Canada Permanent Residence Pathways

Most people become permanent residents of Canada through one of three routes: Express Entry for skilled workers, a Provincial Nominee Program, or family sponsorship. A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points in Express Entry. Smaller routes include the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and humanitarian grounds. Several pilots are closed or paused in 2026. An IRCC officer decides each case.

Compare the routes with the Pathway Explorer

Last verified: November 2026

$990
IRCC’s processing fee for an Express Entry or PNP principal applicant
$600
The right of permanent residence fee
600
CRS points a provincial nomination adds in Express Entry
730 days
In Canada in every rolling five-year period, to keep PR status

Medical exams and police certificates cost extra. The Fee Calculator totals your case.

What does permanent residence give you?

Permanent resident (PR) status gives you the right to live and work anywhere in Canada indefinitely.

A permanent resident can:

Work for any employer in Canada without a permit
Access most publicly funded services, such as healthcare and education
Live in any province or territory
Sponsor eligible family members
Hold a Canadian PR card, generally valid 5 years

A permanent resident cannot vote in federal or provincial elections, hold a Canadian passport, or hold certain government jobs that need a security clearance.

You can generally apply for citizenship once you have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days within the 5 years before you apply, and meet the tax-filing, language and other requirements.

Which routes lead to permanent residence?

The main routes and their status
Route	Status	Key requirement
Express Entry (FSWP, CEC, FST)	By invitation: candidates enter the pool and apply only if invited in a round	A CRS score and an invitation to apply from a draw
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)	Open. Streams and quotas change often	A provincial nomination, through Express Entry or a base stream
Spousal or partner sponsorship	Open	A genuine relationship, and in most cases no income requirement (IRPR s.133(4) sets one case)
Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)	Paused: IRCC is not accepting new interest to sponsor forms	Sponsor income at or above the MNI plus 30%
Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)	Open	A job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada (NB, NS, PEI, NL)
Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)	Open. It closes as of January 1, 2027, and IRCC points to the new permanent Rural Community Immigration Program	A job offer from a designated employer in a participating community, plus a community recommendation
Quebec-Selected Skilled Workers	Check IRCC and Quebec for current details	A Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), then IRCC PR approval
Refugee or humanitarian and compassionate (H&C)	Decided case by case: H&C by an IRCC officer, and a refugee claim made in Canada by the Immigration and Refugee Board	Justified by humanitarian and compassionate considerations (IRPA s.25)

These routes are closed or paused:

The Home Care Worker Immigration pilots, which IRCC lists as closed.
The Agri-Food Pilot, closed to new applications on May 14, 2025.
The Self-Employed Persons Program, with intake paused and no reopening date announced.
The Start-Up Visa, paused: the last route needed a valid 2025 commitment certificate and an application filed by June 30, 2026.

How does Express Entry rank candidates?

Express Entry manages three federal economic programs:

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), for workers in Canada or abroad with at least 1 year of skilled work experience, language ability and education. It needs a minimum of 67 points on the FSWP grid.
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC), which needs at least one year of full-time skilled work experience acquired in Canada within the three years before you apply (IRPR s. 87.1(2)(a)).
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), for tradespeople with a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification and 2 years of trades experience within the last 5 years.

Candidates are ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), a score out of 1,270. It combines core human-capital factors (up to 570, or 530 with an accompanying spouse or partner, plus up to 40 for the partner’s own factors), skill transferability (up to 100), and additional points (up to 600, which include a provincial nomination, French-language and Canadian-study points).

IRCC holds regular draws and invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply for PR. Some draws are limited to chosen categories, such as certain occupations or strong French-language ability.

IRCC has held no general (all-program) Express Entry round since 2024. In 2026, through the round of October 15, 2026, Canadian Experience Class rounds cut off between 507 and 523. The draw tracker shows the latest results and cut-offs.

The rule

Since November 3, 2026, a qualifying job offer earns CRS points only in a high-wage occupation: 100, 70 or 50 points, inside the labour market integration factor.

IRCC, canada.caVerify on canada.ca

How does a provincial nomination work?

Every province and territory except Quebec and Nunavut runs its own PNP, with streams for local labour market needs. A nomination through an Express Entry-aligned stream adds 600 CRS points, which puts you near the top of the pool for the provincial nominee rounds. IRCC still decides.

For provincial nominees, IRPR s. 87(2)(c) bases the nomination on their ability to become economically established and their intention to reside in the province that nominated them.

Whom can a citizen or permanent resident sponsor?

