How to get residency in Canada in 2026: every route

14 min read · Published 7 October 2026

Express Entry, the provinces, work, study, family and business: conditions, amounts in dollars, fees, timelines and the path to citizenship

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Key facts	2026
Routes	Express Entry, provinces, work, study, family, business
What is different	skilled workers get permanent residence directly, with no temporary stage
Funds for Express Entry	from $11,000 for one applicant
Study	from $17,000 a year for living costs on top of tuition
Permanent residence fees	~$1,200 per adult
Permanent resident card	5 years; you must live in the country 2 years out of 5
Citizenship	after 3 years of living in Canada, second passport allowed

Data checked: 07.10.2026

Canada has no residence permit in the usual sense. There is temporary status, a work or study permit, and permanent residence. What sets the country apart is that a skilled worker can get permanent residence directly, from abroad, with no temporary stage.

In 2026 Canada is cutting admissions: the plan is 380,000 new permanent residents, the federal Start-up Visa is closed and study permits are capped. That makes it all the more important to choose the route that fits your age, language, profession and budget.

Below: all routes in one table, then the conditions, documents and pitfalls of each, health insurance, fees, reasons for refusal and the path to citizenship.

We will work out online the investment or income your family needs and what the permit costs for each member.

Calculate online

Every way to get residency in Canada: comparison

Route	Main condition	From	Processing time	Details
Express Entry: permanent residence directly	at least 1 year of experience, language and points for age and education	fees ~$1,200, at least $11,000 in the bank	about 6 months	-
Provincial nomination	a job, study or experience in a particular province	fees from $1,200	from 6 months	-
Work on an employer's job offer	a job offer and a labour market impact assessment	~$170	a few months	-
Global Talent Stream	a tech job offer with a salary from $57,000 a year	~$170	2 weeks	our guide
Study	enrolment and living funds	at least $17,000 in the bank, fee ~$110	1-3 months	-
Marriage and family	a spouse or partner who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident	~$900	about a year	-
Quebec investors	net worth from $1.5 million, management experience and French	investment from $710,000 for 5 years	several years	our guide
Provincial entrepreneurs	your own business in the province and jobs created	investment from $110,000	from 2 years	our guide
Remote work	foreign income, entry as a visitor	~$75	from a few weeks	our guide

"From" is the fees or the funds threshold per adult applicant. Processing time is the immigration department's guide from a complete application; it depends on the country of filing and workload.

Express Entry: permanent residence in six months

This is the main route for people with higher education and experience. A candidate creates a profile, earns points for age, education, language and work experience, and waits for an invitation. Draws are held by overall ranking and by category: French, healthcare, engineering and technical occupations, trades, transport, and from 2026 physicians, researchers and senior managers with Canadian experience.

You need at least one year of skilled work in the last 10 years, a language test and a credential assessment. Category-based draws in 2026 require at least 12 months of experience in the last 3 years. Those without a Canadian job offer must show funds: from $11,000 for one person, more for a family. After the invitation you have 60 days to apply, and the decision comes in about 6 months.

English or French language test results
assessment of your foreign degree by a designated organisation
experience letters with duties, hours and salary
bank statements showing funds for 6 months
police certificates and a medical exam

Pitfalls: points fall with age after 30, and the department does not count experience without a detailed description of duties.

Provincial nomination

Each province selects people for its own labour market: by job offer, by a degree from a local institution, by an occupation on its list or by experience in the province. A nomination adds 600 points in Express Entry and practically guarantees an invitation, or it supports a separate paper application.

Conditions and fees differ by province. Some programmes are free and some charge: Nova Scotia, from 1 September 2026, about $710 in its worker streams. Quebec selects its own immigrants and requires French.

documents for the provincial stream: job offer, degree, experience
language test
proof of intent to live in the province

Pitfalls: a nomination commits you to settling in the province, and moving away right after getting permanent residence can be treated as misrepresentation.

Work on an employer's job offer

A work permit is issued for a specific employer. In most cases the employer first obtains a Labour Market Impact Assessment, confirmation that no Canadian was found for the job. The assessment fee, about $710, is paid by the employer, while the worker pays about $170 for the permit and biometrics.

