CIC News CIC NEWS

Canada Immigration Newsletter

  • Home
  • About
  • Subscribe

STAY UP TO DATE WITH
CANADIAN
IMMIGRATION NEWS

CIC News / 2014 / October / What Is A Canadian Permanent Resident Visa?

What Is A Canadian Permanent Resident Visa?

October 15, 2014 by CIC News

What does it mean to have permanent residence in Canada? Immigration to Canada is, and has always been, a changing process. With over 60 Canadian immigration programs that lead to permanent residence in Canada, it is understandable that a degree of confusion arises from time to time. New programs open, old programs close, criteria for existing programs are modified, and definitions change. Some newcomers to Canada who have successfully attained permanent residence status remain unsure about precisely what it is. This article will deal with some common questions surrounding permanent residence in Canada.

Who is a permanent resident of Canada?

A permanent resident is someone who has been issued a permanent resident visa by the Canadian government and has landed in Canada, but is not a Canadian citizen. Permanent residents are citizens of other countries. A person in Canada temporarily, such as a student, foreign worker or visitor, is not a permanent resident.

What rights does Canadian permanent residence confer on the holder?

Permanent residents of Canada 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 after spending a certain amount of time as a permanent resident in Canada.
  • protection under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

What are a Canadian permanent resident’s responsibilities while in Canada?

Permanent residents of Canada are required to respect all Canadian laws at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. A conviction for a serious criminal offence may result in the loss of permanent resident status.

Does Canadian permanent residence need to be renewed, and if so, when and how?

Once a permanent resident visa is granted and the holder lands in Canada as a permanent resident, that status does not have to be renewed. It remains indefinitely unless the holder applies for and is granted Canadian citizenship or the holder loses his or her permanent resident status.

An individual may lose permanent resident status for failure to meet the residency obligation. That obligation requires a permanent resident to accumulate 730 residency days in each five-year period. Residency days may be accumulated inside or outside Canada. To accumulate residency days while outside Canada, a permanent resident must be:

  • with an accompanying Canadian citizen who is their spouse or common-law partner or, in the case of a child, their parent;
  • employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or in the federal public administration or the public service of a province; or
  • accompanying a permanent resident who is his or her spouse or common-law partner or, in the case of a child, his or her parent and who is employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or in the federal public administration or the public service of a province.

What is a Permanent Resident Card?

Do not confuse a permanent resident card with permanent resident status. The card is a piece of plastic that contains biometric data. The acquisition of a PR card is voluntary. It is, however, required in the absence of a travel document to board a common carrier (such as an airplane) to Canada if an individual is not a Canadian citizen and not a citizen of a country that requires a temporary resident visa to visit Canada. So, while it is not obligatory for a permanent resident to carry a PR card, it certainly is convenient.

Is permanent residence the same as a Green Card in the United States?

Perhaps because of the size and scale of Canada’s neighbour to the south, the United States, the term “Canada Green Card” is a term that has been used figuratively to describe permanent residence in Canada. This is because individuals who have been given the right to live and work in the United States used to be given an actual green card that confirmed their status.

“In reality, there is no such thing as a ‘Canada Green Card’, and distinctions between the American and Canadian systems of permanent immigration should be highlighted,” says Attorney David Cohen.

“A United States green card grants the holder permission to enter and live in the United States. In contrast, Canadian Permanent Resident status grants an individual the right to enter and live in Canada. This reveals a fundamental contrast in philosophy. True, both privileges and rights have limits, and both may be revoked under certain circumstances, but that is not to say that they confer equal status. Permanent residence in Canada is a legal entitlement, inherent to its holder. A simple example demonstrates this point. Permanent Residents of the United States must, in theory, be in possession of their U.S green cards at all times and must be prepared to show them to U.S. authorities upon request.  Permanent Residents of Canada have no such obligation.”

How does an individual become a permanent resident of Canada in the first place?

Canada is a vast, multicultural nation with changing immigration goals, and there are many ways in which a foreign person may become a permanent resident of Canada.

  • There are various family sponsorship programs, whereby a Canadian permanent resident can sponsor his or her spouse or close family members.
  • Individuals who have work or study experience in Canada may be eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class.
  • Foreign skilled workers may be eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. (Note: This program is changing soon. Read more here.)
  • Tradespersons may be eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
  • The provinces of Canada are able to nominate new permanent residents under the Provincial Nominee Programs.
  • Certain individuals who fulfil specific criteria may be eligible to land in Canada as permanent residents under the business and investor programs.
  • The province of Quebec chooses newcomers under its skilled worker and Quebec experience programs. Successful applicants go on to attain Canadian permanent residence.
  • Refugees accepted and approved by the government of Canada attain permanent residence.

