Every year, thousands of people from different parts of the world immigrate to Canada. The reason for their immigration is not farfetched, because most of the immigrants who move to Canada have the basic reasons that have propelled them to make such a move. This country has grown in terms of its Gross Domestic Product attracting lots of foreigners coming in to seek greener pastures. This is one of the most comfortable countries for an individual to reside based on different factors such as good healthcare, quality education, security, etc.
For every immigrant who migrates to Canada, must know their immigration status. This will give them an insight into who they are in the country. There are different categories or groups for anyone who wants to live their country of residence in Canada. It is advisable to know the category of the application you are going to fill. This is one of the things some immigrants get confused about, either they don’t know the meaning of immigration status or they know it but being nonchalant in being in the right category.
What is the Canada Immigration Status?
This refers to the way an immigrant is being presented in Canada. There are no immigrants that will travel to Canada without having an immigration status. If anyone wants to be part of Canadian society and take part in everything they do fully, it is better for the immigrants to have a legalized immigration status. This is the only way they can be free from oppression, depression, obsession, etc from immigration officers and immigration lawyers in Canada. This is the reason immigrants who find themselves in Canada want a genuine status.
Key Facts of Immigration Status in Canada
The following are some key facts regarding Canada immigration status:
- Most immigration programs are being done at the federal level.
- There are more opportunities for immigrants who have permanent resident status or who are applying for one.
- They have been tremendous modifications to Canada’s immigration and its process.
- More temporary residents have been admitted to Canada.
- It has been calculated from 20,000 to 500,000 people have illegal forms of immigration.
It is good for immigrants to know his or her status because it tells them the services they have access to and the one they cant access.
Immigration Programs in Canada
There are three different major programs for immigration to Canada and here they are:
- Permanent residence
- Study permits
- Work permits
1. Permanent Residence:
These are long term immigration programs for immigrants to reside in Canada permanently for a longer period of time. The immigrants can also enjoy other benefits the citizens of Canada are enjoying too.
2. Study Permits:
This acts as permission for students to study in Canada, and also grants them the opportunity to work before and after their lectures. The immigrants after the end of his course of study can be granted permanent residence for him or her to stay in Canada permanently.
3. Work Permit:
This immigration program allows foreign immigrants with skills, talent, qualifications, and work experience to work for any Canadian employer. They can even change an employer if there is a need to do so. The truth of the matter this work permit is for a limited period.
Different Types of Canada Immigration Status
The following are the different types of immigration status in Canada:
- Undocumented Immigrants
- Non-Immigrants
- Conditional Resident
- Permanent Residents
- Canadian citizens
1. Undocumented Immigrants:
These are immigrants who migrated to Canada without any proper documentation. They can also be immigrants who traveled to Canada with the required documents, along the line their got documents expired. As a result of this, they are still enjoying all the social security services in Canada. This kind of immigrants can also be called illegal immigrants.
People having this kind of immigration status will not be able to work in Canada, and other social benefits offered by the government such as healthcare, scholarship, driver’s license, etc. These immigrants have a higher risk of being deported to their various countries of residence.
2. Non-Immigrants:
This refers to immigrants who are residing in Canada on a temporary basis. They are in Canada for one reason or the other such as tourism, visit, investment, study, conference, etc. Some of them might be in Canada for a period of 90 days. After their temporary visa has expired, they can travel back to their country. Examples of immigrants with this type of immigration status have this type of visa such as
- Facilitation visa
- Courtesy visa
- Super visa
- Tourist visa
- Business delegation visa, etc.
It is advisable for a candidate who is a non-immigrant should travel out from Canada immediately after the expiration of his or her temporary visa. If he or she fails to do so their immigration status will be changed from non-immigrants status to undocumented immigrants.
1. Permanent Residents:
This type of immigration status allows immigrants to live and work in Canada permanently. This is based on the fact they have been given a green card for their permanent residence. This immigration status comes in different ways such as family members, citizenship by investment, Canadian employer, or humanitarian programs available in Canada. These immigrants can live to spend his or her entire life living in Canada.
2. Conditional Residents:
This kind of immigration status is relating to marriage. For instance, a Mexican lady gets married to a Canadian man; therefore, the Mexican lady can become a citizen of Canada following certain rules being attached to the immigration process. The couple needs to alter the condition on residency within the 24 months of obtaining their green card. This should be done within 24 months to avoid the conditional residency status of the lady to be changed, and she might be deported to Mexico.
NB: Conditional and permanent residency can allow any immigrants to stay in Canada permanently, except they violate the country rules and regulations such as crime, murder, drugs, etc.
- Canada Citizens:
Canada citizens refer to people who were born in Canada, and other citizens of Canada immigrants. The latter are individuals who later became Canadian citizens through naturalization based on the fact they have resided in Canada for consecutive five years. Canadian citizens can obtain different benefits offered by their government. Those who became citizens of Canada by naturalization can’t be deported to their country, except their citizenship was obtained illegally.
Conclusion:
The easiest way for immigrants to check their Canada immigration status is through the immigration status they belong to. For instance, if someone is a student in Canada, it implies such a student is immigration status will be regarded as a non-immigrant status. Every immigrant in Canada is being classified under these five different types of immigration status.