Canada immigration guides

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BiometricsBiometrics are your fingerprints and a digital photo, which most people applying for a Canadian visitor visa, study or work permit, or permanent residence must give. As of September 2026 the fee is CAD $85 per person or $170 for a family applying together, and your biometrics are valid for 10 years. Most people aged 14 to 79 need to give them, with exemptions for groups such as citizens, existing permanent residents, and visa-exempt tourists with an eTA.
Citizenship applicationTo apply for Canadian citizenship as an adult, you must be a permanent resident who has been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) in the 5 years before you sign your application, and filed taxes for at least 3 of those years if required. Applicants aged 18 to 54 must also show basic English or French (CLB 4) and pass the citizenship test. As of September 2026 the fee is CAD $653 for an adult and $100 for a minor.
Citizenship testThe Canadian citizenship test is a 20-question multiple-choice and true-or-false test that applicants aged 18 to 54 must pass to become citizens. Most people take it online, have 45 minutes to finish, and need at least 15 correct answers to pass. The questions come from the official study guide, Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, and you get 3 chances to pass.
CRS explainedThe Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is the points system Canada uses to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool, with a maximum of 1,200 points. Up to 600 points come from your core factors (age, education, language, and Canadian work experience), your spouse's factors, and skill transferability, and up to 600 more come from additional points such as a provincial nomination. Since March 25, 2025, a job offer no longer adds CRS points. IRCC announced that, starting November 3, 2026, eligible high-wage job offers can earn 50, 70 or 100 CRS points; the change is not yet in force as of October 19, 2026.
Dual citizenshipCanada allows dual and multiple citizenship, so becoming Canadian does not require you to give up your other citizenship under Canadian law. Whether you can keep your first citizenship depends on your other country's laws: some countries end your citizenship when you naturalize elsewhere. Dual Canadian citizens must use a valid Canadian passport to fly to Canada, with an exception for Canadian-American dual citizens.
ECAAn Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is a report from an IRCC-designated organization that shows how your foreign diploma or degree compares to a Canadian one. You need an ECA to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program with foreign education, and to earn Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for education completed outside Canada. For Express Entry, an ECA is valid for 5 years from the date it was issued.
GCMS notes and refusalsWhen Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) refuses an application, the refusal letter gives only short reasons. Since July 29, 2025, IRCC includes officer decision notes with many temporary resident refusals, and you can get your fuller file notes from IRCC's Global Case Management System (GCMS) through an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request. Knowing the real reasons helps you decide whether to reapply with better evidence, ask for reconsideration, or seek judicial review in the Federal Court.
InadmissibilityBeing inadmissible means Canadian law does not allow you to enter or stay in Canada, for reasons such as a criminal record, a serious health issue, misrepresentation, or past immigration violations. Since December 18, 2018, impaired driving counts as serious criminality, so a single DUI can make you inadmissible. Depending on your situation, you may overcome it through deemed or individual rehabilitation, a record suspension, or a temporary resident permit (TRP).
ITA to COPRAfter you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) through Express Entry, you have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence online. As of September 2026, the fees for a principal applicant are CAD $1,590 (processing plus the right of permanent residence fee), and IRCC aims to finish most Express Entry applications in about 6 months. If you are approved, you receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), which you use to become a permanent resident.
Landing as a PRLanding is the final step to becoming a permanent resident of Canada. If you are outside Canada, you travel before your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) expires and a border officer confirms your status at the port of entry; if you are already in Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) usually confirms your status online. After landing, your PR card is mailed to your Canadian address, and you should apply for a Social Insurance Number, provincial health coverage, and other basics.
Language testsCanada accepts five language tests for economic immigration: IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, and PTE Core in English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada in French. Your scores are converted to Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for French, and results must be less than 2 years old for Express Entry. Different programs need different levels, from CLB 4 for citizenship to CLB 7 for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and university graduates' post-graduation work permits.
Medical examAn immigration medical exam (IME) is a health check done by a doctor approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), called a panel physician. All permanent residence applicants need one, and some temporary residents do too, such as people staying longer than 6 months who recently lived in certain countries or who will work in health care, child care, or schools. Results are generally valid for 12 months.
Police certificatesPolice certificates are official records of your criminal history, or lack of one, from each country where you have lived. For most permanent residence applications, you and each family member aged 18 or older need a certificate from every country or territory where you lived for 6 months or more in a row since age 18. Each country has its own process, so request certificates early and follow IRCC's country-specific instructions.
PR card renewalYou can renew your Canadian permanent resident (PR) card when it expires in less than 9 months or has already expired, as long as you are in Canada. The fee is CAD $50 as of September 2026, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) checks that you have met the residency obligation of 730 days in the last 5 years. An expired card does not end your permanent resident status, but you need a valid card or a travel document to board a flight to Canada.
Proof of fundsProof of funds is evidence that you have enough money to support yourself and your family when you arrive in Canada. For Express Entry, Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants must show at least CAD $15,263 for a single person (table from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), updated July 7, 2025), unless they are exempt. Study permit applicants outside Quebec must show CAD $23,448 for one person for applications from September 1, 2026, plus tuition and travel.
PRTDA permanent resident travel document (PRTD) lets a Canadian permanent resident who is outside Canada without a valid PR card board a flight or other commercial transport back to Canada. It costs CAD $50 as of September 2026. When you apply, an officer checks whether you meet the residency obligation of 730 days in Canada in the last 5 years, so a PRTD application can also decide whether you keep your status.
Residency obligationCanadian permanent residents must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (2 years) in every 5-year period to keep their status. The days don't have to be continuous, and some time abroad counts, such as time spent accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse or working full time for a Canadian employer abroad. Falling short does not end your status automatically, but it can lead to a formal decision that removes it.

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