The 3 Most Secure Pathways to Permanent Residency in Canada

Immigrating to Canada can be a costly time consuming affair. Processing times for permanent residency applications take six months at least. Did you know that there are currently over 100 Canadian visa and immigration programs available to foreigners? The majority of which are various pathways to permanent residency in Canada. It is for these reasons that when you start out on your immigration journey, you choose the best pathway, with the least amount of obstacles that will take you to your ultimate destination, becoming a citizen of Canada.

Pathways to Permanent Residency in Canada

1. Study in Canada

One of the Immigration and Refugee Council of Canada (IRCC) favourites, and one of our own if we are being honest, are the International Graduate programs. These programs usually form part of the Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs), which are province specific pathways to permanent residency. Within each province or territory are a number of designated post-secondary learning institutions, and what the International Graduate programs essentially boil down to is: if you study a program in Canada for a minimum of eight months, you will be eligible to both a post graduate work permit (PGWP) and to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residency.

The Post Graduate Work Permit

After graduation, you will have 180 days to apply for a PGWP. To be eligible for a PGWP your studies must be for longer than 8 months. If your studies are for less than two years, your permit will be for the same length of time as your studies took to complete. If your studies are for longer than two years, you will be granted a 3 year work permit. From graduation you will have one of two options, to apply through your provinces’ international graduate category or to get your PGWP and once you have one year of experience working in Canada, to apply to the Canada Experience Class (CEC) program of the Express Entry System. CEC applicants receive preference over applicants in the other categories of the Express Entry because they quite simply have already shown that they can live, work, communicate and effectively contribute to the Canadian economy. There’s two secure pathways to permanent residency in Canada for the price of one!

2. Secure a Job in Canada

The IRCC’s various permanent residency programs exist so that people from various industries and with different levels of expertise all have the opportunity to become permanent residents if they can secure a job offer for full time employment in Canada. The programs address labour shortages in various sectors of the country as well as provinces. For example, if you could secure a job offer in Thunder Bay, Ontario, or one of the 10 other participating communities, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residency through the Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot. The pilot aims to address the needs of smaller communities and cities throughout Canada, due to the trend of most immigrants making straight for one of the three major cities. There is opportunity far and wide in Canada.. Another example of the government looking to address labour shortages in less favoured areas of Canada (though for the life of us we can’t figure out why, as the next program is dedicated to the most beautiful part of Canada) is the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. This pilot has three categories; international graduate (surprise surprise), semi-skilled foreign work and skilled foreign worker. Depending on the job offer you are able to secure, you will fall into either the semi-skilled or skilled category. Anyone from food and beverage servers, truck drivers, cooks, nurses and doctors are eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada though this pilot, as long as you have a permanent job offer.

3. Secure a Provincial Nomination

If there is one thing that you can take from this piece, it’s that the best way to secure permanent residency in Canada, is to get a provincial nomination. This stamp of approval is the province you are interested in living and working in saying: Yes, we absolutely need you in our province and in Canada, and so we endorse your application to become a permanent resident. As we mentioned above, each province has their own immigration program known as the Provincial Nomination Programs. Each province runs their programs independently and creates immigration streams to suit the industries and labour requirements unique to them. The one thing all these provinces share is access to the Express Entry System. For individuals with qualifications and/or experience in managerial roles, professional occupations or skilled trades, a provincial nomination pushes your Express Entry application to the front of the queue so that when the next batch is processed and applicants are invited to apply, you are in for the win. For the streams under PNP’s that aren’t a part of the Express Entry System, your provincial nomination motivates your application directly to the IRCC for permanent residency, which also means that you are pretty much guaranteed PR status, importantly, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria for immigrating to Canada.

How MDC Can Help You

If you want to immigrate to Canada permanently, you want to be sure you start out on the right path from the very beginning. It may be long and winding, but ultimately you will reach your goal. However, as you can imagine, there is nothing worse than being halfway to a destination only to realize you took the wrong route, having to return to the start and try again. By using our accredited Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) you will not only optimize your chances of success when you apply for your Canada visa, but you will receive expert advice on which program is best for your personal needs. Our RCICs are registered with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) and are legally permitted to assist you by evaluating your eligibility, reviewing all documentation and submitting it to the Canadian government on your behalf. Let us take care of the paperwork while you plan your life in Canada. We make sure that all forms are completed correctly and sent in on time. Simply fill out our application form to receive your assessment today and take one step closer to a happy life in Canada.Start Your Journey