Canadian immigration streams

Canada’s immigration streams fall into six groups: economic programs, study and work permits, family sponsorship, visiting, protection and humanitarian applications, and citizenship and status. Each page below explains who the stream is for, the eligibility rules, the governing sections of the Act or Regulations, and its current status on IRCC’s website.

Statuses last checked November 9, 2026. “Check IRCC” means we did not confirm the status on a government page that day.

Economic

• Express Entry Invitation-only

  The online system IRCC uses to invite skilled workers to apply for permanent residence.

• Federal Skilled Worker Program Invitation-only

  Permanent residence for skilled workers with foreign or Canadian work experience, through Express Entry.

• Canadian Experience Class Invitation-only

  Permanent residence for people with at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada.

• Federal Skilled Trades Program Invitation-only

  Permanent residence for qualified tradespeople with a certificate of qualification or a job offer.

• Provincial Nominee Program Open

  A province or territory nominates you for permanent residence based on its own labour needs.

• Atlantic Immigration Program Open

  Permanent residence for workers and recent graduates with a job offer from a designated Atlantic employer.

• Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots Pilot

  Pilots that offer permanent residence to skilled workers with a job offer in a participating community.

• Caregiver (home care worker) pathways Closed

  What IRCC currently publishes for home care workers, and which caregiver pilots are closed.

• Start-up Visa Paused

  Permanent residence for founders backed by a designated venture capital fund, angel group or incubator.

• Self-employed Persons Program Paused

  Permanent residence for self-employed people in cultural activities, athletics or farm management.

Study & work

• Study permit Check IRCC

  Permission to study in Canada at a designated learning institution, and the conditions that come with it.

• Post-graduation work permit (PGWP) Check IRCC

  An open work permit for some graduates of designated learning institutions.

• LMIA-based work permit Check IRCC

  An employer-specific work permit backed by a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

• International Experience Canada (IEC) Closed for 2026 season

  Work permits for young people from countries with a youth mobility arrangement with Canada.

• Intra-company transfer Check IRCC

  Work permits for employees moved to a Canadian branch, parent, subsidiary or affiliate of their employer.

• Open work permits (including spousal) Check IRCC

  Work permits not tied to one employer — who can get one, including spouses in Canada.

Family

• Spousal, common-law and conjugal sponsorship Open

  A citizen or permanent resident sponsors their spouse or partner for permanent residence.

• Sponsoring dependent children Open

  Sponsoring a child under 22 (or older and dependent because of a condition) for permanent residence.

• Parents and grandparents (and the super visa) Paused

  Sponsoring parents or grandparents for permanent residence, and the super visa for long visits.

Visiting

• Visitor visa and eTA Check IRCC

  Which document a visitor needs — a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorization.

Protection & humanitarian

• Refugee claims in Canada Check IRCC

  Who is a refugee or person in need of protection, how a claim is made, and when it is ineligible.

• Pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) Check IRCC

  An application for protection by someone facing removal, and the waiting periods that limit it.

• Humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) applications Check IRCC

  Asking the Minister for permanent residence or an exemption on humanitarian grounds.

Citizenship & status

• Canadian citizenship Check IRCC

  The physical-presence, tax, language and knowledge requirements for a grant of citizenship.

• PR card renewal and the residency obligation Check IRCC

  The 730-day rule, renewing a PR card, and travel documents for PRs abroad.

• Inadmissibility and record suspensions Check IRCC

  The grounds that make someone inadmissible, and how rehabilitation or a record suspension can help.

Policy analysis

• Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan: what changed, and what it means if you’re already here

  The 2027–2029 plan holds permanent admissions at 380,000 a year and new temporary arrivals at 370,000, and adds a one-time 2027 measure for up to 200,000 people already in Canada.

Questions answered in depth

• How long are you banned from Canada for misrepresentation — and what the Act actually says

  Five years, under IRPA s 40(2)(a). When the five years start, what counts as misrepresentation, the innocent-mistake exception, and what to do next.

• How many days do you need in Canada to keep PR status? The 730-day rule, explained

  730 days in every five-year period, under IRPA s 28. Which days abroad count, how the five years are measured, and what happens if you fall short.

• What “serious criminality” means for Canadian inadmissibility

  IRPA s 36(1): the 10-year maximum and six-month sentence tests, how foreign convictions are compared, rehabilitation, record suspensions and appeal rights.