Applying for permanent resident status while residing in Canada

Q. My wife and I would like to emigrate to Canada as skilled workers. Can we live in Canada while the paperwork for residency is being processed?

Answer: It is possible to reside in Canada while you are in the process of applying for permanent resident status. However, you would be required to obtain the necessary status in Canada as a temporary resident (visitor), foreign student, or foreign worker.

A permanent resident application is not, in itself, grounds for such temporary admission, or for extension of temporary status while within Canada.