Strategic Outcomes and Program Alignment Architecture (in effect April 1, 2011)

Program 1.1 - Permanent Economic Residents

Program Description
Rooted in legislative requirements outlined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the focus of this program is on the selection and processing of immigrants who can become permanent residents and contribute to Canada’s economic development. The acceptance of qualified permanent residents helps the government meet its economic objectives, such as building a skilled workforce, by addressing immediate and longer term labour market needs. The selection and processing involve the issuance of permanent resident visas to qualified applicants, as well as the refusal of unqualified applicants.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) aims to ensure that the movement of people into Canada contributes to the country’s social and economic interests, and meets its humanitarian commitments while protecting the health, safety, and security of Canadians. Canada’s immigration program is based on nondiscriminatory principles–foreign nationals are assessed without regard to race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or gender.

Overall, CIC maintains a balanced immigration program that responds to Canada’s labour market needs while fostering family reunification and honouring Canada’s humanitarian commitments. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act defines three basic classes of permanent residents–economic, family, and protected persons. Permanent residents are persons who have not become Canadian citizens but are authorized to live and work in Canada indefinitely, provided that they meet the residency requirements and do not lose their status for reasons of serious criminality, security, human rights violations, organized crime, or misrepresentation.

Economic Class Immigrants

The Economic Class includes the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Quebec Skilled Worker Class, the Provincial Nominee Class, the Canadian Experience Class, the Live-in Caregiver Class, the Business Immigration Classes (Investor, Entrepreneur and Self-Employed Persons), and their accompanying family members.

Federal Skilled Workers

The Federal Skilled Worker Program supports Canada’s economic growth by selecting immigrants with essential and transferable skills that contribute to success and adaptability in the Canadian labour market. In the selection of skilled workers, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act places emphasis on their level of education, previous work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, age, arranged employment, and adaptability.

As a result of important amendments made to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the subsequent introduction of the Action Plan for Faster Immigration and the Ministerial Instructions initially issued in late 2008 and last updated in 2011, the way in which federal skilled worker applications are handled has changed. These initiatives provide the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada with the authority to issue instructions directing visa officers to process, on a priority basis, those federal skilled worker applications that best support the Government of Canada’s goals for immigration.

More information on Federal Skilled Workers

Quebec Skilled Workers

Quebec, having sole selection authority for skilled workers destined to that province, assesses applicants in accordance with its own criteria. Quebec-selected skilled workers are not affected by the Ministerial Instructions. Under the terms of the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec has full responsibility for selecting its immigrants, with the exception of members of the Family Class and refugees whose status is determined in Canada. The Government of Canada is committed to processing Quebec-selected cases as quickly as possible. Quebec sets its own annual immigration targets, including those it selects to meet its economic needs from the Skilled Worker Class and the Business Class (see below). CIC works closely with Quebec to manage and coordinate immigration to that province.

More information on Quebec Skilled Workers

Provincial and Territorial Nominees

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) gives provinces and territories an active role in immigrant selection as it authorizes them to nominate for permanent residence individuals who will meet their specific local labour market or regional economic development needs. The PNP is designed to help spread the benefits of immigration across Canada by encouraging immigration to areas which are not traditional immigrant destinations.

All of the provinces and territories except Quebec and Nunavut have signed nominee agreements with the federal government. These agreements allow provinces and territories to nominate specific individuals on the basis of their ability to establish economically and their intention to reside in the nominating province or territory, provided that they were not nominated as part of an immigration-linked investment scheme. While these nominees must meet PNP nomination criteria they are not subject to the skilled worker selection grid. However, CIC retains the final selection decision to ensure that nominees are able to establish economically and meet federal health and security admission criteria.

CIC co-chairs a federal-provincial-territorial working group on economic immigration which promotes the exchange of views and information on the PNP and other areas of mutual interest.

More information on the Provincial and Territorial Nominee Programs

Live-in Caregivers

The Live-in Caregiver Program allows individuals residing in Canada to employ qualified temporary foreign workers in their private residence when there are not enough Canadians and permanent residents to fill the available positions. Live-in caregivers are authorized to provide care for children, the elderly, or persons with a disability. Live-in caregivers are initially granted temporary resident status and a work permit, and after two years, they are eligible to apply for permanent resident status.

More information on Live-in Caregivers

Canadian Experience Class

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC), launched in September 2008, is designed to facilitate the transition of certain Temporary Foreign Workers and international graduates to permanent resident status without having to leave Canada, thereby helping to retain those with valuable Canadian skilled work experience and certain Canadian credentials. The CEC is working well, with relatively short processing times (14 months) and high acceptance rates. The number of applications in this class is increasing as workers are learning about this avenue to permanent residence.

More information on the Canadian Experience Class

Federal Business Immigrants

Business Class immigrants are selected on the basis of their ability to create jobs for themselves and Canadian citizens or permanent residents, contribute capital to the Canadian economy, and stimulate economic activity. The three categories of Business Class immigration are as follows.

Under the IIP, CIC acts as an agent to allocate immigrant investor capital to participating provincial and territorial governments for their use in economic development initiatives. Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan participate in the IIP. CIC is continuing discussions with other provinces that have expressed an interest in participating.

More information on Federal Business Immigrants

Quebec Business Immigrants

As in the Skilled Worker Class, Quebec is responsible for determining selection criteria for investors, entrepreneurs, and self-employed persons destined to Quebec. Quebec also administers its own Immigrant Investor Program, although certain selection factors, such as personal net worth and investment amounts, are harmonized with the federal program.

More information on Quebec Business Immigrants