Applying for a Permanent Resident Visa

A permanent residence visa (PR visa) gives you the legal right to reside in a foreign country permanently. With a PR visa, you can live, study, seek employment, and even establish your business in the country.

No, permanent residence and citizenship are not the same despite their similarity in allowing individuals to reside in the country legally. While permanent residency enables you to reside in the country of your choice long-term, citizenship grants you complete rights, including voting access, participating in politics, and more. Citizenship is usually obtained by birth or naturalization; permanent residency can be acquired through immigration pathways and may be conditional.  

The lists of the top 7 countries that offer PR are as follows:

1. Canada
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. Germany
5. Ireland
6. The United Kingdom
7. Singapore

You can choose Express Entry or the Canada PNP pathway to apply for a PR visa in Canada.

Steps to apply for Canada Express Entry are as follows:

Step 1: Check if you qualify

Step 2: Arrange the documents as per the checklist

Step 3: Create an Express Entry profile

Step 4: Complete the fee payment

Step 5: Receive an ITA for PR

Steps to apply for Canada PNP are as follows:

Step 1: Check your eligibility to apply

Step 2: Check if you fulfill the criteria for the PNP of your choice

Step 3: Arrange the requirements

Step 4: Apply For the Canada PNP program

Step 5: Wait for the status

 

To apply for a PR visa for Australia, you must fulfill specific requirements like:

• Be under 45 years of age
• Score at least 65 points on the points grid
• English language proficiency
• Get a positive skills assessment
• Have an occupation that is on Australia’s Demand List
• Meet the character and health requirements

You can follow the below steps to apply for Australia PR:

Step 1: Check if you are eligible to apply

Step 2: Register an Expression of Interest (EOI)

Step 3: Receive an ITA

Step 4: Submit the PR application

Step 5: Wait for the Australia PR visa status

The time taken for a PR application may vary depending on the country you are applying for. A Canada PR visa takes around 6 months, while an Australian PR visa may take up to 6-12 months.

Some of the most popular countries that provide PR visas to visas to immigrants include Canada, Australia, the UK, the UK, and Germany. The requirements for a PR visa vary based on factors such as the country chosen, age, work experience, and duration of stay there.

The processing time is relatively shorter for Canada PR than for Australia and the UK. Canada's Express Entry and Provincial Nominee programs offer various pathways for skilled professionals and international students, with a processing time of around 8-12 months, depending on application completeness and other requirements. Australia, too, offers relatively easy PR processing, but due to application volume and changing immigration policies, Australian PR visas are taking a little longer to approve.

The main pathways for Canada PR include the Express Entry Program, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), Family Sponsorship Programs, and Business Immigration. The Express Entry program allows skilled workers to live and work in Canada. It requires scoring minimum points in the Canada Comprehensive Ranking System based on factors like education, work experience, and language skills. In the case of the Provincial Nominee Program, skilled workers must be nominated by a province or territory for an in-demand occupation. Canadian citizens or PR holders can sponsor their families to Canada, including spouses, children, and parents.

The easiest and quickest way to get PR in Canada is through the Express Entry program. Provincial Nominee Programs can also expedite the PR process, especially if a province nominates you and has a lower CRS score in the Express Entry.

The requirements to qualify for an Express Entry program are:

• Work experience of at least one year in the last 10 years
• Must demonstrate proficiency in English or French (CLB 7 or higher)
• A bachelor's degree or equivalent (Must meet Canadian standards)
• A minimum score of 67 points on the comprehensive ranking system
• Proof of sufficient finance to support yourself
• A job offer from a recognized Canadian employer

Given below are ways to improve your CRS score for Canada PR:

• Achieve a higher CLB score for language proficiency (CLB 7 or higher). For better scores, retake tests like IELTS, CELPIP, PTE, etc.
• Pursue education in Canada to improve your score. Obtaining a Canadian degree or diploma will give you additional points.
• Gain more work experience in in-demand or skilled occupations (TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3)
• Obtaining a provincial nomination through PNP streams will give 600 additional points.
• A valid employment contract from a recognized Canadian employer
• Include your spouse, de facto partner, or common-law partner in your application

You can include your spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children in the Canada PR application. You can also sponsor your family members, such as parents and grandparents, through a family sponsorship program once you are a PR holder or a Canadian citizen. The dependent children must be under 22 years old and unmarried and not have any children.

The processing time for Canada PR varies depending on the immigration pathway, application completeness, and other factors. The table below lists various immigration programs and their average processing times:

Canada PR Programs	Categories	Average Processing Time
Express Entry Program	Federal Skilled Worker Program	6 months
Canadian Experience Class	5–6 months
Federal Skilled Trades Program	6 months
Provincial Nominee Program	Express Entry PNPs	6 months
Non-Express Entry PNPs	12–19 months
Family Sponsorship	Spouse Visa	10–12 months
Dependent Children Visa	9–12 months
Parent and Grandparent Visa	24 months
Atlantic Immigration Program	Atlantic High Skilled Program	6–12 months
Atlantic Intermediate Skilled Program	6–12 months
Atlantic International Graduate Program	6–12 months
Startup Visa Program	—	12–16 months
Quebec Skilled Workers Program	—	Varies

It is not mandatory to have a job offer to qualify for Canada PR. There are immigration pathways that offer PR without a job offer, such as Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and Atlantic Immigration Program. However, having a job offer will increase your chances of receiving a PR.

