Permanent Resident Application

To qualify for the federal skilled worker program you must meet ONE of the following categories:

1. You have at least one year of continuous full-time (or the equivalent in continuous part-time) paid work experience in the last ten years in an eligible occupation

OR

1. You have a permanent job offer from a Canadian employer. The job offer must:

• be in writing on company letterhead and signed by the responsible officer/supervisor,
• be for permanent full-time (non-seasonal) work, and
• meet the arranged employment requirements

OR

1. You are an international student currently enrolled in a doctoral (PhD) program, delivered by a recognized post-secondary school located in Canada, and:

• you have completed at least two years towards the completion of your PhD, and
• are in good academic standing, and
• are not a recipient of a Government of Canada award requiring you to return to your home country to apply your knowledge and skills,

OR

you have completed a PhD program from a recognized post-secondary school located in Canada no more than 12 months before your application is received by the CIO and:

• you have not received a Government of Canada award that requires you to return to your home country to apply your knowledge and skills; or
• if you were a recipient of such an award, you have satisfied the terms/conditions of the award.

Please note: other factors can affect your eligibility such as inadmissibility’s, income, type of work experience, language barriers, and education credentials and hence a thorough assessment is recommended.

Eligibility Requirements are:

• have the required level of proficiency in English or French; and
• have at least two years of full-time work experience, or the equivalent in part-time work, in a skilled trade occupation within the last five years, after becoming qualified to independently practice that occupation; and
• meet the relevant employment requirements for their skilled trade occupation as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), except for the requirement to obtain a certificate of qualification issued by a competent provincial authority; and
• have an offer of employment for continuous full-time work for a total period of at least one year in that skilled trade occupation OR hold a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade from a Canadian provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority.

Minors, and College/university undergraduates, Extensions, and Restoration of lost status

Eligibility Requirements are:

• maintained temporary resident status in Canada during their qualifying period of work experience, and provide documentation to establish they had legal temporary status in Canada, and
• acquired at least 12 months of full-time (or the equivalent in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada in occupations that fall under Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), and
• obtained the required work experience within the 36 months preceding the date their application is received, and
• the required level of English or French language proficiency (speaking, reading, listening and writing) for their occupational skill level, and
• not engaged in work in Canada without authorization,
• not remained in Canada after the time authorized to do so has expired, and
• not been found inadmissible to Canada on grounds such as health or security.

List of people you can potentially sponsor:

Spouse/Common law/Conjugal partner: You are a spouse if you are married to your sponsor and your marriage is legal.

If you were married in Canada:

• you must have a marriage certificate issued by the province or territory where the marriage took place.

If you were married outside Canada:

• the marriage must be valid under the law of the country where it took place and under Canadian law, and
• the marriage, if performed in an embassy or consulate, must follow the law of the country where it took place, not the country the embassy or consulate represents.

You can apply to sponsor your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children to immigrate to Canada. It does not matter if they live in or outside Canada. If they live in Canada, they do not need to have legal status to be sponsored.

Your family member must have medical, criminal and background checks. If they have a criminal record or are a risk to Canada’s security, they may not be allowed to enter Canada.

Dependent Children: Definition of dependent child is broken into three categories: Type A, Type B, and Type C.

Type A: the dependent is under the age of 19 and is single (not married and not in a common-law relationship).

Type B: the dependent has been continuously enrolled in and in attendance as a full-time student at a post-secondary institution accredited by the relevant government authority and has depended substantially on the financial support of a parent either:

• since before the age of 19, or
• since marrying or entering into a common-law relationship (if it happened before the age of 19).

Type C: The dependent is 19 years of age or older, has depended substantially on the financial support of a parent since before the age of 19, and is unable to provide for himself or herself because of medical condition.

Parents: You can sponsor your parent or grandparent if you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada and if you are 18 years of age or older.

You may not be eligible to sponsor your parent or grandparent if you:

• failed to provide the financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor another relative in the past
• defaulted on a court-ordered support order, such as alimony or child support
• received government financial assistance for reasons other than a disability
• were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence—depending on circumstances, such as the nature of the offence, how long ago it occurred and whether a record suspension (formerly called “pardons” in Canada), was issued
• defaulted on an immigration loan—late or missed payments
• are in prison or
• have declared bankruptcy and have not been released from it yet.

Other factors not mentioned in this list might also make you ineligible to sponsor a relative.

When you sponsor a parent or grandparent to become a permanent resident of Canada, you must promise to support that person and their dependents financially. Therefore, you have to meet certain income requirements. If you have previously sponsored relatives who later turned to the Canadian government for financial assistance, you may not be allowed to sponsor another person. Sponsorship is a big commitment, so you must take this obligation seriously.

To be a sponsor:

• You and the sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement that commits you to provide financial support for your relative if necessary. This agreement also states that the person becoming a permanent resident will make every effort to support themselves. Dependent children under age 22 do not have to sign this agreement. Quebec residents must sign an “undertaking” with the province of Quebec—a contract binding the sponsorship.
• You must promise to provide financial support for the relative and any other eligible relatives accompanying them for a period of three to ten years, depending on their age and relationship to you. This time period begins on the date they become a permanent resident.

Adopted Children: If you are a Canadian citizen adopting a child from another country, you can apply for Canadian citizenship for your adopted child right away. You do not have to apply for permanent residence first. If you are an adult who is adopted, you may apply for yourself.

Other Eligible Relatives: You can sponsor:

• brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren who are orphaned, are under 18 and do not have a spouse or common-law partner,
• relatives of the above (for example, spouse, partner and dependent children) who will come with them to Canada, or

You can sponsor one relative of any age or relationship, but only if you do not have one of these living relatives who could be sponsored as a member of the family class:

• spouse or common-law partner,
• conjugal partner,
• son or daughter,
• parent,
• grandparent,
• sibling, or
• uncle, aunt, nephew or niece, and

you do not have any relative who is a:

• Canadian citizen,
• permanent resident or
• registered Indian under the Indian Act.

LOW INCOME CUT OFF CHART: DETERMINE WHETHER YOU MEET THE INCOME REQUIREMENT