The fast option for tech occupations is the Global Talent Stream: a decision in 2 weeks with a salary from $57,000 a year. Intra-company transferees and participants in youth exchange programmes from countries with agreements come without an assessment.

job offer with the assessment number or the exemption number
degree, experience letters, CV
passport, biometrics, medical exam for some occupations

Pitfalls: you cannot change employer without a new permit. But a year of skilled work in Canada qualifies you for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class.

Study

A study permit is issued on enrolment at a designated learning institution. From 1 September 2026 you must show at least $17,000 for living costs for one person outside Quebec, on top of first-year tuition. Permits are capped, so most applicants need a provincial attestation letter confirming an allocated place.

A student may work up to 24 hours a week during term. After graduation an open work permit of up to 3 years is available if the programme and language level meet the rules, and a Canadian degree and experience add points in Express Entry.

letter of acceptance and the provincial attestation letter
proof of funds: statements, a guaranteed investment certificate, tuition payment
study plan explaining your purpose
passport, biometrics, medical exam

Pitfalls: an open work permit for a spouse is given only for master's programmes of 16 months or more, doctorates and certain professional programmes.

Marriage and family

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor a spouse, partner and children for permanent residence. There is no income threshold for spouses, but the sponsor undertakes to support the family for 3 years. You can apply from abroad or from inside the country; in the latter case the spouse gets an open work permit during processing.

Intake of new applications for parents and grandparents has been paused since 15 July 2026. They can still use the long-stay visitor visa: up to 5 years per visit with health insurance and a sponsor's income above the threshold.

marriage certificate or evidence of living together for a year or more
messages, photos, joint accounts and trips
police certificates and a medical exam

Pitfalls: marriages are checked for genuineness, and a sponsored person cannot sponsor a new spouse for 5 years after their own permanent residence.

Business: investors and entrepreneurs

The federal Start-up Visa has been closed to new applications since 1 January 2026, and the self-employed programme is paused. The provinces remain. Quebec grants permanent residence to investors with a net worth of at least $1.5 million: an investment of about $710,000 for 5 years is returned without interest, a further $150,000 or so is a non-refundable contribution, and French is required.

British Columbia and Manitoba accept entrepreneurs: net worth from $430,000 and $360,000, with an investment in your own business from $150,000 and $110,000. A work permit comes first, and the nomination for permanent residence follows once the business has run to plan. Details are on our Canada permanent residence by investment page.

proof of net worth and the lawful source of funds over several years
management experience documents
business plan and a language test

Pitfalls: buying a home gives no status, and until 2027 foreigners without status are banned from buying homes in cities.

Remote work

There is no separate visa for remote workers. A foreigner enters as a visitor for up to 6 months and may work for a foreign employer or clients. A visitor visa costs about $75, and citizens of visa-exempt countries only need an electronic travel authorisation.

You can stay longer if you find a Canadian employer and get a work permit. Details are on our remote work from Canada page.

proof of work abroad and income
funds for the trip
passport and biometrics

Pitfalls: visitor status gives neither health coverage nor time towards permanent residence.

Health insurance for a residence permit

Healthcare in Canada is funded by the provinces. Permanent residents and most workers on a work permit get a provincial health card and do not pay for doctor visits or hospital care. In some provinces, such as British Columbia and Quebec, coverage starts up to 3 months after arrival, and private insurance is taken for that period.

Students are insured under provincial rules: in some provinces they join the provincial system, in others the institution arranges a mandatory policy and adds it to the tuition bill. In British Columbia an international student pays about $55 a month for provincial coverage.

Visitors, including remote workers, get nothing from the province: a private policy is needed for the whole stay. For the long-stay visitor visa for parents insurance is mandatory, with cover of at least $71,000 for at least a year. Provincial plans usually do not cover medicines and dental care; those are covered by an employer's plan.

Fees and timelines: what residency in Canada costs

Item	Amount
Permanent residence application, adult	~$1,200
Work permit with biometrics	~$170
Study permit	~$110
Visitor visa	~$75
Sponsoring a spouse for permanent residence	~$900
Labour Market Impact Assessment, paid by the employer	~$710
Funds for Express Entry, one applicant	from $11,000
Living funds for study, one person	from $17,000 a year
Citizenship, adult	~$460

Fees are per adult. Funds in the bank are not a payment: you show them and they stay yours. The language test, credential assessment, medical exam, translations and any provincial fee are paid separately. A manager will work out the total for your family in the chat.

