How does it work to get residency in Canada?

Question

Can i just go visit and then stay and apply for residency? How long does it take for it to be granted?

Answer 1

I wish it was that easy!  You can come legally for 6 months on a visitors visa but after that you would need to renew it.  To get actually permanent resident status you would need to either be sponsored by a spouse or family member or apply for refugee status and be able to prove your case or be a skilled worker and apply under the skilled worker class.  Regardless of which way you try to apply it takes a long time!  I was born in Canada and my husband of 5 years was born in Mexico and is has been 3 years now since we first applied and we are supposed to get a final decision some time in the next month!

Answer 2

Its probably going to be the same processes as if its the USA. Its all about sponsorship via family/work/marriage and I believe it just takes as long as if filing in the US (right now its about give or take 2 years to get a permanent residence card in the US and that's if its through a bonifide marriage, meaning spouse has filed a petition for the visa).

Answer 3

Look into the provincial nomine programs, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/p...

If your job experience or skills work out to be something some province needs, you can come in on a temporary work permit and apply for residency pretty easily.  You might come over on a visitor visa to look for jobs once you've figured out what province wants your skills and when you get a job offer, has to be in that field and approved by the immigration of that province etc., you would have to leave again while your work permit is being issued.  It should not take more than a couple of months.  Then you can go back and start working and apply for your PR through your employer and you should have it within a year.