Skip to main content
StudyImmigration

Moving to Canada permanently

Canada picks most permanent residents through points: Express Entry ranks skilled workers by CRS score, and provinces nominate people they need. Many reach PR after studying or working in Canada, then citizenship after 3 years of physical presence.

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · Official authority: IRCC

2026 PR admissions target

380,000

Source

Citizenship physical presence

1,095 days in 5 years

Source

Citizenship fee (adult)

$653 CAD

Source

Economic PR fee (principal)

$1,590 CAD

Source

Study permit proof of funds

$23,448/yr (single, from Sep 1, 2026)

Source

Study permit cap 2026

408,000 permits

Source

Express Entry CRS maximum

1,200 points

Source

PGWP language level

CLB 7 (degree) / CLB 5 (college)

Source

Common routes to settling in Canada permanently

Most people don't get permanent residence on day one. These are the routes people most often follow, from first visa to citizenship.

Study, work, then permanent residence

Younger applicants who can fund a Canadian degree or diploma and want Canadian work experience before applying for PR.

  1. 1

    Study permit

    Get an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution, a PAL/TAL unless exempt, and proof of $23,448 a year for living costs (single applicant) plus tuition.

  2. 2

    Post-Graduation Work Permit

    After a program of at least 8 months, apply within 180 days with CLB 7 (university degree) or CLB 5 (college program) and, for some non-degree programs, an eligible field of study.

  3. 3

    Skilled Canadian work

    Build at least 1 year of full-time skilled (TEER 0-3) work in Canada to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class.

  4. 4

    Express Entry or PNP

    Enter the Express Entry pool and wait for an invitation (2026 CEC cutoffs ranged from 507 to 523), or seek a provincial nomination for an extra 600 CRS points.

  5. 5

    Citizenship

    Apply once you have 1,095 days of physical presence in the last 5 years, counting pre-PR days at half value up to 365 days.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 1,095 days in Canada in the 5 years before applying. Days as a PR count in full; days before PR count as half, up to 365 days, so the fastest case is 2 years before PR plus 2 years as a PR.

Skilled worker straight to PR from abroad

Skilled workers outside Canada with strong language scores, education and work experience, especially French speakers or people in targeted occupations.

  1. 1

    Check eligibility and funds

    Federal Skilled Worker applicants need settlement funds, such as $15,263 for a single person, unless they already hold a valid job offer and work authorization in Canada.

  2. 2

    Create an Express Entry profile

    Submit a profile with language test results and an educational credential assessment; job offers no longer add CRS points since March 25, 2025.

  3. 3

    Receive an invitation

    Invitations go to top-ranked candidates in general or category rounds, such as French-language rounds, where 2026 cutoffs went as low as 382.

  4. 4

    Apply and land as a PR

    Submit the full PR application and pay $1,590 for the principal applicant, including the $600 right of permanent residence fee.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 3 years after landing: 1,095 days of physical presence as a PR within the 5 years before applying.

Job offer, work permit, then provincial nomination

Workers whose Canadian employer will hire them and who are willing to settle in the province that nominates them.

  1. 1

    Employer-specific work permit

    The employer usually needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment, and low-wage LMIAs are not processed in metro areas with unemployment of 6% or more.

  2. 2

    Work in the province

    Gain the local work experience the province's stream requires, such as Ontario's Workforce Priority stream or Alberta's worker draws.

  3. 3

    Provincial nomination

    Apply to the province's PNP; an Express Entry-linked nomination adds 600 CRS points, and provinces share a 2026 target of 91,500 admissions.

  4. 4

    PR application

    Apply to IRCC for PR through Express Entry or the base PNP process with the nomination certificate.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 1,095 days in Canada in the 5 years before applying. Days as a PR count in full; days before PR count as half, up to 365 days, so the fastest case is 2 years before PR plus 2 years as a PR.

Spouse or partner sponsorship

Spouses, common-law partners and conjugal partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

  1. 1

    Check the relationship and sponsor

    The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or PR, and the relationship must be a marriage, a common-law partnership or a conjugal partnership.

  2. 2

    Choose inland or outland

    Apply from outside Canada, or from inside Canada if you live with your partner, and pay $1,260 in government fees.

  3. 3

    Work while waiting

    Spouses in Canada may be able to work on an open work permit while the application is processed.

  4. 4

    Become a PR

    Once approved, the sponsored partner lands as a permanent resident.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 3 years as a PR: 1,095 days of physical presence in the 5 years before applying, with time in Canada before PR counted at half a day up to 365 days. Marriage gives no shortcut.

Atlantic or rural community job offer

Workers and recent graduates willing to live in Atlantic Canada or a smaller participating community.

  1. 1

    Find a designated employer

    Get a job offer from an employer designated by an Atlantic province (AIP) or by a participating rural or francophone community (RCIP or FCIP).

  2. 2

    Get the endorsement or recommendation

    The province or community must endorse the offer, and an AIP referral letter lets you get a work permit while the PR application is processed.

  3. 3

    Apply for PR

    Apply to IRCC for PR; the AIP has a 4,000-a-year federal target and the francophone pilot requires French ability.

Minimum time to citizenship: At least 3 years as a PR: 1,095 days of physical presence in the 5 years before applying, with time in Canada before PR counted at half a day up to 365 days.

Every pathway, by stage

The individual visas and statuses, grouped by where you are in the journey.

Visit

Visitor visa or eTA

Tourists and business visitors need either a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA), depending on nationality. Visitors usually stay up to 6 months and cannot work.

