What is a Permanent Resident of Canada?

A permanent resident is someone who has been given permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada, but is not a Canadian citizen. Permanent residents are citizens of other countries.

A person in Canada temporarily, like a student or foreign worker, is not a permanent resident.
It is important to note that you do not lose your permanent resident status when your PR Card expires. A PR card is simply used to travel back into Canada. If you have an expired PR card you may apply for a permanent resident travel document.

What permanent residents can do

As a permanent resident, you have the right to:

  • get most social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, including health care coverage,

  • live, work or study anywhere in Canada,

  • apply for Canadian citizenship,

  • protection under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

What permanent residents cannot do

You are not allowed to:

  • vote or run for political office,

  • hold some jobs that need a high-level security clearance.

Residency Obligation

All permanent residents must reside in Canada for a period of 730 days (2 years) in the last 5 years. They do not need to be continuous.

How do I obtain Permanent Residency?

There are many ways to obtain PR status in Canada and you may look through our website to see the many different options that you may have. For this section we will focus on the largest method of applying, Express Entry.

Express Entry is an online system that is used by the Canadian Government to manage applications for permanent residence from skilled workers.

Express Entry is divided into three categories

  • Federal Skilled Worker

  • Federal Skilled Trades

  • Canadian Experience Class

Federal Skilled Worker

The requirements in order to be eligible are based on a 100-point grid, in which an applicant must score at least 67 points based on:

  • Age

  • Education

  • Work Experience

  • Whether you have a valid job offer

  • English and/or French language skills

  • Adaptability

You must have worked at in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) job group of

  • Managerial Jobs (Skill type 0)

  • Professional Jobs (Skill Level A)

  • Technical Jobs and Skilled Trades (Skill Level B)

  • The work experience must be at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total. Student work experience may count under certain conditions.

  • The applicant must score a minimum of CLB 7 in all 4 abilities (Writing, Reading, Listening, Speaking) in an approved language test.

  • All foreign education must have had an educational credential assessment(ECA) showing the equivalency of your degree to a Canadian one.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

For this program, you must meet the required language levels for all 4 abilities (Writing, Reading, Listening, Speaking).

You must also have at least 2 years of full time work experience or an equal amount of part-time work experience in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply.

You must meet the job requirements for the skilled trade as set out in the NOC, except for needing a certificate of qualification.

Have a:

  • Valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or

  • Certificate of Qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian Provincial, territorial or federal authority

Skilled work experience

Skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):

  • Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades

  • Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades

  • Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production

  • Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators

  • Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks

  • Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers

The major NOC groups are subdivided into different occupations, and they are all skill type B.

Education

There is no education requirement for this stream, but to improve your rank in the express entry pool, you may use your education to gain additional points

Language Requirement

You must meet the minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing

This score is obtained by an approved language test such as IELTS.

Canadian Experience Class

Eligibility in this class requires you meet the required language requirements and at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada, in the last 3 years before you apply.

The Skilled Work Experience must be in a job classified under:

  • Managerial Jobs (Skill type 0)

  • Professional Jobs (Skill Level A)

  • Technical Jobs and Skilled Trades (Skill Level B)

Your work experience can be in 1 or more NOC 0, A or B jobs.

Note: Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (even if you were on a co-op work term) doesn’t count towards the minimum requirements for this program.

Education

There is no education requirement in the Canadian Experience Class, however to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool, it is highly recommended that you indicate if you’ve had an education in Canada, or if it is a foreign education; you have assessed.

Language Requirement

You must:

  • meet the required language levels of:

    • Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for NOC 0 or A jobs or

      Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for NOC B jobs

  • take approved language tests for:

    • writing

    • reading

    • listening

    • speaking

    • describe the test results in your Express Entry profile

Need Help?

Not sure what options are the best for you? Contact us today to get a free evaluation on your case and what you can do to become a permanent resident of Canada

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