FAQ

No. Under Express Entry, the system will find which programs you qualify for based on the answers you give in your profile. If you qualify for more than one program, we will decide which one to issue the invitation to apply under.

No. You may only have one profile at a time. This is set out in Canada’s immigration law.

Your primary occupation means the job you have experience in (within the last ten years) and want to base your immigration application on, if you are invited to apply.

No, in most cases you don’t need a job offer. Even if you don’t need one, you may want to try and find a valid job offer. It will give you a much higher point score, and so a better chance of being invited to apply.

Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada. Some people in specific situations may not.

You should apply for a study permit before coming to Canada. Only some people can apply for a study permit from within Canada. Before you apply, you must have a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution in Canada.

Yes. However, your study permit is not a travel document. It doesn’t give you the right to travel to or enter Canada. Along with your permit, you may need:

• a visitor visa (temporary resident visa) or
• an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

If you want to study in Canada longer, you need to extend your study permit.

You should apply to extend your study permit at least 30 days before your current permit expires. However, we recommend you apply more than 30 days before it expires.

You don’t need to change your study permit if you’re changing your school or study program

• If you’re a high school student

If you’re moving to post-secondary school and want to be able to work while you study, you must apply to change the conditions of your study permit. There is a fee to make this change. To do this, you’ll need to apply for a new study permit from within Canada.

• If you’re a post-secondary student

While you don’t need to change your study permit, you do have to tell us when you change post-secondary schools. Find out how to tell us that you’ve changed your post-secondary school.

• If you’re moving to a school in Quebec

If you’re moving to a school in Quebec (and your previous school is outside Quebec), you must get a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ). You need a CAQ for any level of school, including primary.

While you don’t need to change your study permit, you do have to tell us when you change post-secondary schools. Find out how to tell us that you’ve changed your post-secondary school.

Generally, minor children need to apply for a study permit from outside of Canada, if they want to go to study in Canada. However, a minor child can go to school without a study permit if:

• one parent (biological or adoptive) is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; or
• one parent (biological or adoptive) is permitted to study or work in Canada; or
• neither parent is physically in Canada.

Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months in Canada.

If you want to extend your stay in Canada, you should apply at least 30 days before your status expires.

Currently, most visitors to Canada may visit for up to six months when they first enter Canada. Visitors who wish to stay longer must apply for an extension, and pay a new fee.

With the parent and grandparent super visa, eligible parents and grandparents can visit family in Canada for up to two years without the need to renew their status.

All applicants who are eligible for a multiple entry visa will be issued one. However, not all applicants will be eligible for a multiple entry visa. This remains at the discretion of a visa officer. A single entry visa may be issued in cases where, for example:

• An applicant is eligible for a fee-exemption and where the purpose of entry to Canada is limited (e.g., for an official visit by a foreign national);
• An applicant is participating in a one-time special event in Canada (e.g., Pan-American Games); and/or
• Country-specific procedures or guidelines are in place and approved by IRCC.

When you apply for a parent and grandparent super visa, include the following people when calculating family size:

• the child or grandchild inviting you;
• the spouse of the child or grandchild inviting you;
• the dependants of the child or grandchild inviting you;
• any dependants travelling with you;
• any other person whom the child or grandchild inviting you is currently sponsoring or co-signing for; and
• yourself.

Here are some examples.

• The child or grandchild in Canada that is inviting you is not married and has no children. He or she has invited one parent to visit Canada for a two-year stay. The family size is two.
• The family in Canada inviting you is a family of four (the inviting child or grandchild, the spouse and two dependent children). They plan to host two visiting parents. The family size is six.
• The family in Canada inviting you is a family of three (child or grandchild who is inviting you, the spouse and one dependent child). The child or grandchild inviting you previously co-signed the sponsorship of the spouse’s parents (two persons). That sponsorship is still in effect. Now, they are inviting you and your spouse for a long-term visit on a parent and grandparent super visa. The family size is seven.
• The family in Canada inviting you is a family of three (the inviting child or grandchild, the spouse and one dependent child). They plan to host you and your dependent child. The family size is five.

In most cases, you will need one or more of the following documents to apply for a work permit:

• an LMIA number from your employer if your job needs an LMIA
• proof that your employer has submitted an offer of employment through the Employer Portal
• an employment contract or letter (if your employer is exempt from the employer compliance process)
• proof that you are certified, accredited or qualified to work in the job you want

An open work permit is a work permit that is not job-specific. Because it is not job-specific, you will not need the following when you apply for your work permit:

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada; or proof that an employer has submitted an offer of employment through the Employer Portal and paid the employer compliance fee.

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.

A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.

Yes, if your work permit is still valid, you can apply to extend it from inside Canada.

The Parents and Grandparents Program opens at the beginning of the year for a limited time.

Here is how to participate.

Step 1: If you’re eligible to become a sponsor, you must submit an online interest to sponsor form. This form is available for a limited time at the beginning of the year.

Step 2: After the online form closes, we review the submissions and remove any duplicates.

We’ll invite potential sponsors to submit a complete application in the same order we receive the interest to sponsor forms. We email potential sponsors and invite them to apply. We also post the invitation status on our site.

Step 3: If you’re invited to apply, we must receive your complete application package by the deadline specified in your invitation.

You can sponsor your spouse, partner or child to live in Canada if you’re a:

• Canadian citizen
• person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
• permanent resident

Find out more about the steps and requirements to sponsor your spouse, partner or child.