Step by Step Guide to Canada PR Visa in 2023

Are you planning to apply for Canada’s permanent residency in 2023? If so, get to know the options and the steps required for it.

Canada offers a range of immigration programs, with each of them having its own eligibility criteria and other requirements. The most popular immigration programs in Canada are Express Entry streams, Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP), Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), and Start-up visa programs, among others.

Among these, the most popular ones are the Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Programs to apply for a Canada PR visa.

Only applicants who score a minimum of 67 points out of 100 will be eligible to apply for this visa type. The federal government of Canada issues these points based on factors such as educational qualifications:

• Proficiency in English or French languages
• Age
• A job offer from a Canada-based employer
• Minimum 1 year relevant work experience
• Adaptability

For more details, go through the following factors

• Age: Those aged between 18 and 35 will score the maximum points, which are up to 12.
• Educational qualifications: Your minimum educational credentials must be considered equivalent to Canada’s higher secondary education.
• Work experience: If you have work experience of one year, you will score minimum points. If you have work experience in Canada, you will score more points, and so will those with experience in occupations that are in demand in Canada. You should have at least one year of work experience.
• Language: You must have got at least 6 bands in your IELTS, which is equivalent to CLB 7 for English and for French, your Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC) should be at least 7. If you score higher, you will obviously get more points.
• Adaptability:You get ten points on the factor of adaptability factor if any of your family members or close relatives are residing in Canada as permanent residents or citizens and will also support you when you relocate to Canada.
• Arranged employment: If you have avalid job offer from an employer who is based out of Canada, you can get up to ten points.

Find out your eligibility on the Canada Immigration Points Calculator of Y-Axis. 

The step-by-step guide for the PR visa application process via the Express Entry and the PNP is as follows:

Application process through the Express Entry program for Canada PR

Step 1: Start creating an Express Entry profile

You need to create an Express Entry profile online by providing information about educational qualifications, work experience, age, and proficiency in English or French languages, besides other qualifications. You can submit your profile once you are sure that you meet the program’s qualifying criteria.

Step 2: Complete ECA

You need to complete an Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA), if you did not pursue education in Canada. This is to confirm that your educational qualifications are on par with those that the Canadian educational system grants.

Step 3: Take language ability exams

The next step in the Express Entry program will entail taking the proper English or French language proficiency tests, such as IELTS or TOEFL iBT, or NCLC. When you apply, your test scores must be less than two years old.

Step 4: Get to know your CRS score

To rank the profiles in the Express Entry pool, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score is made use of. A CRS score is allotted to applicants depending on their profile.

The following are taken into consideration to assess the CRS score:

• Abilities
• Educational qualifications
• Language proficiency (English or French)
• Work experience
• Others

Applicants, who get the CRS score, required for the Express Entry draw will receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for the PR visa. Obtaining a job offer from a Canada-based employer is one of the best possible ways to improve a CRS score; it can increase your CRS score, which can range from 50 to 200 points.

CRS score will increase by 600 points for those who get provincial nominations from a province or territory in Canada.

Step 5: Obtain an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

In case your profile is selected, you meet the minimum score required for participating in the Express Entry draw. Following that, you will get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from the federal government of Canada, giving you the consent to begin the PR visa process.

Applying via the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) were introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to help provinces and territories of Canada to select candidates who they think have the abilities to contribute to their province or territory’s economic development.

You need to follow the steps given below if you want to apply through the PNP for a PR visa:

• You need to apply in the province or territory where you wish to settle down.
• In case your profile meets a province’s requirements, it can designate you to apply for a PR visa.
• The qualifying requirements for PR applications vary from one province to another, even though they are on par with those of the Express Entry Program.
• PNPs are basically personalized to meet the requirements of the workforce of a particular province or territory.

Interested in migrating to Canada? Get in touch with Y-Axis, the world’s no.1 overseas consultancy.

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