Canada Dependent Visa

About Visa

The objective of the Family Class of immigration is to reunite close family members in Canada.

Through the Family Class, Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor their dependent children, parents and grandparents, spouse, common-law, and conjugal partners.

The Government of Canada has a strong commitment to keeping families together whenever possible. Because of this, processing of Family Class applications is a high priority at Canadian Visa Offices.

Under most circumstances, individuals coming to Canada as temporary foreign workers or permanent residents have the right to bring their dependents, including any and all dependent children, to Canada with them. However, circumstances arise when this is not possible at the time of immigration. For Canadian citizens and permanent residents with dependent children abroad, the government has created a special program to facilitate their loved ones' entry into Canada.

Features

Common-law partner

Canada work permit holders living in Canada can sponsor their common-law partner and eligible dependent children. Applicants who have been residing with their qualifying Canadian partners for a period of 1 year or more in an ongoing relationship can be sponsored under this visa. They need to prove that they are in a genuine and continuing relationship and should have resided together at a common address.

The sponsor and the partner should intend to live together in Canada and an undertaking should be given by the sponsor to provide for all of the applicant's basic needs for a period of 3 years from the partner's arrival to Canada.

Dependent children

Dependent children, both natural and adopted, may be sponsored to live with their parent(s) as permanent residents in Canada. The child sponsorship program is a subsection of the Family Class of immigration.

In order to be eligible for this program, both the Canadian citizen or permanent resident (also called the 'sponsor') and their child abroad (the 'sponsored person') must be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in order for the sponsored person to receive a visa.

Canada work permit holders living in Canada can apply to sponsor their or their partner's dependent or adopted children. A son or daughter is dependent when the child:

  • Is below the age of 22 and does not have a spouse or common-law partner
  • Is a full-time student and is considerably dependent on a parent for financial support since before the age of 22 or
  • Is financially dependent on a parent since before the age of 22 because of a mental or physical disability.

Requirement

Eligibility Criteria for a Sponsor
  • The sponsor should have a valid Canada Work Permit
  • Sponsorship agreement should be signed between the sponsor and his/her sponsored dependent to commit to providing financial support, if needed
  • Sponsor needs to provide financial support to spouse/common-law partner and dependent children
Eligibility Criteria for Spouse
  • A person can migrate as a spouse if he/she is married to their sponsor and the marriage is officially valid.
  • If a person has married in Canada, they should provide a marriage certificate issued by the province where the marriage took place.
  • If a person has married outside Canada, then the marriage must be valid under the law of the country where it occurred and under Canadian law. Marriages that happen in an embassy or consulate should be in accordance with the law of the country where it took place, not the country of citizenship of the embassy or consulate.
Eligibility Criteria for Child

To receive a visa through this immigration program, the sponsor and the sponsored person will be required to prove their relationship to one another. Individuals whose adoption proceedings are in the final phases of processing may begin sponsoring their child before the adoption has been finalized. Be sure to read the specific requirements for the program, as well as some additional general requirements for Canadian sponsorship.

Canada Experience Class

(EE-PR)

About Visa

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an immigration category for Canada's foreign workers who wish to become permanent residents.

Temporary foreign workers are ideal candidates for Canadian immigration (permanent residence). Having obtained Canadian work experience, these individuals have already settled into Canadian society and established important networks in their communities and their careers.

Canadian Experience Class applications are processed through the Express Entry selection system for immigration to Canada. Eligible candidates must make an expression of interest in immigrating to Canada, create an online Express Entry profile, and receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence before they may make an application.

Foreigners who have stayed in Canada for a brief period and have good English or French skills, the suitable skilled work experience, and have adapted well to Canadian society can apply and avail Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This will help them contribute and be a part of Canadian economy.

Temporary foreign worker or overseas students with skilled work experience in Canada can take Canadian Permanent Residency under the CEC scheme.

Features

  • Visa applicant receives Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and Entry Visa.
  • Stay, work, study or travel in Canada.
  • Eligible for Canadian social security benefits.
  • Family members can accompany you.

