Applying for immigration on a work permit

[Tooba]

I am working as a full time employee in Canada for past three months on a Work Permit (which is valid for a good two years). I want to get immigration (which for me essentially means that I can re-enter without requiring a visa and perhaps do nearly everything that a citizen does except holding a canadian passport or be eligible for vote!).

How do I go about it? I have B1/B2 stamped for USA. Can I initiate immigration process in a  Canadian counsolate in Seattle on a visit to US? Or do I have to go back to my home country to apply for one?

I vaguely remember peers/people telling me I should be able to get "immigration" within first 8-10 months of my stay here? What is the complete legal term/status for this immigration? (My next step might be to get citizenship, which i can worry about later on)

P.S. I feel toasted with over-loaded terminologies! It would be kind of you to direct me patiently!

[thaiguy]

Tooba,

You can apply for immigration from any country to which you have been legally admitted for at least 1 year.  Since you have been admitted to Canada for up to 2 years, you can apply for immigration from inside Canada. 

Whether you would qualify for immigration is a different question.  To find out, you can take the online assessment here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/assess/index.asp

Good luck.

[Tooba]

Thanks thaiguy!

I have already checked through the pre-requisites and I qualify very easily. Actually, right now,  I am trying to figure out the process to get "landed immigrant" status. (I hope I am using the correct term here!). It would be great if somebody please share the exact link to the "Application Kit" for my case?

[thaiguy]

Tooba

To become a landed immigrant, you have to apply to immigrate as a skilled worker.  I suggest you apply using the regular application process through Buffalo, NY.  You will need to submit all of your documents up front, and it will probably take between one and two years to complete.  Then you can "land" at a Canadian port of entry and become a permanent resident (PR).

Here's a link to the application kit and visa office-specific instructions.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/application-regular.asp