On This Page, You Will Find:
- What permanent residence gives you
- How many people Canada admits and under which categories
- How Express Entry selection works in 2026
- Provincial Nominee Programs and Quebec’s separate system
- Family sponsorship and what has been paused
- Studying and working in Canada in 2026
- Government fees, settlement funds and documents
- Keeping permanent residence and applying for citizenship
- Frequently asked questions
This page answers the questions we are asked most often about immigrating to Canada. It reflects the rules in force as of September 2026, including the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, the 2026 Express Entry categories and the permanent residence fee increase of 30 April 2026.
Canada’s system has changed materially since 2024. Points-based selection under the old Federal Skilled Worker grid has been superseded in practice by Express Entry ranking and occupation-specific rounds, and temporary intake is being reduced year over year.
What Does Permanent Residence Give You?
A permanent resident may live, work and study anywhere in Canada. Permanent residents have access to provincially administered public schooling and to provincial health insurance, subject to each province’s waiting periods.
Permanent residence is not citizenship. Permanent residents cannot vote, cannot hold a Canadian passport, and can lose status if they fail the residency obligation or become inadmissible.
- You must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days in every five-year period.
- Time abroad may count in defined circumstances, including accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse or parent, or working abroad full-time for a Canadian business.
- Permanent residence carries no immigration benefit in the United States; entry rules there are set by U.S. authorities.
How Many People Does Canada Admit?
Under the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada plans 380,000 permanent resident admissions in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028, within an operating range of 350,000 to 420,000.
The 2026 allocation is as follows:
- Economic: 239,800, including 109,000 Federal High Skilled and 91,500 Provincial Nominee Program
- Family: 84,000, of which 69,000 for spouses, partners and children and 15,000 for parents and grandparents
- Refugees and protected persons: 49,300
- Humanitarian and compassionate and other: 6,900
The economic share rises to 64% of admissions in 2027 and 2028. Separately, IRCC will admit around 115,000 protected persons already in Canada over two years and fast-track up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residence in 2026 and 2027.
How Does Express Entry Selection Work?
Express Entry manages applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class, plus a portion of Provincial Nominee Program candidates.
You create a profile, IRCC places you in a pool if you are eligible for one of those programmes, and you are ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System. IRCC then runs rounds of invitations. If invited, you have 60 days to file a complete permanent residence application.
The 2026 categories for category-based rounds, announced on 18 February 2026, are:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare and social services occupations
- Science, technology, engineering and math occupations
- Trade occupations
- Education occupations
- Transport occupations, including air pilots and aircraft mechanics
- Physicians with Canadian work experience
- Senior managers with Canadian work experience
- Researchers with Canadian work experience
- Skilled military recruits
Occupation categories require at least 12 months of full-time experience in a single listed occupation within the past three years. Occupations are identified by five-digit 2021 National Occupational Classification codes and TEER categories, not the old four-digit skill-type system. For the physicians, senior managers and researchers categories, the experience must have been gained in Canada.
Further detail is set out in our Express Entry overview.
What About Provincial Programs and Quebec?
Every province and territory except Quebec and Nunavut operates a Provincial Nominee Program. Streams are set locally and generally target occupations in shortage in that jurisdiction.
Most nominations follow a two-step process: the province nominates, then the candidate applies to IRCC for permanent residence. A nomination through an Express Entry-aligned stream materially raises a candidate’s CRS score. See our provincial immigration overview.
Quebec selects its own economic immigrants under the Canada-Quebec Accord. Applicants obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate first and then file federally. Federal authorities retain exclusive jurisdiction over admissibility, medical and security screening, and visa issuance. Our Quebec immigration overview covers the provincial streams.
Can I Sponsor a Family Member?
Canadian citizens and permanent residents aged 18 or over can sponsor a spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, and in defined circumstances other relatives. Sponsors give a binding undertaking to support the sponsored person financially.
Parents and grandparents are currently an exception. IRCC paused intake of new interest-to-sponsor forms and new applications on 15 July 2026 and will not invite new sponsors until further notice, while processing the existing inventory toward 15,000 admissions in 2026. The super visa remains open for extended visits.
