Bella Dea wrote:Setanta wrote: However, one can become a permanent resident without becoming a citizen.
Really?
Canadian Permanent Residence
Obtaining "permanent resident status of Canada" is also known as "immigrating to Canada" or becoming a "landed immigrant of Canada". The successful end result of the Immigration process is the issuance of an immigrant visa to Canada, which confers permanent status upon the applicant who, as a permanent resident, will enjoy all the same rights and privileges as those of a Canadian citizen (i.e. free health care, free elementary and secondary education, subsidized post-secondary education, the right to work in Canada) with just a few exceptions.
Unlike Canadian citizens,
(i) a permanent resident cannot vote;
(ii) a permanent resident cannot hold a Canadian passport;
(iii) a permanent resident can be deported for certain criminal convictions.
A permanent resident is eligible to apply for Canadian Citizenship after three (3) years of becoming a resident. One is eligible to apply for a Canadian passport after obtaining Canadian Citizenship.
Pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada, a permanent resident can remain outside of Canada for no more than three (3) years within any five (5) year period without being deemed to have abandoned his/her Canadian permanent resident status.
Persons to whom an immigrant visa has been issued must present themselves to an Immigration officer at one of the official ports of entry of Canada in order to become a permanent resident.
To be eligible to become a permanent resident of Canada, the aspiring resident must meet the requirements of one (1) of three (3) classes of Immigration: the Independent/Skilled Worker Class, the Family Class or the Business Class and one must apply for permanent resident status through a Canadian visa post (i.e. High Commission/Embassy/Consulate).
