Who is a Permanent Resident in Canada?

A permanent resident is a citizen of a different country, who has been given a permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada. A permanent resident is not a Canadian Citizen. A permanent resident must live in Canada for two years out of every five, or risk losing that status.

Canadian Permanent Residents

Every year, over 200,000 people are allowed to enter Canada as permanent residents. They complete an application process that provides them with an opportunity for a new life in Canada. Once approved to enter Canada as a permanent resident, an individual receives a Permanent Resident Card (formerly Landed Immigrant form) and enjoy almost all the same rights as citizens of Canada (with the exception of voting privileges and unlimited stays when travelling outside of Canada). The process of obtaining permanent residency in Canada is complex and tedious. It is also in a state of constant change due to different foreign policy initiatives and modifications to regulations.

Canada Green Card Evaluation

People outside Canada often refer to a Canada Immigration, also called as the Permanent Resident Visa as a Canada Green Card. General Immigration, Business Immigration, Family Sponsorship and Parental Sponsorship are four diverse sectors, an Immigration application form will be evaluated.

General Immigration

Also called as Express entry, this General Immigration form is provided for professionals and workers. Express Entry is a new way of managing application with Immigration Programs such as Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canada Experience Class. Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool for a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in order to meet local labour market needs. Through Express Entry, people who meet the criteria for one of these programs will be placed into a pool of candidates. The Government of Canada, provincial and territorial governments, and Canadian employers will be able to select people from this pool.

Business Immigration

A Business Immigration form is provided for individuals with management experience, or for business owners who hold a high net worth. The Canada Business Immigration Program also seeks to develop new commercial opportunities and to improve access to growing foreign markets by welcoming people who are familiar with those markets and their special requirements and customs. Individuals with business/managerial experience and relatively high net-worth may apply for a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa under the Canada Business Immigration Program in one of the following three sub-categories:

Entrepreneur Start-Up Visa Program – Start-Up Visa Entrepreneurs must secure funding and support from a designated Canadian investment organization. To do so, they must have a plan for a unique business that will be created in Canada.

Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Pilot Program – To qualify, investors are required to have a net worth of $10 million and make a non-guaranteed investment of $2 million over 15 years, to be invested in innovative Canadian-based start-ups with high growth potential.

Self-Employed People Program – To qualify as a self-employed person, an individual must be willing and able to support him/herself and any dependents with self-employed income as a farmer, athlete, or artisan.

Family Sponsorship/Parental Sponsorship

A family sponsorship form is provided to a Spouse or a Common Law Partner and/or Dependant Children. A Parental Sponsorship form is provided to Parents and Grandparents.

You can sponsor relatives or family members from abroad if they are:

· Spouses, common-law or conjugal partners 16 years of age or older;

· Parents and grandparents;

· Dependent children, including adopted children;

· Children under 18 years of age whom you intend to adopt;

· Brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces or grandchildren who are orphans; under the age of 18 and not married or in a common-law relationship; or

· You may also sponsor one relative of any age if you do not have an aunt, uncle or family member from the list above who you could sponsor or who is already a Canadian citizen, Indian or permanent resident.

A son or daughter is dependent when the child:

· Is under the age of 22 and does not have a spouse or common-law partner;

· Is a full-time student and is substantially dependent on a parent for financial support since before the age of 22, or since becoming a spouse or common-law partner (if this happened before age 22); or

· Is financially dependent on a parent since before the age of 22 because of a disability.

Further, medical examinations, Police Certificates and Clearances are required to obtain the visa.