Canada Permanent Residence

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) allows foreign workers qualified in a skilled trade in one of the NOC groups to acquire permanent residence in Canada. The eligible jobs include:

• Industrial, electrical, and education trades
• Maintenance and equipment operation trades
• Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
• Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
• Chefs and cooks
• Butchers and bakers

Applicants for the FSTP have a better chance of getting PR even if they have lower CRS scores compared to the other programs managed by the Express system. Also, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) occasionally do more FSTP-specific draws, resulting in more approved FSTP candidates in the Express Entry pool.

Along with the occupation requirement, Canadian immigration also has other requirements, which you can find on our Federal Skilled Trades Program page.

If you worked in Canada with a temporary resident visa, you might be able to acquire permanent resident status through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program.

Unlike the other Express Entry programs, CEC targets foreign nationals with Canadian work experience who would like to transition to permanent resident status from temporary resident status.

To qualify for CEC, you must have worked for at least one year as a full-time employee or equivalent hours in part-time employment. Also, your work experience must have occurred within the last three years while you held a valid work permit.

In addition, there’s the occupation requirement, pay requirement, and language requirement, which you can find on our Canadian Experience Class page.

If you are want to apply for Canada permanent residency, this may be the best route for you. Our immigration law firm can help you. Call us on (+353) 061 518 025 for immediate assistance.

Canadian law allows its provinces and territories to nominate candidates for permanent residence through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). This program was created in 1998 to help spread immigration evenly across Canada.

A province can nominate an individual if they believe that person can meet its needs and positively impact its local economy and community. That individual can come to reside and work in that specific Canadian province after being granted PR status.

If a province nominates you for a Canada permanent resident visa, you will get a nomination certificate and will likely receive an invitation to apply for PR from the Canadian federal government.

Quebec is exempt from the PNPs because it manages its own immigration programs. Ontario, Alberta, Yukon, and British Columbia are among the territories and provinces with a PNP. Each province creates their own eligibility criteria and streams based on its needs.

Although the eligibility requirements differ from one province to another, similar requirements revolve around skills, education, work experience, and language ability. You can find out more information on the requirements for each PNP on our Provincial Nominee Program page.

To receive a provincial nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program, you can apply directly to the province or through the Express Entry system.

Getting nominated in a PNP is not a guarantee that you will be granted permanent residence. It’s up to the Canadian federal government to decide if a candidate is good enough to be granted PR status and allowed to immigrate to Canada. Nevertheless, PNP helps; for example, in Express Entry, a provincial nomination can add an extra 600 points to your CRS points.

For assistance with obtaining a nomination from a province or territory in Canada, call us on (+353) 061 518 025 or email info@total.law.

Business immigration includes all programs that allow Irish people to move to Canada to start a business. That includes the Start-up visa and Self-Employed Persons Program. Each program has different requirements and processes.

Start-up Visa

The Start-up Visa or SUV encourages investment in Canada to boost the economy and create job opportunities for Canadians. These programs target foreign nationals who would like to enter Canada to start an innovative business with the support of a Canadian business registered as a designated organisation.

Designated organisations can be Angel investor groups, Business incubators, and venture capital funds that are members of the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) or National Angel Capital Organization (NACO).

See our Start-up visa page for information on the requirements and application process.

Self-Employed Persons Program

If you want to settle in Canada doing your own business, you can consider the Self-Employed Persons program.

This immigration route is aimed at those who have experience in cultural activities or athletics on the global scene. It covers those that are already self-employed and those that are not self-employed but want to become self-employed. We have provided more information for those in Ireland on our Self-Employed Persons Program page.

For assistance or advice with the Start-up visa or Self-employed Persons program, call us on (+353) 061 518 025 or contact us online.

Quebec manages its immigration system. Its programs include opportunities for individuals to apply for Canadian PR. Although you must meet Quebec’s criteria for any of its programs, it’s up to the federal government to approve your application for permanent residence.

Programs that lead to permanent residence include the Quebec experience class, Quebec Investor Program, Quebec Entrepreneur Program, Quebec Skilled Worker Program, and Quebec Self-Employed Program. These programs have similar requirements with their equivalent federal program, but for a few exceptions.

If you currently hold a Working Holiday visa, work permit, and some other temporary visas in Quebec, you may be able to switch to Canadian PR by obtaining a Quebec Selection Certificate or Certificat de Selection du Quebec.

For more information or assistance, call us on (+353) 061 518 025.

Irish citizens who have a valid work permit can apply for permanent residence if they qualify. If you don’t already have a work permit, you can apply; click here for more information. Alternatively, you can apply for a post-graduate work permit.

Within a few years of working in Canada under that temporary work permit, you may be able to apply for permanent residence through Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Experience Class or temporary resident to permanent resident (TR to PR) immigration pathways.

Canadian immigration launches temporary and permanent public policies and pilot programs to fulfil needs in the economy. The programs differ based on Canada’s needs, but they sometimes include permits that provide TR to PR pathways.

For information on how you can acquire PR or assistance with immigrating to Canada, please call us our (+353) 061 518 025 or send an email to info@total.law.

Irish people who cannot immigrate to Canada through any of the means mentioned above may be able to obtain Canadian PR on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. This includes those in the humanitarian and compassionate industries and those the Canadian government offers humanitarian support. For Canadian PR, that includes:

• Health care workers
• Families of Canadian victims of recent air disasters who are already in Canada
• Hong Kong residents
• Refugees and protected persons

Each category has different requirements and processes; while healthcare workers must have a temporary resident permit, refugees must have their claim approved by the Immigration and Refugee Board first before they can apply for PR.

In most cases, only those already living in Canada can obtain PR status through this route. For more information or assistance, call us on (+353) 061 518 025.