Official page ↗

Parent and grandparent super visa

Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or PRs can stay up to 5 years per entry. The host must meet a minimum income, and the visitor needs at least 1 year of medical insurance.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Study

Study permit

Requires an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution, proof of funds, and in most cases a provincial attestation letter (PAL/TAL). Master's and PhD students at public institutions are exempt from the PAL in 2026.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Work

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

Open work permit for graduates of eligible programs of 8 months or longer, applied for within 180 days of finishing. Requires CLB 7 for university degrees or CLB 5 for college programs; some non-degree programs must be in an eligible field.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Employer-specific work permit (LMIA)

Most employers must get a Labour Market Impact Assessment showing no Canadian is available. Low-wage LMIAs are not processed in metro areas with unemployment of 6% or more, apart from exempt sectors.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

International Experience Canada (working holiday)

Young people, usually 18 to 30 or 35, from partner countries can get an open work permit through a pool-based lottery. Quotas and age limits depend on the country.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Spousal open work permit

Since January 21, 2025, only spouses of master's students in programs of 16+ months, PhD students, or workers in TEER 0-1 or listed TEER 2-3 jobs qualify. Workers' dependent children no longer qualify.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Family

Spouse, partner and child sponsorship

Canadian citizens and PRs can sponsor a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent child. Government fees total $1,260 for a spouse or partner.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Parents and Grandparents Program

New intake has been paused since July 15, 2026, and no invitations are being sent. Applications already in the queue are still processed; the super visa is the main alternative.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Permanent residence

Express Entry (FSW, CEC, FST)

Online pool for skilled workers, ranked by Comprehensive Ranking System score; the top-ranked get invitations to apply for PR. Job offers no longer add CRS points since March 25, 2025.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Canadian Experience Class

For people with at least 1 year of skilled (TEER 0-3) work experience in Canada in the past 3 years who meet the language requirement. No proof of funds is needed.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Provinces and territories nominate people who meet local labour needs. A nomination linked to Express Entry adds 600 CRS points; the 2026 national target is 91,500.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Atlantic Immigration Program

PR route for skilled workers and recent Atlantic graduates with a job offer from a designated employer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, or Newfoundland and Labrador.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots

PR pilots for workers with a job offer from an employer designated by a participating rural or francophone minority community. The francophone pilot requires French ability.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Citizenship

Citizenship by naturalization

PRs need 1,095 days of physical presence in the past 5 years, tax filings for 3 of those years, and, if aged 18-54, CLB 4 language skills and a passed citizenship test.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Citizenship by descent (certificate)

Bill C-3, in force December 15, 2025, removed the first-generation limit for people born abroad before that date. They prove citizenship by applying for a citizenship certificate.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Humanitarian

Refugee claim from inside Canada

People who fear persecution can claim asylum in Canada. Under Bill C-12, claims made more than 1 year after arrival (after June 24, 2020) are generally not referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Read our guide → Official page ↗

Refugee resettlement from outside Canada

Refugees abroad are resettled through government-assisted or private sponsorship, usually after referral by the UNHCR or a sponsoring group. The 2026 target is 29,250 resettled refugees.

Official page ↗

Latest Canada immigration news

All Canada news →

Recent changes

All Canada changes →
  1. Announced

    2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan due by November 1

    The law requires IRCC to table its annual report, including next year's permanent resident projections, by November 1, 2026. As of October 11, 2026, only the 2026-2028 plan is published.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  2. In effect

    New quarterly list of areas where low-wage LMIAs are refused

    Employment and Social Development Canada updated the list of metro areas with unemployment of 6% or more, where low-wage LMIA applications are not processed. The list applies until January 7, 2027; exempt sectors such as agriculture, construction and health care are unaffected.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  3. In effect

    Ontario PNP adds 10 points for earning $80,000 or more

    From October 5, 2026, Ontario Workforce Priority registrants who earned $80,000 or more in a single year within the past 5 years get 10 EOI points. The points are applied automatically to existing expressions of interest.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  4. In effect

    Express Entry: 13 rounds and 21,792 invitations since mid-August

    IRCC held 13 rounds with 21,792 invitations from August 17 to October 1, 2026. Canadian Experience Class cutoffs ranged from 518 to 523, the highest of 2026.

    News report Guide Official source ↗
  5. In effect

    Work permit holders can study up to 6 months without a study permit

    A temporary measure lets work permit holders take study programs of up to 6 months without applying for a separate study permit. It runs until December 31, 2027.

    News report Official source ↗
  6. In effect

    Study permit proof of funds rises to $23,448

    Students applying from September 1, 2026, outside Quebec, must show $23,448 a year for living costs (single applicant), up from $22,895, on top of tuition and travel.

    News report Guide Official source ↗

Start here

Latest Canada guides

All 36 articles →

Quick answers

What are the main ways to move to Canada permanently?
The most common routes are: study, work, then permanent residence; skilled worker straight to pr from abroad; job offer, work permit, then provincial nomination; spouse or partner sponsorship; atlantic or rural community job offer. Each starts with a temporary visa or direct application and leads to permanent residence, then citizenship.
How long does it take to become a citizen of Canada?
At least 1,095 days in Canada in the 5 years before applying. Days as a PR count in full; days before PR count as half, up to 365 days, so the fastest case is 2 years before PR plus 2 years as a PR. Processing times add to this legal minimum.
Who handles immigration applications in Canada?
IRCC (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship.html) is the official authority. Always confirm fees and requirements on its website before applying.
What changed recently in Canada immigration?
Recent changes include: 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan due by November 1 (2026-10-11, announced); New quarterly list of areas where low-wage LMIAs are refused (2026-10-09, in effect); Ontario PNP adds 10 points for earning $80,000 or more (2026-10-07, in effect). See the full tracker at https://studyimmigration.com/updates/.

Official Canada resources

The weekly briefing

Know when the rules change

A same-day alert when something changes for your destination, and one short email a week on permanent residence and citizenship news.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Prefer to talk it through? Join the community .