Haitians affected by termination of U.S. protected status eye six-month route to Canadian permanent residence

Haitians facing displacement from the United States can consider settling in Canada, which prioritizes French speakers for a six-month pathway to permanent residence (PR).

Canada admits over 100,000 permanent residents each year through Express Entry, a selection system that rolls out a red carpet for French speakers.

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Express Entry awards additional points to candidates with French language skills, and includes larger selection rounds in which only French speakers are issued invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence.

About 78% of PR applications through Express Entry were processed within six months or less, over the period Aug 2025–July 2026 (the most recent period for which official data are available, as of the time of writing).

To pursue permanent residence through Express Entry, you must have an intent to settle in Canada outside Québec.

How to get permanent residence through Express Entry

The process for displaced Haitian nationals seeking permanent residence through Express Entry involves the following steps:

Meet the minimum requirements for at least one of the Express Entry programs, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
Pass a government-authorized immigration language test.
Create an Express Entry profile and be placed into the candidate pool.
Be selected from the pool and receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR).
Complete an immigration medical exam, then respond with complete permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
If successful, receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), typically within about six months.
Travel to Canada, officially landing as a permanent resident.

Once you become a permanent resident, you have the right to relocate and to settle in any Canadian province or territory.

Canadian permanent resident status is conferred indefinitely, provided you stay in Canada for at least 730 days within every rolling five-year period.

After landing, you can have your permanent residence (PR) card mailed to your Canadian address. The PR card is issued for a five-year validity, and can be renewed any number of times.

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After living in Canada for three years, a permanent resident can become naturalized as a Canadian citizen.

Citizenship through naturalization is granted for life, with no requirements for renewal or maintenance.

How to be considered under Express Entry

For most Haitian nationals currently facing displacement, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) will likely be the most relevant route into the Express Entry pool.

To qualify for the FSWP, you must have an intent to reside in Canada outside Québec, and you need to have at least one year of skilled work experience within the past ten years. For the Canadian federal government, skilled work experience spans a range of occupations, including cooks, butchers, and roofers as well as doctors, lawyers, and executives.

You must also score at least 67 points on the 100-point selection grid for FSWP.

Haitian nationals will also need to meet the minimum language requirements (level 7 in French or English), have at least a high school diploma, and demonstrate sufficient funds to settle in Canada—with the amount dependent on family size.

At the profile stage, Express Entry candidates must also provide a passing result of an immigration language test from a government-approved testing provider.

To get credit for any education they received outside Canada, they must also include an educational credential assessment (ECA), a document issued by a government-approved third party organization, which certifies foreign education for Canadian government officials.

Find Out if You're Eligible for the FSWP

Once submitted, an Express Entry profile remains in the candidate pool for up to 12 months, and candidates may be invited to apply for permanent residence at any point during that period.

The government typically holds rounds of invitations every two weeks.

In selection rounds held in 2026, candidates with strong French language skills often received invitations while scoring in the bottom third of profiles (below the 32^nd percentile).

In contrast, candidates with Canadian work experience who did not meet the French threshold have generally needed to score within the top 1 or 2 per cent of profiles (99^thor 98^th percentile) to be selected.

Applying for permanent residence after receiving an invitation

There is a 60-day deadline to submit a complete permanent residence application to IRCC after receiving an invitation, which must typically be done online.

At this stage, candidates will need to provide supporting documentation such as proof of settlement funds, a copy of their ECA report, *medical exam confirmation, and police certificates for themselves and any family members aged 18 or older who spent six months in a row or more in a country other than Canada during the past 10 years.

Any document that is not in English or French must be accompanied by a translation meeting official government standards.

IRCC autogenerates a personalized document checklist for each permanent residence applicant.

*Express Entry applicants are required to get a medical exam from an IRCC-approved panel physician after receiving an invitation, but before submitting their PR application.

All PR-related fees must be paid online, and copies of receipts should be included in the application.

What happens after the permanent residence application is successful

Once IRCC processes and approves the permanent residence application, a successful applicant will receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), as will each of their accompanying family members.

With a COPR in hand, they and any accompanying family members may travel to Canada, making sure to arrive before the COPR expires; a border officer will sign and date the COPR(s) to officially grant permanent residence status.

A permanent resident card will be mailed to the Canadian mailing address provided, remaining valid for five years, after which it may be renewed

Permanent residents of Canada have the same mobility rights, employment rights, and access to social services and government programs as Canadian citizens.

Express Entry permanent residents and eligible family members can access newcomer services for up to six years as of April 1, 2026, dropping to five years beginning April 1, 2027.

After accumulating three years (1,095 days) of physical presence in Canada and meeting other eligibility requirements, permanent residents may apply for Canadian citizenship.

With citizenship, they would gain the right to vote, the right to run for public office, and the ability to apply for a Canadian passport.

Citizenship also unlocks access to certain Canadian government jobs requiring a higher level of security clearance.

All children born in Canada automatically gain Canadian citizenship at birth regardless of their parents’ citizenship status, unless subject to the diplomatic exemption, from which children of Canadian permanent residents are exempt.

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