Moving to Canada in 2026: PR, Work, Study, Family

How does Canadian immigration work?

Canada has two broad kinds of status:

Temporary residents are visitors, international students, and foreign workers. Each has a document with an end date: an eTA or visitor visa, a study permit, or a work permit.
Permanent residents (PR) can live, work, and study anywhere in Canada with no end date, as long as they spend at least 2 years in every 5 in Canada. After 3 years of physical presence they can usually apply for citizenship.

The federal department Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) runs most programs and makes every final PR decision. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) decides at the border whether to let you in. Provinces and territories can nominate people for PR through their own programs, and Quebec selects its own economic immigrants under a special agreement.

Canada plans its intake in a yearly Immigration Levels Plan. The 2026-2028 plan cuts temporary resident numbers and gives most PR spaces to economic programs. Many people move in two steps: they study or work in Canada first, then apply for PR using that Canadian experience. Read how Canadian immigration works for the full picture.

What are the main pathways to Canada?

Status labels are as of September 22, 2026.

Pathway	Who it fits	Typical time	Status
Express Entry (FSW, CEC, FST)	Skilled workers with good language scores and education	About 6 months after an invitation (IRCC standard)	Open
Provincial Nominee Program	Workers and graduates a province wants, including some lower-skilled jobs	Provincial step plus IRCC step; often a year or more	Changing
Atlantic Immigration Program	Workers with a job offer from a designated Atlantic employer	Varies by province and case	Open; new employer designations paused in New Brunswick for 2026
Rural and Francophone community pilots	Workers with a job offer in a participating community	Varies	Open
Quebec programs (PSTQ, PEQ)	People who speak French and want to live in Quebec	Quebec step plus IRCC step	PSTQ open, PEQ limited
Work permits (LMIA, IEC, CUSMA, transfers)	Workers with a Canadian job offer, young people, some professionals	Weeks to months	Restricted for low-wage jobs
Study permit	Students accepted by a designated school	Weeks to months; plan around intakes	Restricted (capped)
Family sponsorship	Spouses, partners, and dependent children of citizens and PRs	Often around a year or more	Open; parents paused
Business and investor	Entrepreneurs and investors	Often years	Federal programs closed or paused
Humanitarian	Refugees and people at risk	Often years	Restricted

Use the processing times tool for current IRCC estimates. Times depend on your country, the program, and whether your file is complete.

How Express Entry and provincial programs fit together

Express Entry is an online pool, not a program on its own. You create a profile under one of three federal programs, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. IRCC gives you a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and invites the top candidates in regular draws.

Since 2023, many draws target categories instead of the whole pool. For 2026 the categories are French, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education, transport, physicians, researchers and senior managers with Canadian experience, and military recruits.

A provincial nomination through an "enhanced" stream adds 600 CRS points, which almost guarantees an invitation. "Base" provincial streams sit outside Express Entry and are the main PR route for many jobs that Express Entry does not cover. Compare them in Express Entry vs PNP, and estimate your score with the CRS calculator.

What changed in 2026?

The main changes as of September 22, 2026:

Fewer temporary residents. The study permit cap continues, open work permits for spouses are narrower, and low-wage LMIAs are refused in 26 of 41 metro areas.
New Express Entry categories. Physicians, researchers, senior managers, transport, and military recruits were added; agriculture was dropped. See 2026 categories.
Provincial overhauls. Ontario replaced its old streams with the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, British Columbia cut its graduate and tech streams, Nova Scotia went from 10 streams to 4, and New Brunswick narrowed its program.
Paused or closed. The Parents and Grandparents Program paused new intake in July 2026, the Start-Up Visa closed, and the home care worker pilots remain paused.
Quebec. The PEQ reopened on July 2, 2026 for two years; the first intake closes October 31, 2026.
New routes. A temporary-to-permanent pathway for workers outside the big cities, a construction worker pathway, a one-time measure for protected persons, and a promised pathway for H-1B holders that has no rules yet.
Asylum. Bill C-12 became law on March 26, 2026. Most claims made more than one year after first entering Canada (after June 24, 2020) are no longer referred to the refugee board.
Fees. PR processing fees rose on April 30, 2026.

See everything on the Canada Status Now page.

Where should you start?

