9 Main Criteria for Canada PR Selection Process

Canada is a popular destination for immigrants because it has the right environment for personal and professional growth. The immigration friendly policies of the government are a positive sign for those who want to migrate here.

There are two ways to migrate to Canada, one is to get a permanent residence permit, and another is to get a temporary work permit.  Permanent residence (PR) permit is a popular option because of the many advantages it offers.

The PR permit or visa has a minimum validity of five years and can be later converted into a Canadian citizenship. With a PR visa you can:

• Live, work or study anywhere in Canada
• Free healthcare
• Free education

The PR Visa is given to applicants after scrutiny and an elaborate application process.  The applicants are assessed on various eligibility points.  They are evaluated on their skills and their capacity to contribute to the Canadian economy.

Canada offers several migration programs amounting to almost 60 for potential immigrants. The most popular among these are the Express Entry Program, Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Quebec Skilled Workers Program (QSWP).

Among these the most popular program is the Express Entry program which is a federal selection model. In order to streamline the selection process, the Canadian government started the Express Entry program in 2015.  This program is designed to filter applicants on a points-based system so that only the most eligible candidates get selected. There are three sub-categories in this model:

1. Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP)
2. Federal Skilled Traders Program (FSTP)
3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

As an applicant you must meet the eligibility requirements in at least one of these categories to be eligible for the Express Entry program.

The areas for giving points under the Express Entry system are in a sense the criteria for the PR selection process. The applicant must score minimum points to meet the eligibility criteria for applying to the PR visa. The points system is also known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and total number of points scored by a candidate is called the CRS score.

 You will be given points on the following criteria when you apply through the Express Entry criteria:

1. Age: Even though there is no upper age limit to be eligible for the PR visa, you are eligible to get the maximum points if you are between 18-35 years of age.

2. Language proficiency: Canada has two official languages, English and French. You need to pass the proficiency level tests in at least one of these languages to score under the language proficiency points. You will be given points based on your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in that language.

You need to take the language test from an agency approved by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The IELTS examination is the most popular for the English language.

You will get an invitation to apply only if you include your language test results in the application. In case you know both English and French you must provide the language test results for each language separately. After the test you can see how many points you score under this criteria.

3. Education: Your educational qualifications will be assessed to see if they are on par with the degrees or diplomas offered by the Canadian education board.  Your educational qualifications are evaluated by an authorized body such as the WES. You are then given the points under this category.

To get the relevant points you must prove that you have earned a Canadian diploma or certificate if you have studied in Canada. If you have studied in your home country, you must get it assessed by a CIC approved agency.

You must include your educational credentials in your application to get the appropriate points.

4. Work experience: For a PR visa and eligibility to work in Canada, you need to have the required skills. For this you must have full time paid continuous work to score under this category. If you have more years of job experience you are given more points. You will be given points for full-time work and not for any seasonal work. Your occupation must be listed as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

5. Adaptability: If your spouse or legal partner is ready to immigrate with you to Canada, they will also earn points for adaptability. The criteria for giving points include:

• Skilled work experience in Canada
• Completion of part of studies in Canada
• Previous work experience in Canada
• Presence of family relations in Canada
• Spouse has proficiency in an official language

You can earn points for each item only once, i.e. your spouse’s points and your points cannot be added. The maximum points in this category is 10.

6. Arranged employment: You will gain extra points if you have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer when you are applying for your visa. However, you can apply for a Canada PR visa even without a job offer.

7. Self-employed professional: If you are a self-employed professional who is running a business or providing a service and can prove that you will contribute to the Canadian economy, you improve your chances of getting a PR visa. You will also be selected on the factors mentioned in the above table. Apart from this you should have two years of experience and score minimum points in the assessment grid.

8.Start-up owner: If you have a start-up or have a unique business idea, then you can apply for a PR visa. But along with your business idea, you must have an organization supporting your idea, a business plan and assurance of minimum investment from a Canadian Venture Capital fund or 75000 CAD from a Canadian Angel Investor group. If the criteria are met, you stand a chance to get a PR visa for you and your family. 

9.Family sponsorship: If you have relations who are Canadian citizens or have PR visa, they can sponsor your migration to the country. But they must have the funds to provide you necessities and ensure you will not require any social assistance.

These are the main criteria for Canada PR selection process. If you need help in processing your PR application for Canada, get the help of an immigration expert who knows the process in detail and will help you with the legalities and the application process. Their valuable expertise will ensure you succeed in getting your Canadian PR visa.