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs that lead to permanent residence in Canada, please fill out a free online assessment today.

© 2014 CICnews All Rights Reserved


About CIC News

Next Article: CanadaVisa Social: 135,000 Facebook Followers And Counting!
Previous Article: More Immigrants To Canada Expected To Look West For Job Opportunities

Related Canada Immigration Articles:

  • Expression of interest numbers reveal Quebec’s immigration appeal despite controversies More than 91,000 profiles have been submitted through Quebec Skilled Worker Program's new Arrima online portal since September
  • Canada extends application period for Post-Graduation Work Permits, drops valid study permit requirement International graduates of eligible Canadian schools now have 180 days to apply for a PGWP
  • Le Canada prolonge la période des demandes pour un permis de travail post-diplôme, élimine l’exigence du permis d’études Les diplômés étrangers des écoles canadiennes éligibles ont maintenant 180 jours pour présenter une demande de permis de travail post-diplôme

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 − three =

Comments

  1. orlando boromeo abo says

    October 18, 2014

    i will apply for permanent residence in canada

    Reply
  2. ivan kris hernando says

    October 19, 2014

    Iwant to go to the beutiful country of canada

    Reply
  3. Hassan says

    October 20, 2014

    Thanks for the update

    Reply
  4. Amir Iqbal says

    October 21, 2014

    I want to really love in Canada

    Reply
  5. rony karsouny says

    October 22, 2014

    I went to canada in 2002 and i want to live in montreal .

    Reply
  6. Fahri says

    October 22, 2014

    Beutifule canada very very

    Reply
  7. adelaida says

    October 22, 2014

    Does a person who is 21 yrs of age just got a licenses certified public accountant in the will t to apply as immigrant in Canada? What else is needed. ? Thanks.

    Reply
  8. sanjog rana says

    October 23, 2014

    i want to apply canada..

    Reply
  9. atabong herbert tazi says

    October 23, 2014

    I wish to have a canadian resident permit.

    Reply
  10. Mahmoud Ahmad Ahmad says

    October 24, 2014

    Iwant to go to the beutiful country of canada

    Reply
  11. alexandre lourenco says

    October 28, 2014

    Hello,
    im technician of home appliances in portugal and i have 35 years old but i want to move to Alberta(calgary)with my family to live and work(i have technical courses and certificates) what i should do first?

    Thanks very much
    Regards

    Reply
  12. Tarek says

    February 5, 2016

    I am little confused about the PR obligations for time spent in Canada; I have landed in June 2015 and the immigration officer informed me that I have to live 3 out 4 years to keep my status! And here it is mentioned 2 out 5 years, so please confirm what is the correct one.
    Thanks

    Reply
  13. Manoj Varshney says

    March 1, 2016

    ​Q.​ ​If a person having permanent resident status ​but not received PR card and he is out of canada than what documents are required required to re-enter canada​ ? Is without PR card you can not enter though you hold permanent resident status.

    Reply
  14. Hemal Fernando says

    April 27, 2016

    Great article about Canadian Permanent Resident Visa.

    Reply
  15. nesar says

    September 11, 2016

    pr card can be renewed if he has not completed reqired live in canada time but wife is canadian citizen and lives with him in middle east
    pls reply

    Reply

Do you qualify for immigration?

There are over 60 options for immigration to Canada. Find out if you qualify with our free assessment!

find out now

Join CanadaVisa’s Social Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Why subscribe to CICNEWS?

Don't let policy changes catch you by surprise - stay up to date with the latest breaking news on Canadian Immigration!

Your email address will not be disclosed to any third-party. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Recent Posts

  • Expression of interest numbers reveal Quebec’s immigration appeal despite controversies
  • Canada extends application period for Post-Graduation Work Permits, drops valid study permit requirement
  • Le Canada prolonge la période des demandes pour un permis de travail post-diplôme, élimine l’exigence du permis d’études
  • If you’re in the Express Entry pool, these provincial immigration streams may be looking for you
  • Ontario issues new invitations to French-speaking Express Entry candidates

Tools and Resources

  • » Canada Job Search Tool
  • » Canada Salary Calculator
  • » IELTS Practice Tests
  • » Canada Immigration FAQ
  • » Resume Guide
  • » School Search
  • » School Match
  • » CLB Language Converter
  • » CRS Calculator
  • » Visiting Canada Tool
  • » Processing Times

CanadaVisa-PNP-Finder-Tracker

Latest Editions

  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
View all editions

© 1996-2019 CIC NEWS

Copyright | Privacy | Unsubscribe | Resources | RSS Feeds