Applying for permanent residence — Business class applicants: Investors, entrepreneurs, self‑employed persons (IMM 4000)

What happens next?

Checking your application status

To find out the current status of your application, follow these steps:

Step	Action
1	Log on to our website at www.cic.gc.ca.
2	Select “I Need To…” on the right hand side of the page.
3	Click on Check My Application Status.
4	Click on Client Application Status under “Online Services”.

If you do not want your information to be made available online, you can remove it by following these steps:

Step	Action
1	Log on to our website at www.cic.gc.ca.
2	Select “I Need To…” on the right hand side of the page.
3	Click on Check My Application Status.
4	Click on Client Application Status under “Online Services”.
5	Access your account.
6	Select the check box next to the message “Please don’t show my application status on the Internet”.

The decision on your application

An officer will decide if an interview is necessary. If so, you will be informed of the time and place. Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children aged 18 or over may also be asked to come to the interview. The officer may ask about your job, experience, education, reasons for migrating, plans and preparations. The officer may also ask about your family, health, financial situation, or past difficulties with the law. There may also be questions to determine your ability to settle successfully in Canada.

If your application is successful, the Canadian visa office will ask you to submit your passports. You and your family members must have valid passports in order to receive your visas. Diplomatic, official or similar passports cannot be used to immigrate to Canada. You must have ordinary (non-official) passports when you arrive. The validity of your visas cannot exceed the validity of your passports. The Canadian visa office may request that your passports be renewed prior to submission.

For how long is my permanent resident visa valid?

The validity date is based on the earlier of:

• your passport validity dates or your family members’ passport validity dates; or
• the medical validity dates. Medical examination results are valid for 12 months after the initial medical examination.

If you do not use your visa within its validity, you must re-apply for immigration to Canada. Permanent resident visas cannot be extended once issued.

Employment and settlement services

Settlement services vary between regions and provinces. You can learn about them from:

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada at: www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomer;
• Human Resources and Social Development: www.hrsdc.gc.ca; and,
• from some provincial governments or provincial organizations.

Arriving in Canada

When you arrive, you must present your Confirmation of Permanent Residence to a Canadian customs or immigration officer at your first port of entry. The officer will check your Confirmation of Permanent Residence and passport and ask you questions similar to those on the Application for Permanent Residence in Canada (IMM 0008, Generic) to verify that you are of good character and in good health. You may also be required to show proof of your funds.

The permanent resident card

You will be issued a permanent resident card as part of the arrival process. Cards will be mailed to your home address soon after you become a permanent resident. For information on the permanent resident card, visit our website.

Permanent resident status

Some conditions apply:

• You will remain a permanent resident until you become a Canadian citizen, however, you must spend at least two years of each five year period in Canada
• You may leave and re-enter Canada as often as you wish
• If you spend more than two years of a five-year period outside Canada, you may lose your permanent resident status (certain conditions apply)

Rights

As permanent residents, you and your family will have the right to:

• Live, study and work in Canada for as long as you remain permanent residents.
• Access most social benefits accorded to Canadian citizens (see “Limitations” below)
• Apply for Canadian citizenship and a Canadian passport (once you have been a legal resident of Canada for three of the previous four years)

Limitations

There are a few limitations on permanent residents:

• You cannot vote in certain elections.
• You may be ineligible for certain jobs requiring high-level security clearances
• If you or any of your family members commit a serious crime, you or your family members risk being deported from Canada

Obligations

As permanent residents, you will also have the same legal obligations as Canadians, such as paying taxes and respecting all federal, provincial and municipal laws.

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