What is a Canadian Immigrant Visa? 

An Immigrant Visa is a document which allows a person to live and work anywhere in Canada, and confers upon that person permanent resident status. It comes with certain responsibilities and can be revoked if the holder is out of the country for too long, or is guilty of some criminal activity. A person who is a Canadian permanent resident may apply for Canadian Citizenship after 3 years.
  

Can I apply for permanent resident status  and  temporary status at the same time?

You can apply for permanent resident status and temporary status at the same time (dual intent). Doing so will not harm your application for permanent resident status. However, your application for temporary status may be affected because an impression will have been created that you do not intend to leave Canada upon the expiration of your temporary status. Therefore it is better to apply for temporary status before you apply for your permanent resident status.

Who qualifies for an Immigrant Visa?

Immigrant Visas are given to qualified skilled workers, business persons and to close family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
 

Who can I include in my application for an Immigrant Visa?

Your spouse and any dependent children may be included in the application.  Children must be under the age of 19 years.  If they are 19 and older, they must not have had an interruption of more than 12 months in their schooling.  Your accompanying dependents will be subject to medical and security clearance requirements.  Other family members, such as your parents, generally cannot be included in the application but you may be able to sponsor them as part of the family class after you land in Canada. 

Common-law spouses and same-sex partners are not considered spouses for immigration purposes.  They will be assessed independently.  Where the common-law spouse or same-sex partner does not qualify as an independent immigrant, an Immigrant Visa may still be issued on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
  

Where do I submit my application for a Canadian Immigrant Visa?

You submit your application for a Canadian Immigrant Visa to a Canadian visa office. Every geographic region in the world has a Canadian visa office to which your application forms and supporting documents, along with all applicable fees, can be submitted. Each visa office specializes in the examination of documents from its region.

Even if there is no Canadian visa office located in your country of residence, nonetheless your area is the responsibility of a particular Canadian visa office. For example, the Canadian visa office in London, England, is not only responsible for applications from the United Kingdom, but is also responsible for applications from other countries such as Finland and Saudi Arabia.

Applicants under the Business Immigration Program must submit their applications to one of nine designated Visa Offices, which specialize in the evaluation of these files. 

If your destination is the Province of Quebec, you must submit an application for a Canadian Immigrant Visa and an application for a Quebec Certificate of Selection to a Quebec Delegation in your region. This procedure is required because Quebec has exclusive jurisdiction to select immigrants who intend to reside in that Province.

Will I be interviewed by an immigration officer?

Most Skilled Worker applicants for permanent resident status are required to attend a selection interview with an immigration officer. Such interviews are held to ensure the information in the application is accurate, to verify documentation, to test language ability, and to help applicants relocate to Canada.

Visa offices may grant certain Skilled Worker candidates an interview waiver, depending on the qualifications of the applicant, the quality of the supporting documentation, and the overall credibility of the applicant.  The likelihood of an interview waiver varies from one visa office to another. 

Almost all applicants under the Business Immigration Program will be required to attend a selection interview.

All prospective immigrants to Canada are required to undergo medical examinations. These examinations are intended to detect any conditions which may affect the health of the Canadian public, or which may result in excessive demands being placed upon the Canadian health care system.

The medical examination includes a standard physical examination, blood tests, urine tests, and X-Rays.
  

Will my application be rejected if I have a certain disease or disorder?

Each medical case is analyzed individually, taking into account your full medical history.  If the disease or disorder poses health risks to Canadians or places excessive demands on the Canadian health care system, it may result in medical inadmissibility .

What is a police clearance?

All adult applicants for immigration to Canada must submit a police clearance, a document which certifies that you have no criminal record.  A clearance must come from each country you have lived in for 6 months or more since the age of 18 years. If police in a particular country refuse to issue a clearance, it would be helpful if they  provided a written statement confirming that they refused to issue the clearance.
 

Do I become a permanent resident of Canada as soon as my landing documents are issued?

No.  You will only become a permanent resident when you cross a Canadian port-of-entry with your valid passport and your valid Canadian Immigrant Visa.
  

How long can I wait to come to Canada after my  Immigrant Visa is issued?

You must arrive in Canada before the expiry date which appears on your Immigrant Visa. Usually, it is one year from the time medical examinations were completed. As this is not always the case, be sure to verify the expiry date as soon as you receive your Immigrant Visa.

Once I obtain Canadian Permanent Resident status, how soon do I become eligible to apply for Canadian Citizenship? 

You are allowed to apply for Canadian Citizenship after you have been physically resident in Canada for three years (1095 days) out of the four years immediately preceding your application. Where exceptional circumstances exist, however, you may be allowed to apply even if you have not been physically resident in Canada for the required 1095 days.
  

Do I have to apply for Canadian Citizenship as soon as I am eligible? 

No. There is no obligation to apply for Canadian Citizenship at any time. 

Is there a benefit to using an attorney for immigration to Canada? 

Statistically, your chances of succeeding are increased if you are represented by a qualified attorney. But expert representation is not demanded by the Canadian immigration authorities.