Path to Permanent Residency in Canada

Canada is one of the world’s most educated countries, with over half of its residents being college graduates. The Canadian Government and industry support research in areas including telecommunications, medicine, agriculture, computer technology, and environmental science.

Every year more than two hundred thousand international students troop into Canada, many with an intent to make Canada their home. What’s more – Canada welcomes international students to not only study but also to stay back after their studies and contribute to the economy. If you dream to be one of these students, we at GyanDhan are here to provide you with a road map to do so.

Recent Policy Updates

Canada plans to implement significant changes to its immigration policies, to address social, economic, and infrastructural challenges. Following are the recent updates as of 2025:

Reduction in Immigration Targets:

The 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan mentions a considerable decrease in new permanent residents. Following are the new permanent residents as per the year:

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  2025: Target reduced from 500,000 to 395,000.

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  2026: Further reduction to 380,000.

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  2027: Target set at 365,000.

Canadian government states that this strategy aims to manage population growth, reduce housing shortages, and ensure sustainable development.

Introduction of New Permanent Residency Pathways:

Starting in 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) plans to launch four new programs mentioned below:

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  Enhanced Caregiver Pilot Programs: This program will allow home care workers to secure permanent residency on their arrival to address the growing demand for caregiving services.

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  Rural Community Immigration Pilot: This program is focused on attracting immigrants to rural areas to support and improve the local economies and address labour shortages.

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  Francophone Community Immigration Pilot: This program is aimed at boosting Francophone communities outside Quebec, promoting linguistic diversity.

Management of Temporary Residents:

Due to concerns over housing and infrastructure burden, Canada plans to reduce the proportion of temporary residents from 6.8% to 5% of the total population over the next three years.

This includes implementing limits on international students and tightening rules for temporary foreign workers.

Implications for Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs:

The reduction in overall immigration targets is expected to impact programs like Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Applicants may face increased competition and potentially higher eligibility thresholds than before.

How to Get PR in Canada?

Below is a step-by-step process of getting a PR in Canada:

How To Get An Admit?

This is your first step on the journey. Apply at the earliest possible date, as scholarships and admissions get more and more competitive closer to the deadline.

Appear for exams like TOEFL, IELTS, GRE (if required), etc. Draft your Statements of Purpose (SOPs), Letters of Recommendation (LORs), and essays. Use various sources to collect information about the universities that you want to apply for – like their eligibility criteria, application procedure, etc. Send in your application containing your official transcripts before the deadline and make sure that you have a valid passport.

How To Get a Student Visa?

In order to study in Canada after successfully getting an admit, you will need to obtain a Canadian study permit, which serves as a student visa for the duration of your stay. However, you do not need a Canadian study permit if your course or program lasts six months or less.

To be eligible for a Canadian visa, you must:

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  Have been accepted by a school, college, university, or other Canadian educational institution.
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  Provide proof in the form of bank statements, receipts, or certificates that you have enough money to pay for your tuition and living expenses.
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  Not have a criminal record.
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  Be in good health.

How To Get an Internship and Increase Employability?

While in Canada, you can also apply for internships through career development programs or student internship programs to increase your chances of job recruitment post the completion of your studies. These internships further enhance your skills as well as your overall profile. You can also undertake part-time jobs to help support yourself while studying in Canada. While on the student visa, you can work on or off-campus for up to 20 hours during university semesters and full-time during breaks such as the winter or summer holidays, without the need for a work permit.

How To Get a Work Permit?

This is the next step in earning your stay in Canada. You get an additional 90 days to land yourself a job in Canada after you have completed your study program. Once you acquire a job, you need to get Post-Graduation Work Permit to stay and work. There is no minimum wage requirement for individuals. However, the lowest salary you need to earn per annum in order to bring a dependent family member into this country is USD 24,600 dollars.

The validity period of the post-graduation work permit depends on the length of your study program. If your program was:

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  Less than eight months: You aren’t eligible for a PGWP

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  More than eight months but less than two years: Your PGWP will be valid for up to the same length as your study program

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  Two years or more: A PGWP may be issued for three years

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  More than one program: A PGWP may be valid for up to three years, for example, if you finished a diploma or degree from an eligible school in Canada, and within the next two years you get a one-year graduate degree or diploma from an eligible school in Canada.