Requirements:

  • You should plan to live outside Quebec province
  • You should have minimum 12 months of full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada in the 3 years before you file your visa application
  • Your experience should be valid with proper authorization
  • You should apply while still working in Canada or within one year of leaving your job in Canada
  • You have to meet the required language levels needed for your job for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening)
Documents Required
  • Valid passport
  • Educational qualification documents
  • Employment related documents
  • Medical certificate
  • Police certificate
  • Documents to prove your language proficiency.
A Popular Option for International Students

For many international graduates, the Canadian Experience Class may offer the fastest and most simple path to achieving permanent residence.

After completing a program or course of study at a Canadian educational institution, many international graduates are able to remain in the country on post-graduate work permits. If, during this time, a graduate obtains at least one year of work in a skilled, professional or technical field, they may then become eligible to enter the Express Entry pool under the Canadian Experience Class.

Additional Options for Foreign Workers

If you are considering applying under the Canadian Experience Class, you may have other additional for Canadian immigration through the various Provincial Nominee Programs.

Canada Family Immigration (Family-PR)

Canada's Family Class Sponsorship programs are some of the most generous family reunification programs in the developed world. After all, the Canadian government is committed to keeping families together whenever possible.

There are a number of relationships that qualify for Family Class Sponsorship, including spouses and common-law partners, parents and grandparents, dependent children, and potentially other relationships under certain Provincial Family Class Sponsorship programs. For parents and grandparents, there is also the Super Visa program.

Family Class Sponsorship program:

To get started on exploring your Family Class Sponsorship options, we have

  • Parent and Grandparent: There are a number of ways to bring a parent or grandparent to Canada, including Canada's parents and grandparent’s sponsorship program, which has a yearly cap on the number of applications that are accepted. Once this cap is reached, there is still the Super Visa Program which allows parents and grandparents to come to Canada on extended multi-entry visas that could last up to a total of 10 years. You may also wish to explore the various Provincial Family Class Sponsorship programs that are available. No matter which program you choose, it is important that you ensure that the parent or grandparent meets the eligibility requirements and that the sponsor themselves meet Canada's sponsorship requirements.
  • Spouse or Common-law partner: The process of bringing a spouse to Canada can present a number of options to the applicant that should be carefully weighed. For example, there exist two types of federal spousal sponsorship: inland and outland. Each of those two options carries its own benefits and disadvantages. It is also important to ensure that the spouse or common law partner meets the eligibility requirements and that the sponsor themselves meet Canada's sponsorship requirements. There also may be a number of Provincial Family Class Sponsorship programs available to you.
  • Dependent child: If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and have a dependent child abroad that you would like to bring to Canada, you likely may do so under Canada's dependent child sponsorship program. As with all sponsorship programs, it is important that the dependent child meets the eligibility requirements and that the sponsor themselves meet Canada's sponsorship requirements. To find out if you are eligible for one of the Family Class programs, we advise you to come to AmpleOne.
  • Another Relative or Friend: Occasionally, a province in Canada will offer a Provincial Family Class Sponsorship program for relatives that might not necessarily meet the requirements of the federal programs. As the Provincial Family Class Sponsorship programs that are available are subject to change, we will match your individual qualifications and goals against the programs that are currently available.

Features

  • Can visit the country for a maximum of 6 months.
  • Easy to acquire.

Requirement

  • Sponsored family members and relatives granted permanent residence under the Family Class will have the right to live, work and study in Canada indefinitely.
  • It is not a points-based category, but both the sponsor and the relative are expected to meet certain requirements.
  • Family members entering Canada can work without any restrictions and can avail language training programs and assistance for finding employment.
  • Permanent residents have access to government-funded healthcare, subsidized education and other social care benefits such as Canada Pension Plan Benefits, Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement.
  • After three years stay in the country, the applicant can apply for Canadian citizenship.
Sponsorship Agreement

A sponsorship agreement outlines the conditions for both the sponsor and the family member who is immigrating to Canada. The sponsor must accept to support his/her relative or dependent for an agreed duration of time without them receiving any social assistance.