Test your language. Almost every PR route needs an approved English or French test. See IELTS vs CELPIP and convert results with the CLB converter.
Check Express Entry first. Run the FSW 67-point check and the CRS calculator, then compare your score with recent draw results.
Look at provinces. If your score is low, see which province needs your job: Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or the Atlantic provinces.
Consider a two-step route. Studying or working in Canada first can make you eligible for the Canadian Experience Class. See study and work.
Check family options. If your spouse or partner is Canadian or a PR, see family sponsorship.
Read your country guide, such as moving from India, Nigeria, or the USA.

When should you get professional help?

You can apply to IRCC without a representative, and IRCC treats self-prepared applications the same way. If you pay someone for help, it must be a Canadian lawyer, a Quebec notary, or a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.

Get professional advice before you apply if you have a past refusal, a criminal record, a previous misrepresentation finding, a medical issue, or an asylum claim. Read how to verify a lawyer or consultant and how to avoid immigration scams.

In this section

Overviews

Canada immigration guidesStep-by-step guides to Canadian immigration processes: CRS, ITAs, landing, PR cards, citizenship, medical exams, proof of funds and more.Canada immigration tools Canada Status NowThis page tracks the Canadian immigration programs and rules that changed most in 2025 and 2026, including the Parents and Grandparents Program pause, the Start-Up Visa closure, the study permit cap, provincial program overhauls, and new Express Entry categories. Each item below carries a status label and a Last verified date, and links to a page with the timeline and what to do now. Check the item that affects you before you apply.Canadian citizenshipPermanent residents can apply for Canadian citizenship after spending at least 1,095 days (3 years) physically in Canada in the 5 years before they apply, if they have filed taxes for 3 of those years and, for ages 18 to 54, pass the language and knowledge requirements. People born abroad to a Canadian parent may already be citizens: since Bill C-3 took effect on December 15, 2025, the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent no longer applies in the same way. Canada allows dual citizenship.Family in CanadaCanadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, and dependent children for permanent residence, and in narrow cases other relatives. The Parents and Grandparents Program stopped taking new sponsorships on July 15, 2026, so parents and grandparents currently use the Super Visa, which allows visits of up to 5 years at a time. Every sponsor signs a legal promise to support the family member for a set number of years.Humanitarian protectionCanada protects refugees in two main ways: it resettles refugees selected abroad, through government and private sponsorship, and it decides asylum claims made by people already in Canada or at the border. Bill C-12, which became law on March 26, 2026, means most claims made more than one year after a person's first entry to Canada (after June 24, 2020) are no longer sent to the refugee board. Because the rules are strict and deadlines matter, get help from a lawyer, legal aid, or a licensed consultant before you make a claim.Invest in CanadaCanada has no federal investor visa open in 2026: the Start-Up Visa closed to new applicants on December 31, 2025, and the Self-Employed Persons Program has been paused since April 2024. Business people now rely mainly on Quebec's Investor and Entrepreneur programs and on provincial entrepreneur streams, most of which need a large net worth, an active business, and a temporary work permit period before permanent residence. A replacement federal entrepreneur pilot has been promised but has no rules or launch date yet.Moving to Canada from your countryCountry-by-country guides to moving to Canada, including visa and eTA rules, language tests and the pathways that fit each nationality.Permanent residenceCanadian permanent residence (PR) lets you live, work, and study anywhere in Canada with no end date, as long as you spend at least 730 days in Canada in every 5 years. Most new permanent residents qualify through economic programs, mainly Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program, while others come through family sponsorship, Quebec's own programs, or refugee and humanitarian routes. The economic PR fee for a principal applicant is CAD $1,590 since April 30, 2026.Retire in CanadaCanada has no retirement visa, and savings or a pension alone do not qualify you to live there. Retirees usually rely on long visits (up to about 6 months at a time), the Super Visa if a child or grandchild is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, sponsorship by a Canadian spouse or partner, or, for some people with Canadian parents or grandparents, citizenship by descent. Sponsorship of parents and grandparents for permanent residence has been paused since July 15, 2026.Study in CanadaInternational students need a study permit for programs in Canada longer than 6 months, and in 2026 the number of applications is capped at about 309,670 for students who need a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL). Students can work up to 24 hours a week off campus during classes, and graduates of eligible programs can get a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). Canadian study and work experience can then lead to permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class or a provincial program.Visit CanadaMost visitors to Canada need either an electronic travel authorization (eTA), a CAD $7 online approval for citizens of visa-exempt countries who fly in, or a visitor visa, which costs CAD $100 plus CAD $85 for biometrics. US citizens need neither. Visitors are usually allowed to stay up to 6 months, and parents and grandparents of Canadians can get a Super Visa that allows stays of up to 5 years per entry.Work in CanadaCanada has two kinds of work permits: employer-specific permits, which usually need a job offer and often a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and open work permits, which let you work for almost any employer. Many foreign workers later become permanent residents through the Canadian Experience Class, a provincial program, or a regional pilot. In 2026 Canada is issuing fewer work permits: low-wage LMIAs are refused in 26 of 41 metro areas, and open permits for spouses are limited.

