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Canadian permanent residents are entitled to live and work anywhere in Canada, enjoy many of the privileges of Canadian Citizenship, may apply for Canadian Citizenship after 3 years and may sponsor family members for Canadian permanent resident status.

To become a Canadian permanent resident, a foreign individual must apply for and be issued a Canadian Immigrant Visa. A foreign individual who wishes to settle in Montreal or another city in the Province of Quebec must also apply for a Quebec Certificate of Selection. There are different ways to qualify for Canadian permanent resident status: as an Independent Immigrant; as a member of the Family Class; and, in certain cases, as a Refugee.

Independent Immigrants are divided into two main categories:

• Skilled Workers/Professionals; and
• Investors, Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed Persons (collectively referred to as the Business Immigration Program).

These two categories, together with the Family Class, may be summarized as follows:

Skilled Workers/ Professionals

Skilled Workers and Professionals are assessed upon a series of factors, i.e. a point system, which is designed to indicate the likelihood of succeeding in settling in Canada.

Business Immigration Program

Investors, Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed Persons are, in a general sense, selected based upon their abilities to make a contribution to the economy or, in certain cases, the cultural/artistic life of Canada.

Family Class

In certain circumstances, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are entitled to sponsor their close relatives from abroad.