The individual being sponsored must ensure that they support themselves, except in cases where the relative is elderly

Requirement

Relationships not eligible for the family visa

An applicant would not be eligible to be sponsored as a spouse, a common-law partner or a conjugal partner if:

  • He/she is under 16 years of age
  • He/she or the sponsor was married to someone else at the time of their marriage
  • He/she has stayed apart from the sponsor for a minimum of 1 year and either of them are the common-law or conjugal partner of another person
  • The sponsor has migrated to Canada and, at the time permanent residency was applied for, he/she was a family member who should have been assessed on their eligibility of the immigration requirements, but were not assessed or
  • The sponsor earlier funded another spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, and 3 years have not passed since that individual became a Canadian permanent resident.

If applicant sponsors group of people like spouse and dependent children then all the applications for permanent residency must be filed at the same time. The application for sponsorship and permanent residency must be filed together.

If the applicant does not qualify to sponsor/support their spouse, common-law partner or dependent child in the Family Class, their partner/dependent may apply to stay in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Other Eligible Relatives

A permanent resident or a citizen of Canada can sponsor certain relatives such as parents and grandparents under the family class program. Both the sponsor and the relative wishing to migrate to Canada must satisfy certain requirements.

1. A Canadian resident can sponsor
  • Parents
  • Grandparents
  • Brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, granddaughters or grandsons who are orphaned, under 18 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
  • Children adopted outside of Canada or intended to be adopted in Canada
  • Any other family member can be sponsored regardless of age, if there is no spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, niece or nephew who is a Canadian citizen, registered Indian or permanent resident or whom you may sponsor.
  • Accompanying relatives such as spouse, partner and dependent children.
  • Relatives over the age of 18, such as brothers and sisters or adult independent children are not eligible and hence cannot be sponsored. However, if they qualify to migrate under the Skilled Worker Class, they may gain additional points for adaptability for having a relative in Canada.
2. Parental and Grandparental

Parents and grandparents can be sponsored under this visa category, by proving their relationship with the sponsor. The sponsor should be willing to live in Canada with the applicant(s) and must be capable of supporting them financially without accessing public funds.

The sponsor should meet the required income levels so as to support the applicants coming into Canada. The sponsor has to sign an undertaking to provide for all of the applicants basic needs for the duration of 10 years from the date the applicant arrives in Canada.

Relatives

Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada can sponsor one relative regardless of age or relationship, if the Canadian sponsor does not have any relatives who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents or any other relative who may be sponsored under the family category.

The Canadian sponsor must provide evidence of sufficient income and must also sign an undertaking to provide for all of the applicant's needs for a specified period of time.

Eligibility Criteria for a Sponsor

  • The sponsor should be a Canadian Citizen or resident and should be over 18 years of age
  • A sponsorship agreement should be signed between the sponsor and his/her sponsored relative to commit to providing financial support, if needed. This agreement also states that the person after becoming a permanent resident will make every effort to support him/herself.
  • Sponsor needs to provide financial support to a spouse, common-law for 3 years from the time they become a permanent resident.
  • Sponsor needs to provide financial support to a dependent child for 10 years, or until the child turns 25.
  • If the sponsor resides in Quebec, then he/she need to meet Quebec's immigration sponsorship requirement, after Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) accepts you as a sponsor.

Eligibility Criteria for Spouse

A person can migrate as a spouse if he/she is married to their sponsor and the marriage is officially valid.

  • If a person has married in Canada, they should provide a marriage certificate issued by the province where the marriage took place.
  • If a person has married outside Canada, then the marriage must be valid under the law of the country where it occurred and under Canadian law. Marriages that happen in an embassy or consulate should be in accordance with the law of the country where it took place, not the country of citizenship of the embassy or consulate.

