adds 600 points to your CRS score.
You can apply for most PR programs from India. Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, and Start-up Visa applications can all be submitted from outside Canada. However, Canadian Experience Class requires at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada. Having a valid job offer or Canadian work experience improves your chances significantly.
You must prove you have enough money to support yourself and your family after arriving in Canada. For a single applicant, you need CAD 13,757 (approximately INR 8.3 lakh). For a family of four, the requirement is CAD 25,564 (approximately INR 15.5 lakh). Funds can be in bank accounts, fixed deposits, or mutual funds, and must be readily available.
Several strategies can boost your score: improve your language test scores (CLB 9+ makes a significant difference), complete additional education credentials, gain more Canadian work experience, obtain a valid job offer with LMIA, apply for a Provincial Nominee Program (adds 600 points), or have your spouse improve their language scores and credentials. Even small improvements can make a difference.
Key documents include: valid passport, language test results (IELTS/CELPIP/TEF), Educational Credential Assessment, work experience letters with detailed job duties, proof of funds, police clearance certificates from all countries lived in for 6+ months, medical examination results, birth certificates, marriage certificate (if applicable), and passport-size photographs.
Yes. You can include your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children (under 22 years old) in your application. They will receive PR status along with you. Including family members affects your CRS score calculation and increases the required proof of funds amount. Your spouse’s credentials and language scores can also add points to your total CRS score.

Ready to start your Canada journey?

Talk to our counselors to find the immigration pathway that fits your profile.