|
|
|
|
Legal Line® provides Free legal information to Canadians through its website, telephone and fax-on-demand systems.
1,000 topics are covered within 35 areas of law...
Search...
Ontario|Immigration LawRefugees 673 Applying for permanent resident status If you have received a written decision from the Immigration & Refugee Board that your application for refugee status has been approved, then you can apply for permanent resident status. You must apply for permanent resident status within 180 days of receiving the written confirmation of your refugee status from Immigration Canada, or you may lose the chance to become a permanent resident.
To qualify for permanent resident status, the refugee and the refugee's dependents must be in good health, with no criminal record and no criminal charges in Canada or abroad. Applicants must not be a security risk, and they must hold valid passports or travel documents.
Information and application packages for permanent resident status are available from any Canada Immigration office. The processing fee for permanent residence is $500 for adults aged 19 and over, and $100 for dependents under the age of 19 who are unmarried. This processing fee is non-refundable. There is also a right of landing fee in the amount of $975 for all applicants who are 19 years of age and older. If necessary, you may be able to obtain a loan from Immigration Canada to cover this fee.
Permanent residents have the right to stay in Canada permanently. They enjoy most of the rights given to Canadian citizens, with some exceptions. Permanent residents cannot vote in some elections, or hold a passport, or run for elected office.
Permanent residents cannot re-enter Canada after being out of the country for six months or more, unless they convince Immigration Canada that they did not intend to abandon Canada as their permanent place of residence. Permanent residents may be ineligible for jobs that require high-level security clearance. Also, permanent residents may be deported from Canada if they commit a serious crime or if they used false documents to apply for permanent resident status. Permanent residents face the same legal obligations as Canadian citizens. For example, permanent residents must pay taxes and obey the law.
Permanent residents who have lived in Canada for a minimum of three years can apply to become Canadian citizens. Additional information about Canadian citizenship is available on Legal Line .
INDEPENDENT IMMIGRANTS
|