Sponsoring same-sex partner as a spouse

Canadian citizens and residents can apply to sponsor their same-sex partner as a spouse, if they were married in Canada and issued a marriage certificate by a Canadian province on or after the below dates mentioned:

  • British Columbia (on or after July 8, 2003)
  • Manitoba (on or after September 16, 2004)
  • New Brunswick (on or after July 4, 2005)
  • Newfoundland and Labrador (on or after December 21, 2004)
  • Nova Scotia (on or after September 24, 2004)
  • Ontario (on or after June 10, 2003)
  • Quebec (on or after March 19, 2004)
  • Saskatchewan (on or after November 5, 2004)
  • Yukon (on or after July 14, 2004)
  • All other provinces or territories (on or after July 20, 2005).

If the applicant has married outside Canada, he/she may apply to sponsor their same-sex partner as a spouse provided that the marriage is lawfully accepted according to both the law of the place where the marriage happened and under Canadian law.

Common-law partner

Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada can sponsor their common-law partner and eligible dependent children. Applicants who have been residing with their qualifying Canadian partners for a period of 1 year or more in an ongoing relationship can be sponsored under this visa. They need to prove that they are in a genuine and continuing relationship and should have resided together at a common address.

The sponsor and the partner should intend to live together in Canada and an undertaking should be given by the sponsor to provide for all of the applicant's basic needs for a period of 3 years from the partner's arrival to Canada.

Conjugal partner

Applicants who have been maintaining an ongoing relationship with their Canadian partner, but have been unable to reside together at a common address with their Canadian partner for a period of at least 1 year, because of exceptional situations beyond their control, can be sponsored under this visa.

A person may apply as a conjugal partner if

He/she has maintained a conjugal relationship with their sponsor for a minimum of one year and has been hindered from staying together or marrying because of:

  • An immigration barrier
  • His/her marital status (for example, he/she is married to someone else and residing in a country where divorce is impossible) or
  • His/her sexual orientation (for example, he/she are in a same-sex relationship and same-sex marriage is not granted where they live)
  • He/she can provide proofs that there were reasons they could not stay together (for example, he/she was refused long-term living in each other's country).

The Canadian sponsor must sign an undertaking to provide for the partner's basic needs for the duration of 3 years from the partner's arrival to Canada.

A person cannot apply as a conjugal partner if

  • He/she could have stayed together but chose not to. This demonstrates they did not have the level of commitment that is needed for a conjugal relationship. (For example, one among both may not have wanted to give up an employment or study, or his/her relationship was not yet at the point where they are ready to live together.)
  • He/she could not provide proofs that there was a reason that kept away him/her from living together.
  • He/she is engaged to be married. In this case, he/she should either apply as a spouse once the marriage has occurred or apply as a common-law partner if he/she has stayed together continuously for a minimum of 12 months.

Dependent Children

Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada can apply to sponsor their or their partner's dependent or adopted children. A son or daughter is dependent when the child:

  • Is below the age of 22 and does not have a spouse or common-law partner
  • Is a full-time student and is considerably dependent on a parent for financial support since before the age of 22 or
  • Is financially dependent on a parent since before the age of 22 because of a mental or physical disability.

Federal Skilled Worker Program Canada PR Visa

About this Visa

Foreign skilled workers and professionals are greatly needed in Canada. Federal Skilled Worker applications are assessed based on an applicant's ability to become economically established upon immigration to Canada.
One of the main goals of Canadian immigration is to welcome skilled newcomers who will contribute to Canada's growing economy. Skilled workers who settle in Canada on a permanent basis are especially valuable to Canada's economy and the strength of its workforce.

Successful applicants of the Skilled Worker Immigration programs will receive a Canadian Immigration (permanent resident) Visa, allowing the applicant to immigrate to Canada with his or her family.

Federal Skilled Worker

This program is for individuals with certain work experience who intend to reside in any province or territory outside of the province of Quebec.

As of January 1, 2015, Federal Skilled Worker applications are being processed through the Express Entry immigration selection system for immigration to Canada. Candidates eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Class must first make an expression of interest in immigrating to Canada by creating an online Express Entry profile.