Post-Graduation Employment Work Permits have a maximum validity of three years with no renewals.

Read More About - GIC Refund Policy and Time

How To Apply For Permanent Residency?

Canada welcomes permanent residency from foreign nationals. You can apply for a permanent residence if:

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  You have a work experience of at least 12 months in Canada
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  Have lived here for two years in total (including your study period) – very important
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  Have proficiency in English or French

There is also another common way students apply for and get selected for their permanent stay in Canada and that is the Dual Intent Permanent Residence Program.

Dual Intent Permanent Residence Program:

You can also apply for this program starting with two intents – one for temporary residence (for your studies) and one for permanent residence. Dual intent is present when a foreign national who has applied for permanent residence in Canada also applies to enter Canada for a temporary period as a visitor, worker, or student.

Assessing Dual Intent:

As a student, you are eligible to apply for a dual intent visa if you have an admit for university education in Canada and you plan to settle here as well, later. In assessing your application for temporary residence an officer may also consider factors such as:

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  The length of time you will be spending in Canada;
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  The means of support;
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  Obligations and ties in the home country; and
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  Compliance with requirements applicable to temporary residents (visitors, students, and workers).

Temporary residence status might be refused for several reasons, including:

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  History of having contravened the conditions of admission on a previous stay in Canada.
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  Lack of or insufficient proof of adequate funds to support oneself while in Canada, and to affect one’s departure from Canada.
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  Medical issues.
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  Not satisfying the visa officer that you will leave Canada at the end of their period of authorized stay, in case permanent residence is not granted.

Refusal to being granted dual intent:

Note that refusal to be granted the Dual Intent does not stem from having two intents. They stem from having a single bona fide intent (i.e., to become a permanent resident) and misrepresenting the second intent (i.e., to become a temporary resident) in order to achieve the first intent.

For example, an applicant for a work or study permit who indicates that he or she has no intention of leaving Canada has demonstrated only a single intent – permanent residence. This is because the applicant has shown that they do not respect the terms and conditions of temporary residence, should they not qualify for a Permanent Resident stream.

How To Get Citizenship?

After securing a permanent residence, your next target lies in securing Canadian citizenship. You can apply for citizenship in Canada if you’ve lived there for at least the last 3 years, have knowledge of English or French, and are of good character, i.e., no criminal records, etc.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Following are some of the issues that may delay or reject your PR application. We have listed the top 10 mistakes when applying for a PR application:

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  Incomplete Forms: Fill out every section. Don’t leave anything blank. Check everything twice.

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  Missing Documents: Attach all required papers. Use the IRCC checklist. Make sure your documents are valid.

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  Not Enough Money Proof: Show enough savings. Share recent bank statements. Follow the fund guidelines.

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  Expired Language Test Results: Submit valid IELTS or other test scores. Retake the test if needed.

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  False Information: Be honest. Don’t hide past refusals or problems.

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  Missing Deadlines: Keep track of dates. Send extra documents quickly if asked.

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  Not Following Rule Changes: Stay updated on PR policies. Check the IRCC website often.

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  Using Fraud Consultants: Only work with licensed immigration experts. Verify their credentials.

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  Not Tracking Your Application: Use your IRCC account to follow your progress. Check for updates.

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  No Settlement Planning: Start planning your move early. Look for housing, jobs, and community help.

How Can GyanDhan Help You?

If you have decided to take the plunge and study in Canada, here is an important fact you should remember. Canada offers SDS (Student Direct Stream) programs, for which the admission process for international students is made easy with smooth application, documentation procedure, and fast visa issuance. The chances of an international student getting an admit for these programs are also higher. To study these programs, you will have to furnish a Guaranteed Investment Certificate or GIC. To get this certificate, you need to open a GIC account and deposit CAD 10,000, which is the amount equivalent to living expenses in the first year of living in Canada. You can open your GIC account in SBI & CIBCl. To open your GIC account in SBI & CIBC through GyanDhan, all you need to do is fill out this form!

If you need assistance in admission to Canada Universities, you can avail of our admission counselling services, test prep, accommodation assistance, and visa counseling services, at minimal rates.

Also, thinking of an education loan for studying in Canada? Get a call back from our education loan counsellors by clicking here. 

Frequently Asked Questions