Temporary resident to permanent resident (TR to PR)
The temporary resident to permanent resident pathway is a limited-time pathway to permanent residence. It is for certain temporary residents who are currently working in Canada and their families.
You may be eligible for permanent residence if
you have work experience in Canada in an essential occupation or the health or health services field
OR
you recently graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution
TR to PR pathway for 90,000: summary
On April 14th, 2021 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway (TR to PR pathway). This is a new pathway to permanent residency for over 90,000 essential workers and international graduates already in Canada.
The temporary resident to permanent resident pathway closed on November 5, 2021.
What are the available pathways for permanent residency under the TR to PR immigration programs?
The TR to PR immigration pathways were introduced via special public policies and aim to grant permanent status to temporary workers and international graduates who are in Canada and who possess the sought-after skills and experience needed to accelerate Canada’s economic recovery following the COVID 19 pandemic.
Within these announcements, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada published 4 special public policies, introducing these new pathways to Canadian permanent residence. These are:
Who qualifies under the TR to PR immigration program targeting International Students?
To qualify under the new immigration programs targeting international students, applicants must demonstrate that they have the following:
Graduated from a program of study from a Designated Learning Institution in Canada after January 2017 that was at least 8 months in duration,
Obtained one of the following credentials from the Designated Learning Institution:
- a degree (Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate);
- a degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation issued on completion of a program of any duration leading to an occupation in a skilled trade; or
- one or more diploma/certificate/attestation where the following conditions are met:
- For diplomas/certificates/attestations, each program of study must be at least 8 months in duration and the combined length of the credential(s) must be equivalent to a two-year credential (at least 16 months in duration).
- For the DVS and AVS, each program of study must be at least 900 hours in duration and the combined program of study must be at least 1,800 hours in duration.
- When combining one AVS with one DVS, the length of the AVS may be less than 900 hours if the combined length is at least 1,800 hours.
Held a valid study permit throughout their education in Canada;
Be currently employed in Canada with a valid work authorization to work
Have attained a level of proficiency of at least CLB level 5 in English or French in the last 2 years if applying under the foreign national’s program and at least CLB level 5 in French if applying under the French-speaking program;
Reside in Canada with valid temporary resident status (or be eligible to restore their status) and be physically present in Canada at the time the application for permanent residence is received and when the application is approved;
Intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec.
In addition to the above criteria, all applicants (and dependent family members) must pass medical and criminal background checks and must not be inadmissible to Canada.
Who qualifies under the TR to PR immigration program targeting essential occupations?
To qualify under the new immigration programs targeting essential occupations, applicants must demonstrate that they have the following:
At least one year of full-time or full-time equivalent work experience in an eligible essential worker or health- care worker within the last 3 years immediately prior to the submission of the application. The one year of work experience must be obtained in one or more of the eligible occupations as follows:
- Health-Care Workers: the one year of work experience must have been acquired in one or more occupations listed below.
- Essential Worker: the one year of work experience must have been acquired in one or more occupations listed below, or in a combination of occupations in classified as Health-Care Workers or Essential Worker.
Are currently employed in Canada in any occupation at the time that the application for permanent residence is received;
Meet the definition of a worker and held valid work authorization for the period of qualifying Canadian work experience;
Have attained a level of proficiency of at least CLB level 4 in English or French in the last 2 years if applying under the foreign national’s program and at least CLB level 4 in French if applying under the French-speaking program;
Reside in Canada with valid temporary resident status (or be eligible to restore their status) and be physically present in Canada at the time the application for permanent residence is received and when the application is approved;
Intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec.
In addition to the above criteria, all applicants (and dependent family members) must pass medical and criminal background checks and must not be inadmissible to Canada.
What occupations in the TR to PR immigration program qualify as an Essential Worker?
To qualify under one of the public policies targeting Essential Workers, applicants must have at least 1 year of Canadian work experience in the last 3 years in one of the targeted occupations. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada have identified around 100 occupations that are considered essential. A full list of these occupations can be found here.
What occupations in the TR to PR immigration program qualify as a Health-Care Worker?
To qualify under one of the public policies targeting Health-Care Workers, applicants must have at least 1 year of Canadian work experience in the last 3 years in one of the following occupations:
3011 Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors
3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
3111 Specialist physicians
3112 General practitioners and family physicians
3113 Dentists
3121 Optometrists
3122 Chiropractors
3124 Allied primary health practitioners
3125 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
3131 Pharmacists
3132 Dietitians and nutritionists
3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
3142 Physiotherapists
3143 Occupational therapists
3144 Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
3211 Medical laboratory technologists
3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants
3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
3215 Medical radiation technologists
3216 Medical sonographers
3217 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c.
3219 Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
3221 Denturists
3222 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
3223 Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants
3231 Opticians
3232 Practitioners of natural healing
3233 Licensed practical nurses
3234 Paramedical occupations
3236 Massage therapists
3237 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
3411 Dental assistants
3413 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
3414 Other assisting occupations in support of health services
4151 Psychologists
4152 Social workers
4153 Family, marriage and other related counsellors
4165 Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
4212 Social and community service workers
4412 Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations
The Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway closed on November 5th, 2021.
So no new applications will be accepted to any of the stream.
If however you’ve already submitted an application before the deadline it will be processed and you can use the portal to check your application status.
IRCC have indicated that all new permanent residents from this pathway will be admitted as new Permanent Residents by the end of 2023.
How apply to one of the TR to PR immigration programs?
All applications must be submitted electronically with reference to the appropriate public policy the applicant qualifies under. IRCC released a new application portal specifically designed to process applications submitted under one of the TR to PR immigration programs.
What supporting documents will I need to submit to apply for the TR to PR pathway?
The supporting documents you will need to submit with you application will vary slightly depending on the stream you are applying to. But there are a number of documents that apply to all streams.
You can get the full details of the documents required here and my summary is below.
Eligibility requirements for family members’ permanent residency
The principal applicant for permanent residency on this pathway will be able to include family members for permanent residency in the application.
A family member in this context is considered as:
your spouse or common-law partner
your dependent child
your spouse’s or common-law partner’s dependent child
a dependent child of a dependent child
The family does not need to meet all the same requirements as the principal applicant.
Family members will be granted permanent residency along with the principal applicant if they meet the following conditions:
the family member is in Canada
the family member is included in the application as an accompanying family member
Family members who are not currently living in Canada may also be eligible as accompanying family members – you can read more about this case here.
Is there a limit to how many applications will be processed under the TR to PR immigration programs?
The special public policies for Essential Workers and International Graduates both have a limit on the number of applications that will be accepted per stream. These limits are:
40,000 applications from International Students;
30,000 applications from Essential Workers;
20,000 applications from Health- Care Worker.
What to do if your current permit will expire before your new PR status is received
As an update to the TR to PR pathway, IRCC have introduced a new open work permit for TR to PR pathway applicants.
This might be useful to you if you have applied to the TR to PR pathway but your current permit for Canada will expire before you receive your new permanent resident status. Check out the details at the link above.
Background to the new TR to PR pathway
Canada’s 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan set a goal of admitting 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021.
Given the current border restrictions from the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have been struggling to meet this goal and have been looking for ways to target temporary residents already in Canada.
The first step towards moving to Canada is to get an assessment of your specific situation. Call us today at 1+613.222.7154 for an assessment to see if you are eligible to move to Canada, or fill out our online assessment form.