Basic Features

  • Canada Immigration or Canada PR Federal Skilled Worker visa allows you to work in Canada without the need to be sponsored by an employer, a Canadian work permit or a job offer
  • Successful applicants are free to work without any constraints/restrictions, unlike a work permit
  • After three years stay in the country, the applicant can apply for Canadian citizenship
  • Once you get your Canadian Passport & Citizenship, you can travel to many countries in the world without a visa
  • You can sponsor your immediate family & relatives to join you in Canada
  • Canadian permanent residences includes access to government subsidized education and healthcare (Medicare)
  • Unrestricted access to Canada's labour market and associated insurance and pension benefits
  • The PR visa is now granted in 6-12 months instead of the previous 3+years
  • If the application is returned, the fee is refunded by the High Commission

Requirements

In order to be eligible for Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa, Federal Skilled Worker applicants must:

  • Have at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation (National Occupational Classification skill lever 0, A or B); or
  • Qualify for Arranged Employment in Canada with a Labor Market Impact Assessment and a full-time, permanent job offer from a Canadian employer; and
  • Pass a minimum threshold of language ability in one of Canada's two official languages, English or French.

In addition, Federal Skilled Worker (Professional) applicants must obtain at least 67 points based on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) immigration selection factors.

Those selection factors are listed below:

  • Education: Candidates can be awarded up to 25 points for your formal education.
  • Language Skills: Candidates can be awarded up to 28 total points (24-first official language, 4-second official language).
  • Work Experience: Under this factor, candidates can be awarded up to 15 points for certain paid, skilled work experience that they have acquired in the last 10 years, but they must attain at least a score of 9 points in order to qualify.
  • Age: Candidates can be awarded up to 12 points based on their age at the time of applying.
  • Arranged Employment: Candidates can be awarded up to 10 points if they have arranged employment in Canada that meets certain requirements.
  • Adaptability: Candidates can be awarded up to 10 points for a number of factors that show that they are adaptable to moving to Canada.

Once it has been determined that a candidate meets the eligibility and points requirements, he or she must show that he or she has sufficient settlement funds to support him or herself and any dependents after his or her arrival in Canada. Finally, candidates and their dependents must also undergo medical examinations and obtain security clearances as part of the Canadian immigration application process.

*Note: the Canadian government recognizes that the points awarded under the skilled worker selection system do not always accurately reflect an applicant's chances of successfully establishing themselves in Canada. As a result, Citizenship and Immigration Canada Officers are authorized to use an alternate method of assessing an application. Under the concept of "substituted evaluation", a Visa Officer may make their own evaluation for the likelihood of the applicant becoming economically established in Canada. This method allows the Visa Officer to accept or refuse the applicant no matter how many points the applicant has achieved.

Federal Skilled Worker Program Evaluation

Evaluation

For knowing whether you score the required points Evaluation is the best and most readily available option. Signing up for a Canada Evaluation will authorize a team of our expert consultants to review your profile and check your eligibility for the visa. If you are eligible then you can take the next step of registering for our full service and applying for the visa. But in case you don't meet the eligibility criteria, your case will not be considered for that particular visa.

The evaluation of the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), which addressed a series of evaluation issues and questions related to program relevance, design, implementation and impact, is focused on the period after introduction of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in 2002 and related regulations and before the implementation of the Ministerial Instructions (in 2008). More specifically, the objectives of this evaluation are to assess: Program design and implementation, including timeliness, consistency and transparency of selection; and the impact of the program to date at the immediate and intermediate outcome levels, including an assessment of the economic establishment of skilled workers.

Why Evaluation?

Evaluation is necessary and suggested because immigration to a foreign country involves putting at stake your money and valuable time. Visa to any country cannot be guaranteed hence one should be careful before investing one's resources in this field. Our Evaluation report will act as a preliminary checklist for taking your decision that whether or not to go in for an immigration process of a country.
Hence it's wise to first take our Evaluation and then decide upon a particular visa.

