Find your path to permanent residence
You’ve studied in Canada and maybe you even have Canadian work experience. Now, you’d like to live here permanently. We have options for you to become a permanent resident!
The Come to Canada tool can help you explore your options. You can also use the cheat sheet below to compare programs. Visit the program’s eligibility page to get all the details.
Before you compare programs, here are two key terms you need to know:
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)
The Canadian standard used to describe, measure and recognize English language ability of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants who plan to live and work in Canada, or apply for citizenship. The Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) is used to assess abilities in the French language.
National Occupation Code (NOC)
The National Occupation Classification is a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labour market. It describes each job according to training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) categories. For immigration purposes, these are the main job groups:
- TEER 0: management jobs
- TEER 1: professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university
- TEER 2 or 3: technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice
- TEER 4: intermediate jobs that usually call for high school or job-specific training
- TEER 5: labour jobs that usually give on-the-job training
| Program | Language skills | Type of work experience | Amount of work experience | Job offer | Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class |
You have intermediate or strong English or French skills (CLB 7 if your TEER is 0 or 1) (CLB 5 if your TEER is 2 or 3) |
Canadian experience in 1 of these TEER categories:
|
12 months (combination of full-time or part-time work) | Not required, but you can get points for having a valid offer |
Not required, but you can get points for your secondary or post-secondary education You can get extra points if your education is Canadian |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program |
You have strong English or French skills (CLB 7) |
Experience in TEER
|
1 year continuous (combination of part-time, full-time or more than one job) | Not required, but you can get points for having a valid offer |
Secondary education required. You can get more points for your post-secondary education You can get extra points if your education is Canadian |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program |
You have intermediate English or French skills (CLB 5 for speaking and listening) (CLB 4 for reading and writing) |
Experience in a skilled trade under key groups of TEER 2 or 3 |
2 years within last 5 years |
Required:
|
Not required, but you can get points for your secondary or post-secondary education You can get extra points if your education is Canadian |
| Provincial Nominee Program |
You have strong English or French skills Levels vary by province |
It depends on the province, but includes all TEER categories |
It depends on the province | It depends on the province | It depends on the province |
| Atlantic Immigration Pilot |
You have intermediate English or French skills (CLB 4) |
Not required | Not required |
Required Job offer must
|
You must have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada Program must have been at least 2 years |
| Rural Northern Immigration Pilot |
You have intermediate English or French skills (CLB 6 if your TEER is 0 or 1) (CLB 5 if your TEER is 2 or 3) (CLB 4 if your TEER is 4 or 5) |
International students who studied in the community may be exempt from work experience requirements |
Not required International students who studied in the community may be exempt from work experience requirements. |
Required You must have a permanent job offer to work in one of the participating communities |
Variable See the eligibility requirements for more information. |
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