The experts at HowToMoveTo make it easy to understand your current options for moving to Canada. Get clear answers and understand your chances with HowToMoveTo’s immigration eligibility report.
Canadian Permanent Residency in 2025
Immigrating to Canada
Canada has gained a reputation in the world as a welcoming, diverse, and peaceful country. In 2024 alone, over 480,000 individuals became permanent residents. While this amount has been reduced to under 400,000 for 2025, it still makes Canada one of the most desired yet accessible countries to immigrate to in the world.
For those looking to immigrate to Canada, there are several immigration paths available.
Express Entry
Express Entry is Canada’s main immigration system for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents. It uses a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to evaluate candidates based on factors like age, education, work experience, and language ability in English or French.
It is known for its fast processing times, with its permanent residency draws occurring regularly every 1 to 2 weeks. HowToMoveTo’s Personalized Report for Canada can show your chances of being selected via Express Entry in a clear and easy to understand report.
Provincial Nominee Program
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals who want to live and work in a specific region. Each province has its own streams and criteria based on local labor needs, such as targeting skilled workers, graduates, or entrepreneurs.
Candidates can apply directly to a province or through Express Entry, where a nomination adds extra points to their profile and increases the chance of receiving an invitation for permanent residency.
Family Sponsorship
Family sponsorship allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring close family members to live with them in Canada.
This program supports the reunification of families by allowing sponsors to help their spouse, common-law partner, dependent children, parents, or grandparents become permanent residents.
Sponsors must meet certain income and support requirements to ensure their family members can settle successfully without relying on government assistance.
Thinking about living in Canada?
Get your personalized Canadian Immigration Eligibility Assessment Report.
Whether you’re applying through Express Entry, a Provincial Nominee Program, or another immigration stream, this report provides a fundamental overview of your options and opportunities.
Understand your eligibility
Highlights the best immigration options for your situation
Outline your steps to move forward
Business Start-Up Visa Program
Canada’s Start‑Up Visa Program is designed to attract immigrant entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas that can create jobs and compete globally, offering a direct pathway to permanent residence (outside Quebec).
Applicants must secure a letter of support from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator. Applicants must hold at least 10% of the voting rights, and together with the organization control the majority of the business.
While applicants wait for permanent residency (which can take around three years), they may be eligible for a temporary work permit to launch their start‑up in Canada.
Provincial immigration programs, known as Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), let Canada’s provinces and territories select immigrants who meet their specific economic and labor market needs. Each province has its own set of eligibility criteria and streams focused on skilled workers, graduates, and entrepreneurs.
Applicants can either apply directly to a province or be nominated through the federal Express Entry system, which boosts their chances of receiving permanent residency. These programs help distribute immigration more evenly across the country and support regional growth.
The Atlantic Immigration Program helps employers in Atlantic Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick—hire skilled workers and international graduates to fill local labor needs. It offers a pathway to permanent residency with job offers and settlement support.
In contrast, Quebec has its own separate immigration system and selects skilled workers through its Quebec Skilled Worker Program. Applicants must receive a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) before applying for permanent residence through the federal system.
Both programs are tailored to meet the unique needs of their respective regions.
Canadian Province-specific Immigration Programs
Job-specific Immigration Programs
Canada offers several job-specific immigration programs to fill labor shortages in key sectors.
The Agri-Food Pilot targets workers in agriculture and food processing, such as farm supervisors, butchers, and meat cutters, providing a path to permanent residency for those with eligible job offers and experience.
Caregiver programs, like the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot, allow individuals with experience caring for children, the elderly, or people with medical needs to immigrate while working in Canada.
These programs help meet essential workforce needs and support applicants in building long-term lives in Canadian communities.
Immigration Transparency and Accountability
A main attraction of Canada’s immigration approach is its transparency and accountability. Canada tries to keep immigration fair and easy to understand by publishing the rules, point systems, and who can apply for each program. The government posts draw scores, processing goals, and yearly targets so people can see how selections are made. Applicants get checklists and online status updates, and there are ways to submit extra documents or ask for reviews if something goes wrong.
This level of openness makes Canada’s immigration process more predictable and less confusing than in many other countries, where rules may be unclear or change without notice. In some countries, decisions are made without explanation or applicants face extremely long waits with little communication. Canada’s immigration transparency gives people a clearer idea of their chances, making it an appealing and less frustrating choice for those looking at Canadian Permanent Residency.
Evaluate Your Canadian Immigration Eligibility
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Save Time and Effort
Stop wasting precious hours sifting through complex immigration websites and trying to decipher confusing requirements. Our assessment tool is designed to save you significant time and effort by instantly analyzing your profile against various permanent residency programs. You can quickly understand your options without extensive research, receiving a clear and concise report that outlines the pathways you are likely eligible for, all in a fraction of the time it would take to gather this information yourself.
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Gain Clarity
Cut through the confusion and uncertainty surrounding immigration. Our assessment is designed to help you gain clarity by providing a straightforward breakdown of the permanent residency programs that align with your qualifications. Instead of being overwhelmed by the multitude of options, you'll understand the permanent residency programs you may qualify for, empowering you to focus your research and efforts on the pathways that offer the most realistic opportunities for your successful immigration.
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Peace of Mind
Peace of Mind: Navigate the often-stressful immigration process with greater peace of mind. By understanding your potential eligibility and having a clear roadmap of your options, you can reduce uncertainty and anxiety, allowing you to approach your immigration journey with more confidence and assurance.