India has been the top source nation of immigrants in Canada and every year, there has been a drastic increase in the number of Indians who become permanent residents of Canada. There are thousands of potential Indians who wish to immigrate and are looking for ways on how to apply for PR for Canada from India. There are more than fifty pathways to immigrate to Canada including Express entry, Provincial Nominations, Atlantic Immigration Pilot, Quebec Immigration Program, Self Employed, Start- up visa program, Entrepreneur pathway, etc. However, each program has different requirements and follows different assessment process.
So, let us look at the following important steps through which one can successfully apply for PR for Canada:
1. Assessment of your eligibility before you apply:
If you are looking to apply for PR for Canada, then the first step is to assess your eligibility and find out what immigration programs you can apply under, that will give you the best chance of success. To evaluate the eligibility, you will be required to answer a series of questions about your age, nationality, education, work experience, etc. Based on the answers, you will have your eligibility assessment which will lead you to the next step of evaluation of your probability.
2. Probability analysis:
Most programs under the Canada immigration process are a point-based system where applicants are given points for age, education, language proficiency, work experience, etc. Specified points are allocated for each parameter that determines a total score. This score can be used with a specially designed analysis system like ours to estimate the probability of success when you apply for PR for Canada. If this probability analysis is done beforehand, it gives you a clearer picture of where you stand and facilitates easier and well-informed decision making before you invest a significant amount of time, energy and money in the immigration process.
3. Preparation of documents to support your application:
You will need various documents at different stages of immigration process, depending on the type of application you are making. You must have a valid passport with sufficient gap from the expiry date. Several programs need a proof of language ability in English or French or both. One may take the IELTS test for English language or a relevant French language test like Test de evaluation de Francians (TEF). You will need a proof of education credential assessment report with you, especially if you are applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program. These are the most important documents you must gather before you apply for PR for Canada. However, it will vary as per requirements under the different programs.
4. Submission of Application with relevant fees:
Unless one is applying under an entrepreneur pathway, one needs to make sure that he/she has the required occupation code with them. An occupation code is basically a number given to classify a certain type of occupation in Canada. There are approximately 35,000 job titles classified into 500 occupation codes. Many titles might seem similar and picking the right code that matches all your work experience becomes very crucial. Assistance from a professional is recommended as a wrong occupation code that is not ideal to your profession and job profile can lead to the profile being rejected by the immigration officer. Once you have all the requisites in place, you will be able to submit an interest to apply for PR for Canada. Correct amount of fees will be required to be paid depending on the program being applied for else it can lead to delay in processing and re-submitting the application with correct fee. Different programs have different pre-requisites so make sure to read all the terms and conditions attached to the chosen immigration program before you submit the application.
5. Invitation to apply:
After you submit your application expressing your interest to immigrate to Canada, there will be a waiting period which can vary from as little as 3 months to 6 months or even more, depending on the program’s process or draws if applicable. Once your application is accepted and approved, you will receive an ‘Invitation to Apply’ or ITA. This ITA indicates that you are now being invited by the Canadian Immigration department to submit a complete application with all the supporting documents. You will have a designated number of weeks to submit your completed application with required documents. Hence, you must start working on your application as soon as you receive the invitation to apply for PR for Canada. Any delays or not meeting the deadline to submit the correct and legit documents can result in losing the opportunity of applying and thus should be taken very seriously.
6. Submission of Documents:
At this stage, you will need to have all the documents ready to submit along with your application. The time frame could vary from four to six weeks. Hence, it is always a good idea to keep all documents ready even before receiving the invitation to apply. Make sure that all your documents are valid on date of submission, especially your passport. If your passport is expiring within the next 6 months, then you must renew it immediately. Once you get your new passport, update your new passport information in the application. Language test results have validity of two years whereas language assessment is valid for more number of years. Hence, it is best to keep the required documents ready beforehand. Other documents required in case of a skilled worker program would include work experience related documents and reference letters. For any entrepreneurial program, documents related to business plan, net worth and investment will be required to be submitted. Business programs usually involve issuing of work permit until fulfillment of business conditions, post which a province would issue a nomination with which the applicant can apply for PR for Canada. Submitting correct and proper documents ensures smooth processing and reduces chances of rejection of an application.
7. Get medical, Police NOC, Bio-metrics & show proof of funds:
In this stage, you need to have a complete health check-up from a qualified panel of doctors approved by immigration authority of Canada. Along with your medical report, a Police Clearance Certificate, from your home city or any city where you have resided for more than six months on a continuous basis in the past, is also required. You need to give your fingerprints and photo for biometrics by paying a nominal fee. Most programs require proof of funds to meet the minimum requirements. There is a specified minimum amount you need to have to immigrate to Canada. However, the amount varies under different programs. This money must be readily available to you. After assessment of medical, police clearances and funds, a one-time landing visa for Canada is issued.
These are the common steps in a nut-shell which can help you navigate the complexities of immigrating to Canada. If you are looking to apply for PR for Canada, then get an initial consultation from our licensed and knowledgeable immigration professional. Besides the above-mentioned aspects, there are several other factors that can impact your immigration. Our RCIC will not only discuss all those aspects with you but also prepare you with what to expect on landing in Canada and how to get your Permanent Residence card. There are stipulated regulations for meeting the residency obligation in Canada, which enables one to be able to renew their PR card or even apply for Canadian citizenship. Please feel free to contact our RCIC for a detailed and transparent assessment of not just your eligibility but also the probability of success of your application.