Yes, you can apply for Canadian citizenship after receiving PR. The eligibility requirements for citizenship are as follows:

• You must be proficient in English or French
• You must meet educational and work experience requirements
• A minimum score of 67 out of 100 in the Comprehensive Ranking System
• You must meet health requirements, be free of criminal record, and be admissible to Canada
• Proof of sufficient finance to support yourself

The pathways for Australia PR include the Skilled Migration Program, Employer Sponsorship Program, Family Program, Business Program, and Humanitarian grounds. The Skilled Migration program is for individuals with relevant skills and qualifications for in-demand occupations in Australia. There are many programs under Skilled Migration, such as Skilled Independent Visa, Skilled Nominated Visa, and Regional Skilled Work Visa. The Employer sponsor program (Employer Nomination scheme) is issued for individuals who have obtained a valid job offer from a recognized Australian employer. Family Migration is for dependents of Australian citizens or PR holders. They can sponsor their family and eventually be a permanent resident in Australia. The Business Program is for individuals with a valid business plan willing to invest in Australia in the long term.

The benefits include:

• Right to live and work indefinitely in Australia
• Access to Australia's public healthcare system, Medicare
• Children of PR holders have access to free education in government-run schools
• Can apply for loans to buy property
• Can sponsor their dependents to Australia
• May become eligible for Australian citizenship
• Access to various social security benefits
• There is no restriction on work. PR holders can work in any occupation for any employer
• Eligible for assistance from the Australian government while purchasing a first home in Australia

The points for the Australia points system are calculated based on factors such as age, education, work experience, proficiency in the English language, Australia-specific qualifications, and more. The table below provides detailed information about the factors and the maximum points allotted for each:

Factors	Points (Maximum)
Age	30
English Proficiency	20
Work Experience (In Australia)	15
Work Experience (Outside Australia)	20
Education (Outside Australia)	20
Education (In Australia)	20
Community Language Accreditation	5
Education in Regional Area	5
Skilled Program in Australia	5
State Sponsorship	5
Partner Skills	15
Partner is an Australian Citizen or PR Holder	10
Regional Sponsorship	15

Below are ways to improve your score in the Australian points system:

• Retake tests like IELTS, PTE, or TOEFL to achieve higher scores
• Gain more work experience in relevant fields. Australian work experience can get you more points
• Study in the regional areas of Australia
• States or territories offer sponsorship programs that will improve your score
• If your spouse or partner has relevant skills, it will contribute to the overall score

A score of 65 is considered to be the minimum required for Australia PR. However, aiming for a score around 80-85 or higher increases your chances of receiving an invitation to apply for PR.

Yes, PR holders can bring their family to Australia. This includes their spouse, common-law partner, children under 22 years of age, and parents. Australia offers partner visas, parent visas, and other family visas.

The processing time for Australian PR visas varies depending on the type of visa, application completeness, skill assessment, state nominations, response to application requests, and other individual circumstances. However, it typically ranges from 9 to 18 months.

You may become eligible for Australian citizenship after being granted a permanent residency. The requirements for Australian citizenship are as follows:

• Must have lived in Australia for at least 4 years and at least one year under a PR visa to apply for citizenship
• Must demonstrate proof of good character
• Must pass the Australian citizenship test
• Must prove that you intend to live in Australia and maintain a close association with the country

The requirements for a UK PR Visa are as follows:

• Must reside in the UK for at least 5 years under a valid visa
• Must prove proficiency in English
• Must pass the "Life in the UK test."
• Proof of good character and no criminal record
• Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself in the UK

The benefits include:

• Can live and work in the UK indefinitely without any restrictions
• Access to the National Health Service (NHS), the UK's public healthcare system
• Eligible for UK citizenship after meeting specific residency requirements
• Can work in any field without being tied to a single employer

The UK PR visa is considered relatively complex compared to Canadian and Australian PR visas. You must reside in the UK under a specific visa and meet certain financial or skill-related requirements to be eligible.

The main immigration pathways to get the UK PR or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) include:

• UK Skilled Worker Visa
• Graduate Route Visa
• Family Visa
• Global Talent Visa
• Investor Visa
• UK Ancestry Visa

The first step after your PR application is rejected is to review the refusal letter and understand the reasons for the refusal. Once the review is done, you can appeal the decision if there are no errors. If you make mistakes, you can re-apply for the PR visa. The refusal letter will denote if re-applying is possible.

You can bring your dependents to the UK if you are a UK PR holder. You can also get your adult-dependent relatives to the UK if they need long-term care. If eligible, family members can also apply for UK PR (Indefinite Leave to Remain).

You can apply for UK citizenship after residing in the UK for a specific period under the UK PR or ILR. The requirements include demonstrating good character, health checks, passing a language proficiency test in English, and a Life in the UK test.