To become a Canadian Immigrant Permanent Resident, a foreign individual must apply for and be issued a Canada Immigration Visa.
People outside of Canada often refer to a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa as a "
Canada Green Card". The term Green Card, of course, pertains only to US immigration status.
The different Canadian immigration categories are:
Federal Skilled Workers (Professionals): Federal Skilled Workers (Professionals) are assessed upon a series of factors, i.e. a point system, which is designed to indicate the likelihood of becoming economically established in Canada.
Provincial Nomination Program (PNP): Under the Provincial Nomination Program provinces select individuals who are interested in settling in their province and who will be able to contribute to the province's economic development.
Quebec Skilled Workers: Skilled Worker (Professional) applicants intending to reside in the Province of Quebec are selected based upon a different set of criteria than applicants who wish to settle elsewhere in Canada. The Quebec Immigration selection system is designed to indicate the likelihood of succeeding in settling in Quebec.
Business Immigration: Foreign individuals with business/managerial experience and relatively high net-worth may apply for Canadian permanent resident status under three sub-categories.
Family Sponsorship: In certain circumstances, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are entitled to sponsor their close relatives from abroad.
Canadian Immigrants are entitled to live and work anywhere in Canada and they may sponsor close family members for Canadian Immigration status. Canadian immigrants enjoy many, but not all, of the privileges of
Canadian Citizenship and may apply for Canadian Citizenship after 3 years.
Immigration Visas 
