Destination Guide
Canada, one category at a time.
Every application path we cover for Canada, organized the way people actually think about it — starting with the destination, then the category, then (where Canada's own system has this level of detail) the specific program.
Application categories for Canada
Each category below links to the full guide for Canada. Where Canada's own system has named, distinct programs — rather than one general category — we break that out underneath.
Visitor Visa
Full Visitor Visa guide →Most visitors need a Temporary Resident Visa (commonly called a Visitor Visa) to enter Canada, unless they hold a passport from a visa-exempt country — in which case an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) applies instead for air travel. Canada does not have a dedicated digital nomad visa; current guidance allows some remote work for an employer based outside Canada while on visitor status, within defined limits — this is not a separate visa category, and requirements can change.
Business Visitor
Full Business Visitor guide →Canada does not have a separate visa category for business visitors — short-term business travel is arranged through the same Temporary Resident Visa or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) process as other visitors, provided the activity doesn't involve entering the Canadian labour market.
Study Visa
Full Study Visa guide →Most foreign nationals studying in Canada for programs longer than six months need a study permit, which requires an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution (DLI) and proof of sufficient funds for tuition and living expenses.
Work Visa
Full Work Visa guide →Most foreign nationals need a work permit to work in Canada, tied to a specific employer or issued as an open permit in certain circumstances. Permits may require a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the employer, or fall under an LMIA-exempt category such as CUSMA or an intra-company transfer.
Canada runs work permits through two separate systems. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) requires the employer to first obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) showing no Canadian or permanent resident is available for the role. The International Mobility Program (IMP) covers a specific list of LMIA-exempt categories instead — no LMIA needed, but only for applicants who fit one of those categories.
LMIA-Based Work Permit (TFWP)
The employer must obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment before you apply, demonstrating the job offer wouldn't negatively affect the Canadian labour market. This is the default route when no LMIA-exempt category applies.
- Applicants with a job offer where the employer is willing to complete the LMIA process
- Occupations without a specific LMIA-exempt pathway available
LMIA-Exempt Work Permit (IMP)
Covers a defined list of categories that don't require an LMIA — most commonly CUSMA professional/trader/investor categories for US and Mexican nationals, intra-company transfers within a qualifying multinational, and the Post-Graduation Work Permit for eligible Canadian graduates. Each category has its own specific eligibility criteria; there's no general 'LMIA-exempt' application on its own.
- US or Mexican nationals in a CUSMA-listed professional occupation
- Employees being transferred to a related Canadian entity by a qualifying multinational employer (intra-company transfer)
- Recent graduates of an eligible Canadian program applying for a Post-Graduation Work Permit
Working Holiday
Full Working Holiday guide →Canada's International Experience Canada (IEC) program runs bilateral youth mobility agreements with dozens of partner countries. Its Working Holiday category is an open work permit — work for any employer, in any sector, without needing a job offer first — while the Young Professionals and International Co-op categories require an employer or internship arrangement. Each partner country has its own age range and annual quota; not every nationality is included.
Permanent Residence
Full Permanent Residence guide →Canada offers several federal and provincial permanent residence pathways — including Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades), Provincial Nominee Programs, and family-related PR routes — with eligibility depending on your background, skills, and connections.
Canada does not have one 'permanent residence visa' — it runs several federal and provincial pathways side by side, each with its own eligibility rules. Quebec selects its own economic immigrants through a separate provincial system outside Express Entry and the federal Provincial Nominee Program, and isn't covered below.
Express Entry
Canada's main federal system for skilled-worker permanent residence. Eligible profiles are ranked against others in the pool using the point-based Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) — covering age, education, language ability, and work experience — and the highest-ranked profiles are periodically invited to apply.
- Skilled workers with foreign or Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation
- Applicants with strong core factors — age, education, and official language test results
- Recent graduates of a Canadian post-secondary program with qualifying work experience
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Ten provinces and territories (not Quebec or Nunavut) each run their own nomination streams, targeting the specific skills and sectors their local economy needs. A provincial nomination can be pursued either through Express Entry (adding significant CRS points) or through a province's own non-Express-Entry process, depending on the stream.
- Applicants with a genuine connection to, or job offer in, a specific province
- Applicants whose occupation or sector matches a province's current in-demand list
- Applicants who aren't yet competitive enough in the general Express Entry pool on their own
Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
An employer-driven pathway to permanent residence for skilled workers and international graduates with a job offer from a designated employer in one of the four Atlantic provinces — New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Skilled workers with a job offer from a designated Atlantic Canada employer
- Recent graduates of a recognized Atlantic Canada post-secondary institution
Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)
A job-offer-based pathway to permanent residence tied to a specific list of designated rural communities, intended for applicants willing to settle long-term in one of those communities. No Express Entry profile or CRS score is required.
- Applicants with a job offer from a designated employer in a participating RCIP community
- Applicants genuinely willing to settle long-term in that specific rural community
Family Sponsorship
Full Family Sponsorship guide →Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor an eligible spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, dependent child, or — through the Family Class — parents and grandparents for permanent residence, subject to sponsor eligibility and relationship evidence requirements.
Canada groups family sponsorship into a few genuinely distinct categories, each with its own eligibility rules and sponsor income requirements. Note that the Parents and Grandparents Program is not currently accepting new sponsorship applications — check IRCC's official page for its current intake status before assuming it's open.
Spouse, Common-Law, or Conjugal Partner
For a legally married spouse, a common-law partner (cohabiting in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months), or, where cohabitation genuinely isn't possible, a conjugal partner. Spousal and common-law sponsorship generally has no minimum income requirement, unless the sponsored person has dependent children of their own.
- Sponsors with a legally married spouse living abroad or already in Canada
- Sponsors in a genuine common-law or conjugal relationship meeting the minimum duration
Dependent Child
For a sponsor's biological or adopted child who is under 22 and not married or in a common-law relationship, with a limited exception for older children who depend on a parent because of a physical or mental condition.
- Sponsors with a dependent child living abroad who meets the age and marital-status criteria
Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)
A separate program for sponsoring parents and grandparents, historically run through an annual invitation lottery and requiring the sponsor to meet a Minimum Necessary Income test for the prior three tax years. This program's intake has been closed to new applications in recent years — confirm current status directly with IRCC before planning around it.
- Sponsors who meet the Minimum Necessary Income requirement, if and when the program reopens
Parent & Grandparent Visa
Full Parent & Grandparent Visa guide →The Super Visa allows eligible parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to visit for extended periods — generally up to five years per entry — and requires an invitation letter, proof of host income, and approved medical insurance.
Refusals
Full Refusals guide →IRCC refusal letters state general reasons, and more detailed officer notes (GCMS notes) can often be requested to understand a decision in more depth. Reapplications benefit from a clear picture of what was previously submitted and what has genuinely changed.
Canadian Citizenship
Canadian citizenship by naturalization is a separate, later step from permanent residence — it isn't automatic, and it requires meeting a physical presence period plus language, knowledge, and tax-filing requirements before you can apply.
- Hold valid Canadian permanent resident status, with no unresolved immigration or citizenship prohibitions
- Have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during the 5 years immediately before applying
- For applicants aged 18–54: meet the minimum official-language requirement and pass the citizenship knowledge test
- Have filed Canadian income taxes, if required to do so, for at least 3 of the 5 years in the qualifying period
Citizenship eligibility rules, the physical-presence calculation, and test requirements are set by IRCC and can change. Covalyn Migration does not guarantee approval and does not calculate physical presence or test readiness on your behalf — use IRCC's official tools and guidance directly for your own calculation.
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