Canada
Permanent Resident of Canada

The Permanent Residency of Canada gives almost the same rights as a Canadien citizen. A person who obtains the Permanent Residence of Canada can work, study, start a business, etc. The Permanent Resident also has access to all of the social benefits: health insurance (medical and pharmaceutical), family allocations, etc. After three years of being a permanent resident, you can apply for the Canadien Citizenship.

More specifically, a Canadien Permanent Resident can:

• Stay in Canada permanently;
• Work in Canada;
• Study in Canada;
• Use the universal health care system (medical insurance, pharmaceutical insurance, etc);
• Enter and leave Canada at any moment without running the risk of being refused entry to the country by an immigration officer (as long as you respect the conditions of the Permanent Residency).
• Be protected by all the laws of Canada, at the Federal level and the Provincial level where you reside;
Create or be owned of your own business in Canada;
• Eligible for financial aid for education from the Government;
• Obtain the advantages of Social Security;
• You can sponsor your spouse and your single children below the age of 22 so they can obtain the Permanent Residenct status themselves;
• After having lived in Canada for 3 years, you can apply for the Canadian Citizenship.

In order to keep the Permanent Resident status valid, a person must spend a minimum of 730 days inside of Canada for every period of 5 years. The 730 days don't need to be continuous.