If you are interested in immigrating to Canada, there are ways that you can gain permanent residence by transitioning from one of Canada’s temporary residence visa programs. This process is also known as TR to PR (temporary resident to permanent resident).
Limited Transitioning Policies
In early 2021, the Government of Canada launched a temporary immigration policy that allowed eligible temporary residents to apply for permanent residence. This program allowed workers in Canada who belonged to an essential field or students who had recently graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution to apply under one of six immigration streams. This program unfortunately stopped taking applications in November 2021.
Thousands of applications were accepted and the application processing is ongoing. On April 22, 2022, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that those who are waiting for their applications to be finalized will be eligible to apply for new open work permits that will be valid until the end of 2024. They also introduced new measures that would allow open work permits to be given to immediate family members that were outside of Canada and included in the original application.
Following that announcement, a Private Member’s Motion was passed in the House of Commons that called on the Government to publicly release a plan to support greater transitions from temporary resident status to permanent resident status. In late 2022, the Government released a plan to increase and expand opportunities to transition from temporary to permanent residence and help address labour shortages. Although the programs have not been launched, the Government hopes to remove immigration barriers for students and workers involved in essential fields like healthcare, agriculture, construction, as well as science and technology.
Express Entry
One pathway currently available for workers in Canada is Express Entry. Express Entry is an online application system for skilled immigrants interested in settling permanently in Canada. It is made up of three different federal programs–the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program, the Federal Skilled Trade (FST) Program, and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). However, one program in particular can help temporary residents transition to permanent residency as it rewards them for their previous Canadian work experience. The Canadian Experience Class allows skilled workers that have the equivalent of 12 months of full-time work experience in Canada to enter the Express Entry pool where they can be selected to apply for permanent residence. Below is a brief overview of the eligibility requirements for all the Express Entry programs:
Free Express Entry CRS Calculator
We have years of experience assisting applicants with their permanent residence applications through the Express Entry system. See if you qualify by calculating your CRS score.
Canadian Experience Class
- Equivalent 12 months of full-time work experience in Canada in the three years before your application (at least 1,560 hours paid work);
- Applicants must have worked in an occupation that falls under TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 in the National Occupational Classification (NOC);
- There is no education requirement;
- Applicants do not need a job offer;
- Applicants must score at least a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 in all four ability areas for TEER 0 and 1 occupations and a CLB of 5 for TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations in an official language proficiency test (English or French).
Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Equivalent of 12 months of full-time work experience in the ten years before your application (at least 1,560 hours paid work);
- Applicants must have worked in an occupation that falls under TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 in the National Occupational Classification (NOC);
- Applicants must have a certificate/diploma/degree from a secondary school institution or a post-secondary school institution;
- Applicants do not need a job offer but it will help eligibility;
- Applicants must at least score a CLB of 7 in all four ability areas in an official language proficiency test (English or French);
- Applicants must qualify for the program by scoring at least a 67 in their selection factor assessment.
Federal Skilled Trade Program
- At least two years of work experience within last five years (either combination of full-time or part-time work);
- Applicants must have worked in a trade under one of the key groups in TEER 2, and 3;
- There is no education requirement;
- Applicants must have a valid job offer;
- Applicants must at least score a CLB of 5 for speaking and listening and CLB of 4 for reading and writing in an official language proficiency test (English or French);
- Applicants must have a certificate of qualification in their skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.
It is important to note that once the online application is completed, applicants are entered into the Express Entry pool. The Express Entry pool ranks candidates using their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The highest-ranking candidates are selected from the pool and are invited to apply for permanent residence. Applicants can gain extra points for their CRS rank if they have Canadian work experience or attended a Canadian post-secondary institution.
How We Can Help
If you are interested in applying for one of Canada’s temporary resident visas or transitioning to permanent residence, it is best to speak to an expert immigration lawyer. The Immigration Law Firm of Matthew Jeffery has over 20 years experience helping clients with their Express Entry applications. Use our free Express Entry CRS calculator to see if you qualify.
