Top Ways to Change Your Canada Visitor Visa to PR
Most people migrate to Canada annually on a visitor visa to explore its beauty, diverse culture, and other related things. However, once their visitor visa expires, the candidate must return to their home country because there is no direct route to changing their visitor visa to permanent residency. Still, candidates can change their temporary residency to permanent residency.
This article details “how to change your Canada Visitor Visa to Permanent Resident status.” But before proceeding, let’s understand what a candidate with a visitor visa can and cannot do.
What can a candidate can and cannot do with a visitor visa?
The following tabular representation illustrates what a candidate can and cannot do with a visitor visa.
| Candidates Can Do with a Canada Visitor Visa | |
Travel Across Canada | A Canada Visitor visa holder can travel across Canada. If your visa is valid, you can travel and live wherever you want in Canada. |
Explore Work Opportunities | Candidates can search for work as visitor visa holders because Canadian employers prefer in-person interviews for job seekers. The candidate should provide truthful information about their intention to work in Canada and proof of return to their home country after the visa expires. |
| Join a Course | Candidates with a Canada visitor visa can enroll in a short-term course that isn’t a designated learning institution and should not be a lengthier program. The course must end before their visa expires. |
| Extend the Visa Duration | The Canadian visitor visa from India is valid for six months. To extend your stay, apply for a visa extension at least two weeks before your current status expires. The immigration officer makes the final decision. |
| Become a part of Business | Canadian businesses allow non-directly involved individuals to purchase goods and services, visit sites, meet other business people, and receive business training for product use, sales, or other functions. |
| Candidates Cannot Do with a Canada Visitor Visa | |
| Apply for a PR Visa | A visitor visa is also a temporary resident visa (TRV). This visa program allows the candidate to stay in Canada for six months. After that, the candidate must return to their home country or apply for an extension. |
| Study Permit | Under this, the candidate is not eligible to apply for a study permit and can not study in Canada. To apply for a study permit, you must return to your home country and apply from there, except if you have a family member on a Canada study or work permit. |
Work | A candidate cannot be involved in the Canadian labor market directly. In other words, a candidate cannot engage in any commercial activities. |
Ways to Change your Canada Visitor Visa to Permanent Residency
If you are a candidate and want to change your Visitor Visa to Permanent Residency, you must follow the following steps.
- Situation: 1 In Case of Skilled Worker
Explore Canada through the Canada Visitor Visa. However, once your visa expires, head back to your home country. Moreover, I work as a skilled professional in India, such as in healthcare, IT, and others. You can still apply for a Canada PR visa from India as a Professional Skilled Worker through the Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program.
- Express Entry Program
The Express Entry program is one of the most popular and quickest immigration pathways to Canada. Its processing time is six months.
It is a point-based process that evaluates candidates’ eligibility based on age, educational qualification, professional qualification, and other factors. Candidates are given points by using the Canada Express Entry Points Calculator.
Under the points calculator, candidates must score at least 67 CRS points out of 100. Candidates with high CRS Scores will have a high chance of receiving the ITA(Invitation to Apply).
- Provincial Nominee Program
It is another one of the fastest immigration pathways to Canada. This pathway is designed to attract skilled professionals with in-demand skills and expertise from the Express Entry Pool by sending a “Notification of Interest.”
A points calculator is used in this immigration pathway to determine candidates’ eligibility for the Provincial Nominee Program. If a candidate gets the provincial nomination from any province in Canada, their total CRS scores will increase by 600 points.
- Situation: 2 Having A Valid Job Offer
While visiting Canada through a Canada Visitor Visa, the candidate is eligible to look for various career opportunities. If the candidate is eligible to secure an LMIA-approved job, you may temporarily apply for a work permit in Canada.
According to the interim policy, foreign people visiting Canada with a legitimate employment offer may apply for and be granted a work visa without departing the country. The current policy will end on February 28, 2025.
- Situation: 3 Being a Student
If the candidate intends to pursue higher education in Canada while visiting the country on a Canada Visitor Visa. They can explore the universities and programs they are interested in and where they want to pursue their education.
However, once your visa expires, you must return to Canada and check your eligibility for the program and university you wish to attend. If you meet the requirements, apply to Canadian universities and obtain a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) before submitting a complete study visa application.
You can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after completing an 8-month course and convert your study visa to permanent residence in Canada. Simultaneously, you can gain 12 months of work experience.
- Situation: 4 Being a Businessman
Canada offers numerous investor visa programs for business people in exchange for a Permanent Residency. The following are the top immigration pathways for business people to apply for permanent residency.
- Entrepreneur Program
It is one of the top immigration pathways for entrepreneurs or business people wishing to establish a business in Canada. To become eligible for this program, the candidate must hire at least one citizen or permanent resident except the entrepreneur and their family member.
- PNP Business Program
It is an ideal pathway for Indian investors, entrepreneurs, or self-employed individuals with low IELTS scores or educational qualifications to immigrate to Canada with good financial capacity.
- Startup Visa Program
This pathway is ideal for Canadian business people seeking to open a business and apply for PR. It requires a qualifying company and CAD 75,000 in minimum funds.
Conclusion
This article details the top 4 ways to change your Canada Visitor Visa to Canada PR. Canada Visitor Visa holders can travel, explore work opportunities, join courses, extend their visa duration, become part of Business, or apply for a PR visa.
To change a visa to Permanent Residency, candidates must visit Canada, explore Canada through the Express Entry or Provincial Nominee Program, secure a valid job offer, be students, apply for a Post-Graduate Work Permit, and be businesspeople. Programs like Entrepreneur, PNP Business, and Startup Visa suit different individuals.
For more such details, contact Province Immigration via +91 98961 96762 or info@provinceimmigration.com
