A number of categories of persons are entitled to come to Canada for the purposes of permanent residence. These classes of persons are set out in section 12 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, (2001), and include persons entering for the purposes of family reunification with close family members and people entering for employment reasons. After three years of permanent residence migrants may apply for Canadian citizenship.

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A number of categories of persons are entitled to come to Canada for the purposes of permanent residence. These classes of persons are set out in section 12 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, (2001), and include persons entering for the purposes of family reunification with close family members and people entering for employment reasons. After three years of permanent residence migrants may apply for Canadian citizenship.

In December 2002 the Canadian government introduced permanent resident cards (PR cards) for all permanent residents, including minors, who have not yet become Canadian citizens (1). The new card includes a laser-engraved photograph and signature. Physical characteristics of permanent resident are printed on the front of the card which also has an optical stripe containing details from the Confirmation of Permanent Resident form received by permanent residents on obtaining their status. Information from the optical stripe is encrypted and only accessible to authorized officials in order to protect the privacy of the cardholder. The PR card must be shown, along with the person’s passport, to carrier personnel on airplanes, boats, buses and trains in order for permanent residents to re-enter Canada from December 2003. From June 2002 the PR card was automatically sent to new permanent residents on their arrival in Canada and permanent residents already in Canada were required to apply for them.

Permanent residents in Canada are entitled to free healthcare for essential medical services, providing that they have a health insurance card. In order to obtain this card they must apply to the Ministry of Health in the province in which they are living. Documents such as birth certificates, Confirmation of Permanent Residence documents and passport have to be shown on application for a health insurance card, applicants may also be required to show their Permanent Resident Cards and other documents showing their name, address and signature. Without a card migrants will be required to pay for healthcare. In certain provinces temporary workers, students and others persons in Canada on a temporary basis are also entitled to apply for health insurance cards. The Interim Federal Health Program, administered by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), ensures emergency and essential health services for refugee protection claimants in need and those protected persons in Canada who are not yet entitled to provincial health care.>

All migrants are required to find their own housing in Canada. However refugees arriving as part of resettlement programmes may be provided with temporary accommodation and assisted in obtaining permanent accommodation. All migrant children, permanently resident or asylum seeking, are entitled to free elementary and secondary education in Canada. Migrants must register their children at the local school or school board office. In order to do so they must take documents such as Permanent Resident Cards, Record of Landing or Confirmation of Permanent Residence, birth certificates, vaccination certificate and any previous school records.

Analysis provided by: Anisa Niaz LLM (Public Law), United Kingdom.

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