Canada PR Requirements for Indian Students: Documents, Eligibility

A Canada Permanent Resident Visa is a gateway to permanent resident status in Canada. The key requirements include age, education, work experience, and language ability of candidates. Canada has a number of programs that provide a route for Canada PR. Several students want to get Canadian permanent residency after completing their higher education in Canada.

Canada is one of the most preferred destinations in the world due to its strong economy, high living standards, pro-immigration policies, and high-quality education. However, leaving your home country and settling down abroad is not something that one does casually. People and students need compelling reasons to leave their home country and their emotional roots. 

In this article, we will inform you everything that you need to know about Canada PR Requirements and how to apply for Canada PR including its eligibility, fees, required documents and more.

Related Read: What is CRS Calculator?

• As per the World Happiness Report 2024, published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Canada has been ranked as the 15th happiest country in the world.
• Canada falls under the “Very High” tier of the Human Development Index (HDI). Moreover, all Canadian provinces and territories have a very high HDI, with Alberta at the top. The high score on HDI is a testament to Canada’s impetus to education, healthcare, per-capita income, etc.
• Pro-immigration policies of Canada tend to attract the best talent pool from around the globe. We will cover this point shortly.
• Canada is home to some of the best universities in the world, with six of those within the top 120 ranks on the QS World University Rankings 2025.
• A publicly funded healthcare system that reduces out-of-pocket expenditure.
• As per the World Bank data, per-capita income in Canada is $51,690, which is sufficient to support a good lifestyle.
• Canada has a high population of Indians who comprise more than 10% of the total immigrant population in Canada. 2.46 lakh Indians immigrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021.

Benefits of Canada PR

If you hold a Canada PR, you will have a permanent resident status; however, you will not be a Citizen of Canada. The following are the benefits of Canada PR:

• You will receive social benefits (such as healthcare coverage) that are available to Canadian citizens.
• You can live anywhere in Canada.
• You can work anywhere in Canada.
• You can study anywhere in Canada.
• You can apply for Canadian Citizenship if you have lived in Canada for a minimum of 3 years out of the last 5 years. It includes a total of 1,095 days.
• You will receive under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Different Routes to Apply for Canada PR

Here are two ways to apply for Canadian Citizenship:

As mentioned above, you will have two routes to apply for Canada PR:

• You can apply for Canada PR directly. In this case, you can work/study in Canada, and later on, you can apply for Canadian Citizenship.
• If you choose to apply to a Canadian University, you will have to apply for a Canada Student Visa. After graduation, you can apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit Canada (PGWP Canada), which will allow you to work in Canada for a maximum of 3 years. Finally, after working for some time, you can apply for Canadian Citizenship.

If you apply for PGWP after your graduation and gain work experience in Canada, you will receive extra points for the same. Assuming that you have earned at least a college diploma, you will be working in the NOC TEER 2 or 3 and above jobs. NOC or National Occupation Classification provides a detailed list of jobs in the Canadian labour market. These jobs have been classified on the basis of TEER (training, education, experience, and responsibilities).

• TEER 0 corresponds to management jobs.
• TEER 1 corresponds to professional jobs that require a degree from a University.
• TEER 2 or 3 corresponds to technical jobs and skilled trades that required a college diploma.

Now that you are clear about the type of job and PGWP, let us look at various Canada PR routes and programs.

The table given below provides the conversion of CLB Level to IELTS score:

Please Note:

• Even if you have not graduated from a Canadian institution, you can still apply through the Express Entry program for Canada PR. We have discussed it in detail in the later part of the article.
• In order to read more about Canada's PR IELTS requirement, students must visit here.

Canada PR Programs

As mentioned above, Canada has a number of programs that provide a route for Canada PR. However, applying for permanent residency in Canada requires a candidate to fulfill different Canadian PR requirements. Various Canada PR programs have been covered below:

Atlantic Immigration Program

Atlantic Immigration Program is for those who wish to apply for permanent Canada residency in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador provinces. It is for international graduates (from a Canadian institution) and skilled foreign workers. Candidates are required to possess at least 1,560 hours of work experience in the last 5 years. However, international graduates are exempted from this work experience requirement.

Canadian Experience Class (Express Entry)

Canadian Experience Class falls under the ambit of the Canada Express Entry program. Here are certain requirements of the Canadian Experience Class program:

• English language proficiency: CLB 7 (for TEER 0 or 1) and CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3
• At least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada in the last 3 years. This translates to at least 1,560 hours. However, this work experience must be paid.
• Having a degree from a Canadian University will improve your score in the Express Entry Pool.

Federal Skilled Trades Program (Express Entry)

Federal Skilled Trades Program falls under the Canada Express Entry program. The following points will provide you with the requirements for applying for Canada PR through the Federal Skilled Trades Program:

• English language proficiency: CLB 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing
• Minimum 2 years of full-time work experience in the last 5 years (before application). Work experience must be in a skilled trade (TEER 2 or 3)
• Canadian Education will fetch you extra points in Express Entry Pool.
• You need to show proof of funds. However, if you are authorized to work in Canada and you have a valid job offer, you do not need to show proof of funds. The table given below provides you with the details of proof of funds.

Note: CAD 3,958 are required for every additional family member.

