Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Canadian Immigration

What is permanent residence status in Canada?

Obtaining “permanent residence” or “permanent resident status” in Canada is also known as “immigrating to Canada” or becoming a “landed immigrant”.

What are the benefits of becoming a Canadian permanent resident?

Canadian permanent residents and their dependents are entitled:

• To receive almost all social benefits that Canadian citizens are entitled to, including Canadian health care.
• To live, work and study in any Canadian province or territory.
• To eventually apply for Canadian citizenship.
• To protection under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

How can I become a permanent resident of Canada?

To be eligible to immigrate to Canada, you must meet the requirements of one of three classes of Immigration and apply for Permanent Residence in Canada through a Canadian visa post (i.e. High Commission or Embassy or Consulate). The three classes are:

Family Class (Spouse or Common Law Partner)
Express Entry

PNP Nomination
Business Class

Does Permanent Residence status in Canada permit someone to enter/work in the USA?

To enter in USA as a visitor, PR persons are require visitor visa. Permanent resident status in Canada does not affect US immigration requirements for eligibility to legal employment. The North American Free Trade Agreement, which applies to citizens of Canada, does facilitate US employment in certain cases.

When can Canadian Citizenship be obtained?

Canadian Citizenship can generally be obtained after four years of permanent residence in Canada.

Who is included in the application for permanent residence?

The application for permanent residence generally includes the applicant, spouse or common-law partner or conjugal partner 16 years of age or older and any unmarried children under the 19 years old. Children over the age of 19 may in exceptional circumstances such as mental disability, be included as accompanying family members.

Where are applications Skilled Workers Class submitted in Canada?

Applications for Canadian permanent residence under the Skilled Workers Class are initially filed inside Canada through the Centralized Intake Office - Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. After approval, the application will undergo further processing with an appropriate immigration office outside of Canada that serves the country where the applicant is legally residing or the immigration office that serves the applicant’s home country.

My dependents are not going with me to Canada, do I have to include them in my application?

Any dependents you have should go through the medical and criminal checks, and they should be included in your application even if they are not accompanying you at this time. If any of your dependents (accompanying or non-accompanying) happen to fail in the medical or security checks, all the applications will usually be rejected.

May I submit my application to an office that has the shortest processing times?

No. you can submit your application only to the office that is responsible for your country of residence. If you are in a country that is not your country of nationality, you can send the application to the office responsible for this country but only if you were admitted to this country for at least one year. It means, if you came as a visitor to any country, you cannot submit your application in this country.

I am permanent resident of Canada. I want to invite my friend. What do I have to do?

You will need to send your friend an invitation letter. Every country has different eligibility requirements for such a letter but you can look at a sample invitation letter. It is strongly suggested that you have your signature notarized. You should also send your friend some documents showing that you can afford to support him while he is in Canada.

Normally, it takes aboutapprox. 2 months to process PR cards for new permanent residents once IRCC receives acomplete application packagefrom individuals who have fulfilled their residency requirements. Applications for renewed PR Cards can take much longer, generally3 months. However, many people have found that it can take 5-6 months, or even longer, to process PR card applications. Hence, it is a good idea to allow a lot of time for your PR application to be processed.

Can I be a Canadian PR and hold a US Green Card at the same time?

Yes, but not indefinitely. Any Individual cannot be a permanent resident in two countries at the same time, so sooner or later you'd have to choose one of the countries in question. Having a US Green Card, applying to the DV lotteries etc. does not affect your eligibility & ultimate acquisition of Canadian PR.

Will my child get Canadian Citizenship if born in Canada?

As long as the parents of a child are not in Canada as diplomats representing a foreign country, the child automatically receives Canadian Citizenship at birth.This applies all children born in Canada, regardless of the parents' immigration status in Canada.

I am a Canadian PR. Do I need a visa to go to the US?

A Canadian PR you need to have visitor visa to go to the US. On the other hand Canadian citizen does not require any visa to visit United States.

Can I change the province/city I intend to land?

For applicants under skilled worker category, you do not have to land in the city and/or province that you have indicated during application forms submission. However. If you have mentioned a non-Quebec destination but now want to land in Quebec, you might have problems at the border, since Quebec has a slightly different immigration procedure. If you do have to land in Quebec without a CSQ, you may have to show that you are continuing on to a destination outside Quebec. Evidence for this can be in form of an ongoing airline ticket, a lease, an off-Quebec job offer, etc. Landing in Victoria, BC, while your intended destination had been Toronto,ON, however, will not present you with a problem. The exception to this is Business Class/Entrepreneur applicants, since the minimum investment conditions on the granting of such visas differ from province to province.

Can I practice another profession than my "Intended occupation"?

Yes, there is no compulsion with regard to your occupation. But regulated professions require licensing, and in that case you would need to re-qualify in the province of your residence to practice. You must confirm whether your profession is regulated or not.

How can I maintain my Canadian residency even if I am outside Canada?

There are ways to do that, for example working for a foreign subsidiary of a Canadian company or accompanying a spouse who is Canadian citizen.

Can I get a visitor visa, if I have already applied for a Permanent Resident Visa?

The decision of issuing a visitor visa for temporary stay in Canada will be affected not by your application for permanent residence, but by the definite answer to the question, what is the possibility that you will stay in Canada after the expiry of your visitor visa.

Can I have dual citizenship?

Yes, you can, if the country of your nationality, recognizes it. Canada recognizes dual citizenship.

Yes. If your case is refused, we can appeal on your behalf. You can contact us at contact@brainyimmigration.com

Your spouse or common-law partner and children can come with you to Canada or visit you in Canada, but they must meet all the requirements for temporary residents to Canada: they must satisfy an officer that they will only stay in Canada temporarily, and they may have to prove that they have no criminal record.

Yes, Canada accepts Skilled Worker based upon their ability to become economically established in Canada. If the Canadian Immigration Visa Officer considers that the point total does not accurately reflect your potential to become economically established in Canada, the Canadian Immigration Visa Office may use his or her positive discretion and approve your application even though you total point score is less than 67 points.

For any queries Please contact us at contact@brainyimmigration.com