Programs

Agri-Food PilotClosed
Asylum in CanadaOpen
Atlantic Immigration ProgramOpen
Bridging open work permitOpen
Business visitorOpen
C10 significant benefitOpen
Citizenship by descentOpen
Construction worker pathwayChanging
CUSMA professionalsOpen
Dependent childrenOpen
Economic Mobility PathwaysClosed
eTAOpen
Express EntryOpen
Extend your statusOpen
Francophone Community Immigration PilotOpen
Francophone MobilityOpen
Global Talent StreamOpen
H-1B holders pathwayChanging
Home Care Worker pilotsPaused
Humanitarian and compassionateOpen
IEC working holidayOpen
Intra-company transferOpen
LMIA work permitRestricted
Maintained statusOpen
Other relativesRestricted
Parents and Grandparents ProgramPaused
PGWPRestricted
Protected persons PROpen
Provincial Nominee ProgramChanging
Refugee resettlementRestricted
Restoration of statusOpen
Rural Community Immigration PilotOpen
SAWPRestricted
Self-Employed Persons ProgramPaused
Spousal open work permitRestricted
Spousal sponsorshipOpen
Start-Up VisaClosed
Study permitRestricted
Super VisaOpen
Temporary resident permitOpen
TR to PR 2026Restricted
Visitor visaOpen
Vulnerable worker permitOpen

Guides

How Canadian immigration worksCanada's immigration system has two tracks: temporary residence for visitors, students, and workers, and permanent residence, which most people get through economic programs that rank candidates by points. The federal department IRCC runs most programs and makes all permanent residence decisions, while provinces and Quebec can select people for their own needs. Many immigrants move in two steps, studying or working in Canada first and then applying for permanent residence with that Canadian experience.

Places

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest way to immigrate to Canada?

It depends on your profile. Young, highly educated people with strong English or French often qualify through Express Entry. People with a job offer in a smaller community may do better with a provincial program or the Atlantic and rural pilots. Spouses of Canadians can be sponsored.

Can I move to Canada without a job offer?

Yes. Express Entry does not require a job offer, and since March 25, 2025 a job offer no longer adds CRS points. Some provincial streams also invite people without offers. Many other provincial and pilot streams do require one.

How long does it take to get permanent residence in Canada?

IRCC's service standard for Express Entry applications is about 6 months after you submit a complete application following an invitation. Provincial, family, and humanitarian routes usually take longer. Check the IRCC processing times tool for current estimates.

Can I sponsor my parents to Canada in 2026?

Not for permanent residence right now. IRCC paused new intake under the Parents and Grandparents Program on July 15, 2026. Parents and grandparents can still apply for a Super Visa for long visits.

Do I need to speak French to immigrate to Canada?

No, English is enough for most federal and provincial programs. French is required for most Quebec programs, and strong French can add up to 50 CRS points and qualify you for French-language draws.

How long before I can become a Canadian citizen?

You need 1,095 days (3 years) of physical presence in Canada in the 5 years before you apply, plus tax filing, language, and knowledge requirements for ages 18 to 54.

Official sources

IRCC: Immigrate to Canadacanada.ca
IRCC: 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plancanada.ca
IRCC: Fee listircc.canada.ca
IRCC: Bill C-12 measures become lawcanada.ca

General information, not legal advice. NorthAmericans.com is independent and not affiliated with any government.