Federal Skilled Worker Program (Express Entry)

Federal Skilled Worker Program comes under the purview of the Express Entry Program. The following are the requirements:

• You must score CLB 7 level in speaking, reading, writing, and listening.
• At least 1 year of work experience in TEER 0 to 3. This means at least 1,560 hours.
• You need to provide proof of funds. The criteria are the same as that of the Federal Skilled Trades Program (mentioned above).

Provincial Nominee Program

Those who want to apply for Canada permanent residency through the Provincial Nominee Program need to fulfill the Canada PR requirements as per different provincial requirements. Different provinces in Canada require human resources as per the demand of the economy. There are two ways to apply for PNP Canada:

• Notification of Interest (NOI) for Province: Provinces can access your Express Entry profile and can choose it from the Express Entry Pool. If they select your profile, they will send you a Notification of Interest. If you happen to accept it, you will receive additional 600 points in their CRS Score (Comprehensive Ranking System).
• Apply directly to a Province: You can apply for a nomination to a Province under their Express Entry stream. If they agree to nominate you, you can create your Express Entry profile for applying for Canada PR.

The following Canadian provinces have their own immigration programs:

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

If you plan to apply for Canada PR through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, and you have not applied for community recommendation, you can find an overview of the Canada PR eligibility criteria in the points below:

• English language requirements: CLB 6 for TEER 0 and 1, CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3, and CLB 4 for TEER 4 and 5
• At least 1 year of work experience in the last 3 years. This translates to a minimum of 1,560 hours. However, this work experience requirement is waived off for international students.
• Proof of funds: Information is provided in the table below:

Note: CAD 618 is required for every additional family member.

Business Immigration Program

Business Immigration Program is meant for Canada PR for those individuals who wish to start a business and settle down in Canada. Individuals and their families can use this route to apply for Canada PR if they plan either to start a business in Canada or to buy an existing business in Canada. Here are the Canada PR requirements through the Business Immigration Program:

• Starting a Business (Start-up)
• Buying an existing Business
• Letter of Support from a designated entity
• English language requirements (at least CLB 5)
• Sufficient settlement funds

Family Class Immigration Program

Family Class Immigration Program intends to provide Canada permanent residency to the close family member of Canadian permanent residents (and Canadian citizens). Spouses, common-law or conjugal partners, and dependent children are given priority in this program. The sponsor (person holding Canada PR or citizenship) and the IRCC Minister co-sign an undertaking, which provides support to the applicants. Support includes food, shelter, clothing, necessary goods or services, and health and dental care. Those who reside in Quebec need to submit the undertaking to the Quebec Ministry of Diversity and Inclusion (MIDI).

Canada PR Documents

Now that we have covered various Canada Permanent Residency programs, we can have an overview of the documents required for Canada PR. Here is an overview:

• Valid Passport
• IELTS Test Score
• Proof of Canadian education/ECA (Educational Credential Assessment)
• Provincial nomination (if applicable)
• Job offer from a Canadian employer (if applicable)
• Proof of funds
• Medical examination reports
• Police verification certificates
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate/Divorce certificate/Death certificate/Adoption certificate (if applicable)
• Digital photographs
• Any other relevant document

Canada PR Cost

The following table provides Canada PR fees and an approximate of other related Canada PR cost:

Canada PR Application Processing Time

Canada PR application processing time can range from 6 months to 63 months depending upon the Canada PR process route that you have chosen. It also depends on how complete your documents are. The following is an estimate of the overall processing time for various types of Canada PR applications:

• Canadian Experience Class: 20 months
• Atlantic Immigration Pilot: 15 months
• Provincial Nominees: 12 months
• Federal Skilled Workers: 30 months
• Federal Skilled Trades: 63 months
• Quebec Skilled Workers: 19 months
• Start-up Visa: 32 months

Canada Express Entry

Canada Express Entry program is the most popular route for those who apply for Canada PR from India. Canada Express Entry process has three programs:

• Canadian Experience Class for skilled workers with Canadian work experience
• Federal Skilled Worker Program for skilled workers with foreign work experience
• Federal Skilled Trades Program for skilled workers qualified in a skilled trade

Steps to Apply for Canada PR

• Arrange all the necessary documents such as IELTS score, ECA (Education Credential Assessment), etc.
• Check whether you are eligible to apply through the Canada Express Entry program.
• If you are eligible, you can submit your Expression of Interest (EOI). Your profile will be ranked in the Express Entry Pool with the help of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
• You will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) if you have scored well on the CRS.
• From the day of receiving the ITA, you will have 60 days to apply.
• Canada PR application processing time will be nearly 6 months in case your documents are complete and in order.
• After applying, you will have to go through document verification and other formalities. All this will be done by an immigration officer.
• Once your application is approved by the IRCC, you will receive your Canada PR.
• The table given below provides an overview of the CRS points:

Canada PR Visa Renewal and Canada Citizenship

Once you have received your Canada PR, you need to retain it in order to apply for Canadian citizenship. For this purpose, you need to stay in Canada for at least 730 days in the last 5 years. If you stay in Canada for 1,095 days in the last 5 years on a Canada PR, you can apply for Canadian citizenship. The following points provide a brief overview of Canadian citizenship requirements after Canada PR:

• Hold a Canada PR
• Must have lived in Canada for a minimum of 1,095 days (3 years) in the last 5 years
• Must have filed their taxes
• Must pass a citizenship test
• Provide proof of English language proficiency

Candidates looking to study abroad can get in touch with our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors for assistance with university applications. Candidates can also write to us in the comments section below.