Family Sponsorship
Spouse, common-law partner, dependent child, parent, or grandparent. Inland or outland filing depending on circumstances.
Permanent Residence
Every route to PR in Canada.
Canada issues roughly half a million permanent residencies a year through more than two dozen pathways. The right one depends on profile, occupation, family situation, and where you already stand.
Decision tree
The eight routes most people end up on
A short visual map of where most files land. Pick the closest fit; the quiz returns a ranked short-list.
FederalFamily Atlantic Rural Caregivers Founders Quebec
Express Entry
FSW, CEC, and FST. Points-based federal selection. Best on-ramp for high-skill candidates with strong language scores.
Province-ledProvincial Nominee Programs
Each province operates streams aligned to local labour needs. +600 CRS on enhanced streams. Direct PR on base streams.
Atlantic Immigration Program
Employer-driven PR for designated employers in NB, NS, PE, and NL. Strong fit for healthcare and skilled trades.
RNIP & Successor Pilots
Community-driven PR for designated rural communities. Job offer in the community plus a community recommendation required.
Home Care Worker Pilots
PR for qualifying home child care and home support work, with Canadian work experience completed under the program.
Start-up Visa
Entrepreneurs with a qualifying business and a letter of support from a designated VC, angel group, or incubator.
Quebec Skilled Worker (PRTQ / PEQ)
Quebec runs its own selection. CSQ first, then federal PR. Distinct French-language and settlement-intent expectations.
Compare
Best for · timeline · where we add value
A short reference table. Indicative timelines only; outcomes depend on IRCC processing and individual circumstances.
| Pathway | Best for | Indicative timeline | Where we add value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry — FSW | High-skill candidates abroad with strong English/French | 6 months federal after ITA | CRS optimization, NOC strategy, refusal-proof documentation |
| Express Entry — CEC | PGWP holders and TFWs with 1+ years skilled Canadian work | 6 months after ITA | Bridging permit timing, in-Canada filing, family inclusions |
| PNP — Enhanced | Express Entry candidates targeted by a province | 3–6 months provincial · 6 months federal | Stream selection, EOI optimization across provinces |
| PNP — Base | Candidates not eligible for federal Express Entry | 12–18 months federal after nomination | Stream fit, settlement-intent narrative, employer search |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | Healthcare, trades, hospitality with Atlantic offer | 6–12 months end-to-end | Designated-employer matching, settlement plan |
| Family Sponsorship | Spouse, partner, child, parent of citizen / PR | 12 months (spousal) · 24+ months (PGP) | Genuine-relationship evidence, inland vs outland choice |
| Start-up Visa | Founders with funded backing and CLB 5+ language | 12–18 months after letter of support | Designated-organization fit, business model framing |
| Quebec PRTQ / PEQ | French-speakers settling in Quebec | CSQ 6–12 months · federal 12 months | French testing strategy, MIFI document standards |
4–6 weeks reflects typical timelines for qualifying LMIA-supported, government-contracted streams. Outcomes depend on IRCC processing and individual circumstances. No guarantees of approval.
Quebec
A separate selection program
Quebec administers its own selection of economic immigrants outside the federal Express Entry and PNP frameworks.
Quebec applicants receive a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) from the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration before filing the federal PR application. The two main routes are the Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés (PRTQ) and the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ).
- French-language ability is heavily weighted (often required at CLB 7+)
- PEQ is open to graduates of Quebec institutions and skilled workers in Quebec
- PRTQ uses an expression-of-interest pool with periodic invitations
- Settlement intent in Quebec is screened seriously
Permanent residence in Canada is the practical end-state for most of our clients. A PR holder can live, work, and study anywhere in Canada, access provincial healthcare, and qualify for citizenship after three years of physical presence. The route to PR depends on the candidate's starting position. The following is a decision-tree-style guide.
If You Have High Skilled Work Experience
Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker
For foreign nationals with skilled experience outside Canada. Strong English or French, completed post-secondary education, and a competitive CRS score. See Express Entry.
Express Entry — Canadian Experience Class
For candidates with at least one year of skilled Canadian work experience in the past three years. The natural endgame for PGWP holders and TFWs.
Federal Skilled Trades
For tradespeople with experience in qualifying NOC trades occupations and a Canadian job offer or certificate of qualification.
If a Province Wants You
Provincial Nominee Programs
Each province operates streams aligned to local labour needs. A nomination adds 600 CRS points (enhanced streams) or constitutes a direct PR pathway (base streams). See PNP.
Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
Employer-driven PR for candidates with offers from designated employers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, or Newfoundland and Labrador. Strong fit for healthcare and skilled trades.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) and successor programs
Community-driven PR for designated rural communities. Requires a job offer in the community and a community recommendation.
If You Have Family in Canada
Spousal and Common-Law Sponsorship
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner. Inland (with an open work permit while the application processes) or outland filing options.
Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP)
An invitation-based lottery system, supplemented by the Super Visa for cases where PR is not feasible.
Dependent Child Sponsorship
For biological or adopted children under 22, or older children with documented dependence.
Other Family Class
Orphaned siblings, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren under 18, in defined circumstances.
If You Are a Caregiver
Home Care Worker Pilots
Replacing the earlier Caregiver pilots, the 2024-launched Home Care Worker streams provide PR to qualifying caregivers in home child care and home support work, with Canadian work experience completed under the program.
If You Are Self-Employed or an Entrepreneur
Self-Employed Persons Program
For experienced cultural or athletic professionals (limited categories).
Start-up Visa
For entrepreneurs with a qualifying business idea and a letter of support from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator. Strong English or French and sufficient settlement funds required.
Provincial Entrepreneur Streams
Several PNPs operate entrepreneur streams with investment and net-worth thresholds, typically requiring two years of operating an active business in the province before PR is granted.
If You Are in Quebec
Quebec administers its own selection of economic immigrants. The Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés (PRTQ) and the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) are the main routes. Quebec applicants receive a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) before the federal PR application.
If You Are an International Student
The pathway most often runs: study permit → graduation → PGWP → 12 months of skilled Canadian work → CEC under Express Entry. We cover this in detail in PGWP to PR Roadmap.
Decision Logic in One Sentence
If you have high skill and a job offer with LMIA — Express Entry. If a province wants you — PNP. If you have Canadian work experience — CEC. If you have family in Canada — Family Class. If you are an entrepreneur with funded backing — Start-up Visa. If you are a caregiver — Home Care Worker. If none of the above — start with the Eligibility Quiz, because an unusual case usually has an unusual route.
What to do next
The Eligibility Quiz returns a ranked list of PR pathways for a given profile in under five minutes. For complex cases (mixed history, prior refusals, criminal admissibility, medical inadmissibility), contact us directly.
Next step
One quiz. A ranked short-list of the routes that fit.
Three minutes. No account, no spam. The result is a candid assessment of which pathways move and which do not.