What Are the Rules for Studying and Working?
Study permits are capped. IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026, of which 155,000 go to new arrivals and 253,000 are extensions. A total of 309,670 application spaces are available under the cap for students who need a provincial or territorial attestation letter.
Several groups are exempt from the attestation letter requirement in 2026:
- Master’s and doctoral students at public designated learning institutions, new from 1 January 2026
- Primary and secondary school students
- Certain Government of Canada priority groups and vulnerable cohorts
- Existing permit holders extending at the same institution and level of study
On the work side, the 2026 target for new temporary worker arrivals is 230,000: 170,000 under the International Mobility Program and 60,000 under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Employer-specific permits generally require a Labour Market Impact Assessment; many International Mobility Program streams do not. See our work permit guide.
What Does It Cost and What Documents Are Needed?
Permanent residence fees increased on 30 April 2026. Applications received on or after that date pay the new amounts.
- Right of permanent residence fee: $600
- Federal High Skilled, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class and most economic pilots: $990 for the principal applicant, $990 for an accompanying spouse or partner, $270 per accompanying dependent child
- Business programmes: $1,895 for the principal applicant
- Family class: $90 sponsorship fee plus $570 for a sponsored principal applicant
Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants must show settlement funds, currently $15,263 for one person and $28,362 for a family of four. Funds must be liquid and accessible; home equity and borrowed money are not accepted. Canadian Experience Class applicants, and those with a valid job offer and authorisation to work in Canada, are exempt.
Standard supporting documents include language test results, an educational credential assessment for foreign qualifications, police certificates, medical examinations and identity documents. Current figures are mirrored on our immigration fee schedule.
How Do I Become a Canadian Citizen?
Permanent residents may apply for citizenship after being physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the five years immediately before signing the application.
Time spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident counts as half a day each, to a maximum of 365 days. Applicants aged 18 to 54 must also meet language and knowledge requirements.
Canada taxes on residency rather than citizenship. Permanent residents who are tax residents are liable on worldwide income; assets held on arrival are not themselves taxed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Canadian permanent residence application take?
It depends entirely on the programme. Express Entry applications are processed on a service standard measured in months once an invitation to apply is issued, while family sponsorship, provincial nominee and pilot programme applications vary considerably. IRCC publishes live processing times by programme and country, and those figures change monthly, so check the official tool rather than relying on any fixed number.
Do I need a job offer to immigrate to Canada?
No. A job offer is not required under Express Entry, and arranged employment no longer awards Comprehensive Ranking System points as it once did. A job offer can still matter indirectly: it exempts Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants from the settlement funds requirement, and many Provincial Nominee Program streams do require an offer from an employer in that province.
Do I have to visit Canada before applying?
No. There is no requirement to travel to Canada as part of a permanent residence application, and selection interviews are now uncommon for economic applicants. Applicants who already hold a valid temporary status in Canada may apply from inside the country, and holding a pending permanent residence application does not by itself bar you from obtaining a visitor, work or study permit under the dual intent provisions.
Which occupations does Canada prioritise in 2026?
IRCC prioritises occupations named in the 2026 Express Entry categories: healthcare and social services, science, technology, engineering and math, trades, education, transport, physicians, senior managers, researchers and skilled military recruits. Each category lists specific 2021 National Occupational Classification codes. Provinces set their own in-demand occupation lists separately, so an occupation outside the federal categories may still be prioritised provincially.
Can I include my family in my application?
Yes. An economic permanent residence application normally includes the principal applicant, a spouse or common-law partner, and dependent children. Family members must be declared and examined even if they are not accompanying you to Canada, and failure to declare a family member can bar you from sponsoring that person later.
What happens if I spend long periods outside Canada as a permanent resident?
You must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days in any five-year period to keep permanent resident status. Certain absences count toward that total, including time accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse or parent abroad, or working full-time abroad for a Canadian business. If you have been a permanent resident for less than five years, an officer must consider whether you could still meet the 730-day obligation within the relevant five-year window.