Find the information you need.
Browse practical introductions to Canadian immigration programs and processes. Each guide links to an official source so you can check current requirements before applying.
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62 individual guides · 7 categories
Family sponsorship
Understand who may sponsor, who can be sponsored and what the undertaking means.
Sponsoring a spouse or partner outside Canada
How overseas family sponsorship works when your spouse or partner lives abroad.
Sponsoring a spouse or partner in Canada
Understand the in-Canada class, living-together requirements and status questions.
Common-law partner sponsorship
What to consider when a couple is not legally married.
Sponsoring a dependent child
A guide to the family relationship and dependency rules for children.
Parents and grandparents sponsorship
Understand invitations, financial requirements and alternatives for extended visits.
Super visa for parents and grandparents
A temporary visit option that is different from permanent residence sponsorship.
Sponsoring other relatives
Why sponsorship outside immediate family is available only in limited circumstances.
International adoption and sponsorship
Separate adoption and immigration requirements when bringing a child to Canada.
What a sponsorship undertaking means
Understand the sponsor's obligations before signing family sponsorship forms.
Hiring international workers
Explore employer obligations, LMIAs, exemptions and worker permits.
Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
When an employer may need an LMIA to hire a worker from abroad.
Hiring through an LMIA exemption
How an employer can assess whether an International Mobility Program exemption fits.
Global Talent Stream
A specialized LMIA stream for certain high-skill recruitment needs.
Intra-company transfer work permits
Moving eligible staff between related international businesses.
CUSMA work permit categories
Work options under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement.
Francophone Mobility for employers
An LMIA-exempt option for eligible French-speaking workers outside Quebec.
Using the Employer Portal
Understand employer offer submissions for many LMIA-exempt permits.
Employer compliance after hiring
Recordkeeping and working-condition obligations for employers of foreign workers.
Employer-specific work permits
What a restricted work permit means for the worker and hiring business.
Permanent residence
Compare economic immigration programs and their distinct selection processes.
Express Entry overview
How Canada's online system manages eligible economic immigration applications.
Federal Skilled Worker Program
An Express Entry route that can consider qualifying work experience abroad.
Canadian Experience Class
An Express Entry pathway based on eligible Canadian skilled work.
Federal Skilled Trades Program
A federal economic route for applicants with qualifying skilled-trade experience.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
How provinces and territories select applicants for local immigration needs.
Atlantic Immigration Program
An employer-supported route for eligible workers in Atlantic Canada.
Rural Community Immigration Pilot
A community-linked permanent residence option in participating places.
Francophone Community Immigration Pilot
An option for French-speaking workers in participating communities outside Quebec.
Immigrating to Quebec
Why Quebec's selection process differs from other provinces.
Business and entrepreneur immigration
Compare available entrepreneur pathways without assuming a program is open.
Visit, study and work
Find the right temporary entry document and understand your status.
Visitor visa (temporary resident visa)
What a visa applicant should know before travelling to Canada.
Electronic travel authorization (eTA)
When a visa-exempt traveller may need authorization to fly to Canada.
Study permits
The main authorization for many international students in Canada.
Post-graduation work permit (PGWP)
Work permit eligibility after graduating from an eligible Canadian program.
Extending a work permit
How to plan ahead before your current authorization expires.
Extending a visitor stay
A visitor record can extend a stay but is not a travel document.
Restoring temporary resident status
What to consider after a permit or visitor status has expired.
Bridging open work permit
Possible work authorization during an eligible permanent residence application.
International Experience Canada (IEC)
Work and travel opportunities for eligible youth from partner countries.
Citizenship
From eligibility to proof of citizenship, follow the official steps.
Canadian citizenship eligibility
The main requirements before applying to become a citizen.
The citizenship test and interview
What happens after a citizenship application is reviewed.
Oath of Citizenship
The ceremony that completes the citizenship process for most adults.
Proof of Canadian citizenship
How to document citizenship you may already have.
Admissibility
Learn about possible barriers to entry and when specialist advice matters.
Criminal inadmissibility
How convictions or offences can affect entry and immigration applications.
Medical admissibility
Why some applicants need an immigration medical examination.
Misrepresentation in immigration applications
The consequences of false statements or withheld material information.
Criminal rehabilitation
A possible way to address some past criminal inadmissibility findings.
Temporary resident permit (TRP)
A discretionary temporary option for some inadmissible people.
Application essentials
Prepare documents, track requests and avoid preventable application errors.
Biometrics for immigration applications
When fingerprints and a photograph may be required.
Immigration medical examinations
How to complete a medical exam when IRCC requires one.
Police certificates
How to prepare criminal-history documentation for an application.
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
How some applicants document the Canadian equivalency of foreign education.
Language tests for Canadian immigration
Choose an accepted English or French test for the program you are pursuing.
IRCC accounts and online portals
Understand where to file and follow your application online.
Checking immigration processing times
How to use official estimates without treating them as a promised deadline.
Choosing an authorized immigration representative
How to verify who may provide paid immigration advice or representation.
Settling in Canada
Practical first steps after arrival: documents, health coverage, work, housing and community support.
Getting a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
The nine-digit number you need to work in Canada and access government programs.
Provincial and territorial health coverage
How newcomers apply for public health insurance where they live.
Your first weeks in Canada: a checklist
A practical order of tasks for newly arrived permanent residents and workers.
Permanent resident (PR) card
Receiving, using and renewing the card that proves permanent resident status.
The permanent resident residency obligation
How much time permanent residents must spend in Canada to keep their status.
Getting foreign credentials recognized
How regulated professionals and tradespeople approach licensing in Canada.
Free settlement services for newcomers
Government-funded help with language, jobs and community connection.
Filing taxes as a newcomer
Your first Canadian tax return and the benefits it can unlock.
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