Every year, the Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada select foreign nationals as permanent and temporary residents while meeting international human rights obligations for asylum seekers. Canada has one of the highest immigration rates per capita among developed nations and the world’s largest and most generous immigration programs.
In addition to current federal programs and policies to encourage Canadian citizenship, there are various entry programs available. Most candidates must first obtain permanent resident status and meet certain requirements before applying for citizenship. The entry paths for permanent residency include three broad categories:
Family Class A foreign national may qualify for permanent residence based on their relationship to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. This entry path evaluates the eligibility of both the foreign national and the sponsor. If you receive an invitation to complete an application to sponsor, you must support the foreign nationals financially and ensure they do not require social assistance from the government.
Economic Class The purpose of this entry path is to strengthen the Canada’s economic and social structure. Generally, foreign nationals are assessed on their professional background, education, language skills and impact on Canada’s economic and social needs. There are different pathways under economic immigration, including the most common, the Express Entry program. Acceptance into the Express Entry program is based on an applicant’s eligibility for the three intake streams: the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker program and Federal Skilled Trades program. Once an applicant successfully applies to one of the three streams, they are placed into a pool with other candidates and given a score under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Candidates with competitive CRS scores are invited to apply for permanent residence.
Refugees Canada’s refugee system is regulated mainly by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. While the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) decides who is a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection, most quotas or allocations of refugees are supported by the Government-Assisted Refugee program.
Foreign nationals seeking to enter Canada on a temporary basis should look to the Canada’s temporary resident programs. The temporary resident programs cover all the reasons for a foreign national to enter Canada temporarily for work, study or visit. Most of Canada’s temporary resident programs offer foreign nationals opportunities to transition to permanent residence. The three primary categories for temporary residence are:
Visitors Visitor visas in Canada are referred to as Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs). TRVs are granted to foreign nationals who can prove to an officer that they are visiting for a genuine purpose and that they meet the requirements pursuant to the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act and Regulations. There are different types of TRVs based on the purpose of visit, such as for business visitors, family visitors, tourism visas and super-visas for parent’s and grandparents.
Foreign Workers Foreign workers have a direct impact on the Canadian economy and labour market. Therefore, they are heavily regulated by both Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada. For most foreign nationals to be eligible for a work permit, they will need both a job offer from a Canadian company and a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment. Open work permits are granted in rare circumstances such as during a spousal sponsorship or for humanitarian and compassionate grounds. There are opportunities to expedite the processing of a work permit application if the occupation is in demand or significantly benefits the Canadian economy. Certain occupations and organizations may be enabled to hire a foreign worker without a Labour Market Impact Assessmentbased on special policies and programs.
International Students International students who receive an offer of acceptance from an IRCC approved Canadian designated learning institution must apply for a study permit to pursue their education in Canada. The possession of an offer of acceptance does not guarantee the approval of a study permit application, which is based on numerous factors pursuant to the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act and Regulations. International students with a valid study permit who graduate from their programs may be eligible for a work permit or permanent residence.
Because both the federal and the provincial and territorial governments have shared jurisdiction, Canada’s admissibility policy and screening procedure can be quite complex. We recommend seeking our lawyer’s advice to ensure an efficient process and that you do not become a victim of immigration fraud.
We have experienced Immigration lawyers who provide the following services:
Sponsorship
Spouse or Common Law Partner Sponsorship
Parent or Grandparent Sponsorship
Children Sponsorship
Permanent Residence and Naturalization
Express Entry Programs
Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
Provincial Nominee Programs
Citizenship
Temporary Resident Programs
Temporary Resident Visa (Visitor Visa)
Parent and Grandparent Super-Visa
Study Permit
Post-Graduate Work Permit
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (Work Permit)
International Mobility Program for LMIA-exempt Work Permits
Asylum
Convention Refugees
Protected Persons
Pre-Removal Risk Assessments
Group of Five (G5) Refugee Sponsorship
Business Immigration
Investor Immigration Programs
Start-Up Visa
Business and Entrepreneur Provincial Nominee Programs
Intra-Company Transferees
Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) – Hire foreign workers
Business Visitors
Appeals
Inadmissibility on any grounds
Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) Considerations
Refused Refugee Status
Refused Sponsorship Applications
Stay of Removal Orders
Overcoming Criminality
Rehabilitation Applications
Criminal Record Pardons and Waivers
Temporary Resident Permits (TRP)
Please set up a consultation with our immigration lawyerstoday for a free assessment on your matter.
We have offices in Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Aurora, Newmarket, Bradford, Georgina, Keswick, Barrie, Oshawa, Ajax, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Milton, Burlington, Hamilton, Kitchener and Waterloo.