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor eligible family members for permanent residence. The sponsorship undertaking is a legal commitment to support the sponsored person financially, from 3 years for a spouse to 20 years for parents and grandparents.

Spouses and partners: A 3-year undertaking. The processing time depends on the stream (outland or inland).
Parents and grandparents: A 20-year undertaking, with income thresholds. The PGP is paused, with no new interest to sponsor forms accepted. The Super Visa is available as an alternative.
Dependent children: Under 22 years old, with limited exceptions. In most cases there is no income requirement (IRPR s.133(4)).
Orphaned relatives: An orphaned sibling, nephew or niece under age 18, in specific circumstances.

What does every PR applicant have to pass?

Medical exam: An Immigration Medical Examination (IME) by a panel physician, for you and the family members in the application. Results are valid for 12 months.
Police certificates: From every country where you have lived for 6 or more consecutive months since age 18. IRCC says they can take a long time to get.
Biometrics: Required for most applicants between ages 14 and 79: $85 a person, to a maximum of $170 for a family applying together. Each new PR application generally needs fresh biometrics, even after a recent temporary application.
Settlement funds: Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants show funds based on family size, unless they are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer. Canadian Experience Class applicants do not need them.
Intent to settle: Under IRPA s. 20(1)(a), a foreign national seeking permanent residence must establish that they hold the required visa or other document and have come to Canada to establish permanent residence.

Which free tool checks your own case?

Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.

What do people ask?

What are the requirements for Canada permanent residence?

Each pathway sets its own criteria, such as a CRS score, a provincial nomination or a sponsor, but every PR applicant must also pass common checks. These include an immigration medical exam, police certificates for each country you lived in for 6 or more consecutive months since age 18, biometrics, and criminal admissibility under IRPA s.36. Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants also show settlement funds unless an exemption applies. The Pathway Explorer lists the criteria for each route.

What are the Canada permanent residence fees in 2026?

For Express Entry or a PNP, the principal applicant pays a $990 processing fee plus the $600 right of permanent residence fee. An accompanying spouse pays $990 plus the same RPRF, and each dependent child pays $270. Biometrics add $85 per person, with a $170 family maximum. Medical exams and police certificates cost extra. The Fee Calculator totals your case.

Can I get PR in Canada without a job offer?

Yes. The Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and some PNP streams do not require a job offer. Since November 3, 2026, a job offer adds CRS points in Express Entry only in a high-wage occupation on IRCC's list. An offer is still required or useful in some routes, such as the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program and some PNP streams. The Express Entry Job Offer Points 2026 guide explains the change.

Is there a temporary to permanent resident pathway in Canada?

There is no open, standing TR-to-PR program: the 2021 TR-to-PR pathway was a one-time, time-limited intake. Most people move from temporary status to PR through the Canadian Experience Class in Express Entry, a PNP stream, or a specific pilot. Intakes open and close, so check a program's status before you plan around it. The Pathway Explorer shows which routes are open.

What PR pathways are there for international students?

The usual route is to graduate, get a Post-Graduation Work Permit, gain at least one year of skilled work in Canada, then apply through the Canadian Experience Class. Many provinces also run graduate streams in their PNPs, and the Atlantic Immigration Program includes international graduates in Atlantic Canada. An officer decides each application. The Study in Canada 2026 guide covers the study permit to PR path.

Can I get PR through a Provincial Nominee Program without Express Entry?

Often yes. Most provinces run an Express Entry-aligned (enhanced) stream and a base stream. A base nomination leads to a separate PR application, submitted online, that IRCC processes outside the Express Entry pool. An enhanced nomination instead adds 600 CRS points to your Express Entry profile. Streams and quotas change often, so check the province and IRCC. The Provincial Nominee Program guide breaks down each province.

How long do I need to live in Canada after getting PR?

At least 730 days in every rolling five-year period, to keep PR status. The days do not need to be in a row, and time abroad with a Canadian citizen spouse or working full-time for a Canadian business can count in defined cases. Falling short lets an officer find that you no longer meet it; you stay a PR until an official decision is made, and the PR card's expiry does not end status (IRPA s.46). The PR Residency Obligation guide explains the count.

Does a criminal record affect PR applications?

Yes. Criminal inadmissibility under IRPA s.36 applies to PR applications, including convictions abroad. Serious criminality creates an inadmissibility that generally has to be overcome, for example through criminal rehabilitation, before a PR application can succeed. An officer assesses each case. The Admissibility Explorer shows how IRPA s.36 reads, and a licensed lawyer or CICC-regulated consultant can review your record.

Part of:Immigrating permanently

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.