If you want to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker, you can apply for work permit then change it to Permanent Residency (PR) status later.
However, in Canada through various immigration programs, one can change his/her work permit to permanent residency as Canada welcomes a wide range of foreigners and offers over 100 different immigration options.
Are you a competent worker with the skills in demand in Canada? Explore the many ways to change a work permit to permanent residency in Canada in 4 easy ways.
The Express Entry System, made up of three immigration programs, allows you to apply and change your work permit to permanent residency in Canada. They include the following:
1) Federal Skilled Program
Foreigners seeking permanent residency in Canada must be skilled workers with work experience in another country. Contestants are selected based on their ability to score a certain number of points. Candidates with high scores will receive an Invitation to the Canadian Public Relations Program (ITA).
Requirements
- Education: if you attended school in Canada, you must have completed your degree from a Canadian institution. If you have a foreign degree, it must come from an accredited institution equivalent to your Canadian qualification.
- As a skilled worker, you must prove that you have worked in your profession and performed most tasks associated with that profession.
- Show that you can provide for yourself and your family once you settle in Canada.
- For French or English, you will be tested for your reading, writing, listening and speaking language proficiency.
- Must have primary work experience where you applied for immigration. Paid work experience counts as work experience and must have been obtained within the last 10 years.
- The work experience gained during the course will be recognized as accredited work experience.
2) Federal Skilled Trades Program
If you are a skilled worker seeking a work permit in Canada and skilled in the trade, this program is for you. Skilled labor applying for permanent residency in Canada under this program Applicants must have a valid job listing or credentials demonstrating trade qualifications.
Requirements
- Applicants applying for permanent residency must take a language level test in English or French.
- Professional experience in the craft will only be recognized if the skilled worker is experienced and qualified to practice independently.
- This program does not require formal schooling. As with the Canadian Experience class, they must have attended a Canadian school and graduated with a diploma from a Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution. Alternatively, a skilled worker may have a foreign qualification equivalent to a Canadian qualification from a particular institution.
- Applicant must have at least 2 years of her trading experience within the last 5 years. The Federal Skilled Program considers a student’s work experience acceptable, but does not consider voluntary or unpaid internships to be valid work experience. All skilled workers must meet the workplace standards set by the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for the skilled trade.
3) Canada Experience Class:
This is for eligible employees seeking permanent residency in Canada. Applications will be evaluated based on their work experience in Canada within the last three years.
Requirements
- Candidates are assessed on their writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. Language exams are conducted in English or French.
- Education: this program has no specific educational requirements. The Express Entry system is powered by a comprehensive ranking system “CRS”.
- This allows qualified professionals to move up the ranks in the Express Entry Pool. This can be achieved if:
You attended school in Canada and graduated from a Canadian secondary school. or an institution of higher education; or if the skilled worker has a foreign qualification from a particular institution that is equivalent to a Canadian qualification. - A skilled worker must have at least one year of her experience in a qualifying job in Canada.
Please note that qualified work is defined by the Government of Canada as any work in a field for which you are paid. Voluntary or unpaid internships are not considered skilled workers. Self-employment and professional experience during full-time schooling are not considered qualifying work.
General Notice:
To qualify for local residency, you must intend to reside outside Quebec. If you choose to live in Quebec, please ensure that you understand the selection process for selected professionals in Quebec.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Additionally, if you meet the qualifications for one of the above programs, you can also apply for her PNP through the Express Entry system. A worker with the appropriate skills, education, and work experience can apply for her PR in Canada through the PNP.
Eligible candidates for this program are workers who can fill a labor market shortage in a particular state or region. As labor needs differ from state to state, so do standards and methods.
The applicant who achieves the highest score in the PNP will receive her ITA for applying, just like in other Express Entry programs.