In Canada, a “Green Card” is called a permanent resident card, or PR card. In this article, we break down everything you need to know about the Canada ‘green card’.

What is a Canada “Green Card”?

The term “Green Card” comes from the United States. In the U.S., permanent residents are given a green card as proof of their immigration status.

In Canada, permanent residents don’t receive a green card, instead they receive a permanent resident card, or PR card. It might not be green, but it does have a cool maple leaf!

Canada’s PR card simply indicates that its holder is a permanent resident of Canada.

What is a permanent resident?

Permanent residence refers to a type of immigration status. In Canada, permanent residents have the legal right to live and work anywhere in the country for as long as they want. Permanent residents also get access to many perks of Canadian life: the publicly-funded healthcare system, social services, and Canadian tuition rates.

As well, after spending enough time in Canada, permanent residents are eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.

Permanent residents aren’t allowed to vote in Canadian elections — you have to become a citizen to earn that right.

How do I get a Canada ‘Green Card’ (aka permanent resident status)?

Every year, Canada welcomes hundreds of thousands of new permanent residents. In order to become one of them, you have to apply through one of Canada’s immigration programs.

There are around 100 different Canadian immigration programs for people who want to become permanent residents. You can start researching your options with our guide to Canada’s immigration programs.

And — get access to tons of Canadian immigration resources by signing up for a free Moving2Canada account. It only takes a minute!