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Canada immigration guide
Understand Canada’s pathways—and verify what is open today.
Immigration programs, invitation thresholds, fees, and processing times can change. Use this guide to understand the main routes, then confirm every requirement on the linked Government of Canada page.
Program-status check completed against IRCC sources on 31 August 2026.
Current status highlights
These notes replace fixed cut-off scores, guaranteed timelines, and cost estimates that can quickly become inaccurate.
IRCC runs general, program-specific, and category-based rounds. The lowest invited CRS score changes from round to round.
IRCC is processing existing inventory and is not currently accepting new applications under these pilots.
IRCC states that the program has been paused since 30 June 2026 while previously received applications continue to be processed.
Adults generally need at least 1,095 days of physical presence during the 5-year eligibility period, plus the other citizenship requirements.
Main pathways to explore
A pathway appearing here does not mean you qualify. Eligibility depends on the exact program rules and your complete circumstances.
Express Entry
An online system that manages the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Entering the pool does not guarantee an invitation.
Read the Express Entry guide →Provincial Nominee Programs
Provinces and territories operate streams with different occupations, eligibility rules, and intake periods. Some streams connect to Express Entry and others do not.
Read the Provincial Nominee Programs guide →Work permits
Some permits are employer-specific and others are open. A job offer, labour-market assessment, exemption, or other evidence may be required depending on the route.
Read the Work Permits guide →Study permits and PGWP
A study permit is temporary status. Not every school or program leads to a post-graduation work permit, and studying in Canada does not guarantee permanent residence.
Read the Study Permits and PGWP guide →Family sponsorship
Programs cover spouses or partners, dependent children and certain other relatives. Parent and grandparent sponsorship intake is currently paused.
Read the Family Sponsorship guide →Atlantic Immigration Program
An employer-driven permanent-residence route for skilled workers and eligible graduates with an offer from a designated Atlantic employer.
Read the Atlantic Immigration guide →Rural and Francophone pilots
Open pathways that require an eligible job offer from a designated employer and a recommendation from a participating community.
Read the Community Pilots guide →Business immigration
Federal entrepreneur intake is paused, while some provincial, territorial and Quebec business routes may still be available.
Read the Business Immigration guide →Caregiver pathways
The main caregiver permanent-residence pilots are closed to new applications. Temporary-work options depend on location and status.
Read the Caregiver Pathways guide →Three checks to make before relying on a pathway
For Express Entry, check the type of round and the lowest-ranked score invited.
View current rounds →Times vary by application type, completeness, inventory, verification, and personal circumstances.
Check IRCC processing times →Use the official fee list instead of a fixed estimate. Professional, medical, test, travel, and settlement costs may be separate.
Check current fees →Build a clearer Canada starting point
The quiz can help organize the pathways you may want to research. Its results are preliminary and must be checked against current IRCC and provincial requirements.