Home

Immigration Visas

Temporary Visas

Tools & Resources

Welcome to Canada!

Immigration to Canada starts with an application for a Permanent Resident Visa.

Congratulations for taking the first and foremost important step to set out on a wonderful journey to become a Canadian Permanent Resident, which is likely to lead you to Canadian Citizenship!

Apply now, to become a part of this exciting, innovative, proactive, humanitarian and compassionate nation! Apply to be a Canadian Permanent Resident and eventually a Canadian Citizen.

Here are a few facts that are good to know.

The Government of Canada establishes an annual range for the number of immigrants who will be admitted into Canada. In the past 10 years, Canada has welcomed, on average, 250.000 immigrants and refugees a year.

Canada benefits from the talents, experience and energy of immigrants, whether they are skilled workers, business people, refugees, relatives of Canadian citizens and residents, foreign students, temporary workers or others. All stimulate economic growth and enrich Canada’s social and cultural life. Canada has open arms for all those individuals who are willing and able to integrate into a modern, civilized, safe, stable, multicultural society.

Canada recognizes that immigration stimulates Canada’s growth, prosperity and cultural diversity. It reunites families and offers protection to refugees.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) recognizes the benefits of attracting highly skilled workers. Nearly 59 percent of Canada’s immigrants are in the skilled worker and business immigrant categories. They help fill shortages in Canada’s labour market or invest in the economy and contribute to Canada’s economic growth.

CIC works to attract specialized temporary workers to Canada through programs for software development professionals and spouses of highly skilled workers. In 2009, CIC officers abroad and in Canada issued over 220,000 work permits to temporary residents and more than150,000 visas to economic immigrants and their dependants.

Canada is respected internationally for its humanitarian efforts. Canada’s history is one of helping refugees and people in need of protection and assistance. In the past three years Canada resettled more than 30,000 government-assisted refugees. Many Canadians volunteer to assist victims of persecution and violence through the Private Sponsorship of Refugee Program. When people arrive in Canada and make a refugee claim, they are referred to the Refugee Protection Division—one of three tribunals making up the Immigration and Refugee Board. This tribunal decides if claimants are refugees or people in need of protection as defined in various international conventions.

They learn, Canada learns
Each year, more than 100,000 foreign students arrive in Canada to attend Canada’s schools, colleges and universities. During their stay, foreign students promote international understanding and build important cultural and trade relations between Canada and the rest of the world.