In Canada a mistake on the form means a 5-year ban

The law does not prevent you from applying on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: the immigration department treats an inaccuracy on the form as misrepresentation and bars entry for 5 years, work experience without a proper description of duties earns no points, and a study permit application without a provincial attestation letter is returned. Murblz support removes these risks: we calculate your points and pick the programme, prepare experience letters and proof of funds, check the forms before filing and handle correspondence with the department until the decision. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first filing.

The support fee depends on the programme and family size; a manager will calculate it in the chat.

Find out the support fee

Common reasons for refusal

inaccurate or incomplete information on the form, which brings a 5-year entry ban
funds below the threshold, or money that appeared just before filing with no explanation
work experience not backed by letters with duties, hours and salary
for temporary status, the officer was not convinced the applicant would leave at the end of the stay
for study, no provincial attestation letter or a study plan that does not explain the purpose
a criminal record or medical grounds
a marriage or job offer found not to be genuine

The reason for a refusal is visible in the officer's notes, which are requested separately. Reapplying without answering those points gives the same result, so after a refusal we first obtain the notes and only then prepare a new file.

Restrictions for certain nationalities

The programmes are open to citizens of all countries, but entry rules differ. Citizens of visa-exempt countries, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia, need only an electronic authorisation to travel. Citizens of other countries, including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, China and India, need a visa and biometrics, and processing times depend on the country of filing.

Work without a labour market assessment under youth exchange programmes is open only to citizens of countries with an agreement with Canada, and simplified entry for professionals applies to citizens of the United States and Mexico. People on Canada's sanctions lists are barred from entry regardless of the programme.

Biometrics are given at a visa application centre, and not every country has one, so the trip to give fingerprints and the filing are planned together. Source-of-funds checks in the business programmes are strict for everyone: where income comes from several countries, documents are collected for several years back.

Path to permanent residence and citizenship in Canada

Permanent residence is granted directly through Express Entry, a provincial nomination, spousal sponsorship or a business programme. Those who came on a work permit apply under the Canadian Experience Class after a year of skilled work. The permanent resident card is issued for 5 years, and in every 5 years you must live in the country for at least 2.

You can apply for citizenship after 1,095 days of living in Canada in the last 5 years; days before permanent residence on temporary status count as half, up to one year. Applicants aged 18 to 54 prove language ability and take a test about the country. The fee is about $460, and dual citizenship is allowed.

More on the passport is on our Canadian citizenship by naturalisation page, and on resident taxes in our review of taxes in Canada.

This topic in other countries

How to get residency in other countries:

FAQ

How do I get residency in Canada in 2026?

Choose a route: Express Entry with permanent residence directly, a provincial nomination, a work permit on an employer's offer, study, spousal sponsorship or a provincial business programme. Temporary status in Canada means a work or study permit.

Can I get Canadian permanent residence without living in the country first?

Yes, through Express Entry: you need a year of skilled experience, a language test, a credential assessment and at least $11,000 in the bank. The decision comes about 6 months after you apply.

How much money do I need to move to Canada?

For Express Entry, at least $11,000 for one applicant and about $1,200 in fees. For study, at least $17,000 a year for living costs on top of tuition.

Does buying property give residency in Canada?

No. Buying a home gives no status, and until 2027 foreigners without status are banned from buying homes in cities.

Is the Canadian Start-up Visa open in 2026?

No, new applications have not been accepted since 1 January 2026. Entrepreneurs are left with provincial programmes and the Quebec investor programme.

Can I work in Canada while studying?

Yes, up to 24 hours a week during term and full time during breaks. After graduation an open work permit of up to 3 years is available.

Can I bring my parents to Canada?

Intake of new permanent residence applications for parents has been paused since 15 July 2026. The long-stay visitor visa is available: up to 5 years per visit with insurance of at least $71,000.

How much does Canadian permanent residence cost?

About $1,200 in fees per adult applicant. The language test, credential assessment and medical exam are paid separately.

How many years until Canadian citizenship?

After 3 years of living in the country in the last 5, that is 1,095 days. Canada allows dual citizenship.

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

We handle the whole process end to end: we check your documents, match a program to your situation and give you honest timelines and costs. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.

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