About This

You need to score minimum of 67 points to migrate to Canada and permanently settle there as a skilled worker. Canadian visas for PR require you to score these points on several parameters like:

  • Age
  • Education
  • Work experience
  • Language ability
  • Arranged employment and
  • Adaptability

The points for each parameter differ and the eligibility for each parameter is measured differently. Hence a very thorough and intense study is required to check whether you score the required points or not.
Table of contents:

Table of contents

Executive Summary
  • Purpose of the evaluation
  • Federal Skilled Workers Program
  • Major findings and conclusions
Federal skilled worker evaluation - Management response
  • Introduction
  • Purpose
  • Evaluation methodology
  • Evaluation strengths and limitations.
  • Program background and profile of Federal Skilled Worker Program
  • Immigration to Canada
  • Objectives of the IRPA
  • Pre-IRPA and IRPA
  • Assessment of skilled worker applications under IRPA
  • Profile of FSWs
  • Evaluation findings
  • Program need and relevance
  • Economic outcomes of federal skilled workers
  • IRPA, a new approach to the selection of FSWs
  • Arranged employment offers
  • The mobility of FSWs
  • The effectiveness of selection criteria for FSWP
  • The processing of FSWP applications
  • Other program impacts
  • Conclusions
  • Appendix A: Profile of Federal Skilled Workers surveyed
  • Appendix B: Logic model for FSWP
  • Appendix C: Comparison of Canada's federal skilled workers program selection system with other similar programs in 2009
  • Appendix D: IMDB regression results - Impact of the selection regime and selection factors on FSWS employment earnings
  • Assessing the impact of IRPA
  • Assessing the impact of selection factors
  • Glossary of abbrs

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

About Visa

Provincial nomination is an important fast-track option for Canadian permanent residence.

The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) allow Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province.

Each Canadian province (except Quebec, which has a different selection system) and two territories have their own unique Provincial Nominee Programs. Participating provinces and territories sign agreements with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that allow them to select immigrants who meet the requirements that they have set forth.

Provincial and territorial governments have been using these programs to more effectively and efficiently welcome newcomers to their region. Each PNP is tailored to the province's/territory's specific needs to select nominees who will be able to settle into life and work in the region and to effectively contribute to the community. As of 2015, most PNPs contain at least one immigration stream aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration selection system. These are known as 'enhanced' nomination system.

Persons coming in through this program are provided permanent resident status and ultimately the opportunity to apply for Canadian citizenship.

Basic Features

  • Provincial Nomination Scheme visa is a quicker route to Canadian immigration.
  • It is not a points-based system unlike the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
  • Applicants have the same benefits as those of a Federal Skilled worker holder.
  • Successful applicants will have access to government-subsidized health care, free education and social benefits.
  • Successful applicants can work or pursue further study or invest in a business.
  • Applicants are restricted to working in the province sponsoring their application.
  • Permanent residence visa holders have the option to apply for Canadian nationality.

Requirement

All the Canadian Provinces do not provide Provincial Nomination Schemes; however, most provinces have an agreement with the Government of Canada that allows them to nominate immigrants who wish to settle in that province.

To be eligible to apply for the Provincial Nomination Scheme, the applicants have to pass three stages:

Job Offer

Applicants must have a valid job offer from a Canadian company based in the province to which the candidates intend to migrate. Alternatively, candidates can obtain a nomination certificate if they have a close relative living in that province.

Provincial Government Approval

The job offer should be approved by the relevant provincial government. The applicants are assessed against the migration requirement of the particular province. Candidates will also need to be able to prove that they have a genuine interest to reside and work in the province.

Application for Permanent Residency

Once the applicant receives a nomination from the particular province, they should make their application for permanent residency with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
Applicants need to prove that they have enough money to support themselves and their dependants after they arrive in Canada.

Provincial Nominee applications are given preference over other skilled visa applicants by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

At present, the following provinces and territories in Canada have Provincial Nomination Schemes:

  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon

Before submitting an application to immigrate to Canada, a nominee must first receive a Provincial Nomination Certificate from the province/territory. After a successful nomination by a province/territory, a separate application must be made to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for your Canada Immigration (permanent resident) Visa. Provincial Nominee Program processing times vary from one Canadian immigration visa office to another.

The province of Quebec, where Montreal is located, does not participate in the Provincial Nominee Program. Instead, the Governments of Quebec and Canada have entered into a series of agreements by which Quebec has established its own selection criteria for all economic immigrants with an intention to reside in Quebec.