Becoming Permanent Resident of Canada

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2022-06-05

Becoming Permanent Resident of Canada

This article is part of the series: Becoming a Canadian

It's been more than a year since I relocated to Canada in Feb 2021, and I have officially become a permanent resident of Canada this week. My major motivation of being a permanent resident is to maximize the flexibility of choosing a job and possibly getting education in this country.

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Thanks to BC Provincial Nominee Program - Tech (BC PNP Tech), the application process was very smooth even though I changed an employer in the middle; I was fortunately able to work with highly supportive attorneys both in the previous and current company, and my PR application has been approved much quicker than I expected¹. Here is a rough timeline I have undergone:

(2021/02) Moved to Canada from Japan with a work permit. Took IELTS, an English test required for PR application, 2 days before the flight.
(2021/06) Applied for BC PNP Tech.
(2021/07) Accepted BC PNP nomination, and received an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
(2021/08) Changed an employer. Initiated BC PNP post-nomination process.
(2021/12) Re-received BC PNP nomination and invitation to apply for permanent residence.
(2022/02) Applied for permanent residence.
(2022/06) Received an approval of my PR application, and the status has been confirmed in less than a week.

Note that the processing time varies depending on various factors. Everyone must refer to the government's website for the latest information. Meanwhile, COVID-19 impacted the process both in positive and negative ways, but I believe none of them was a significant blocker/accelerator. On a positive side, for example, the university I graduated from temporarily accepted a request for issuing a certificate of degree by email, which usually can be requested only by mail with a paper-based application. On the other hand, there was a little bit of confusion when I was trying to obtain a police certificate; the police office's fingerprinting service and embassy's operations were irregular during the pandemic.

In the coming months, I'm simply excited to explore a wide range of possibilities I additionally gained as a result of the PR status. I still don't know what this news actually means for my life, but what happens happens.

I'm optimistic about my life in the long run, whereas I'm pessimistic enough about uncontrollable events that could occur in the near future.

Next "Dot" in Journey: Curiosity-Driven Job Change in Canada (Aug 2021)

Life is unpredictable, and hence I would like to keep adding randomness to my life. Wherever my curiosity is satisfied under uncertainty, I will be there.

Will I literally reside in the country permanently? Am I planning to apply for Canadian citizenship? I don't know to be honest, but no matter what the next steps look like, I look forward to establishing a deeper connection to the lovely Metro Vancouver area as a first step.

¹. It's actually too fast. I'm planning to fly to Japan in less than 3 weeks for a family matter, but it is recommended not to go outside of Canada until I get a PR card. Otherwise, a special procedure would be required to re-enter Canada. Thus, I'm currently in a difficult situation to make the urgent trip happen... ↩

This article is part of the series: Becoming a Canadian

Author: Takuya Kitazawa

Takuya Kitazawa is a freelance software developer based in British Columbia, Canada. As a technologist specializing in AI and data-driven solutions, he has worked globally at Big Tech and start-up companies for a decade. At the intersection of tech and society, he is passionate about promoting the ethical use of information technologies through his mentoring, business consultation, and public engagement activities. See CV for more information, or contact at [email protected].

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