1. Who can apply

You can apply for permanent resident status under this pathway if a child protection agency or authority in Canada, such as a Children's Aid Society in Ontario, was legally responsible for your care for at least one year since you came to Canada because of a court order.

Being legally responsible means a court gave the child protection agency or authority the same rights and duties that parents have. This is also called being taken into care. You may have been in foster care or lived in a group home while in care.

The one year can be:

• 12 months in a row, or
• shorter periods that add up to one year.

You must also:

• have come to Canada before the age of 19
• have lived only in Canada since the age of 19, if you're over 19 now
• have lived in Canada for at least 3 years before you apply
• be in Canada when you apply, and when you get permanent resident status
• not plan to live in Quebec
• have a document to prove who you are

Apply even if you’re inadmissible

Usually, people do not qualify for permanent residence if they do not meet certain conditions that are in Canada's immigration laws. This is called being inadmissible. For example, you could be inadmissible if you've done certain crimes or lied to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

This pathway allows some people to get permanent resident status even if they're inadmissible.

You can get permanent residence under this pathway even if you:

• committed regular crimes or serious crimes
• have a health condition that is likely to be expensive for health or social services
• do not have money or a way to support yourself
• did not follow Canada's immigration laws, for example, if you studied, worked, or lived here without permission from IRCC
• lied to IRCC, left out information you had to include, or gave a fake document when you came to Canada, or studied, worked, or lived here without permission

And you can get permanent residence under this pathway even if you:

• were sponsored by a person who is inadmissible to Canada because they lied to IRCC, gave a fake document, or left out information they had to include
• have a family member who's inadmissible
• are included in an application to live in Canada by an inadmissible family member

When you do not qualify

But you cannot get permanent resident status through this pathway if you or any of your family members:

• are inadmissible for national security reasons, for example, for committing a terrorist act
• took part in organized crime
• abused important human or international rights

And you cannot have committed a serious non-political crime outside Canada.

There are other reasons that can also make you inadmissible to Canada.

If you were in care as a child, and are not sure whether you qualify, or think you do not qualify, get legal help. Talk to an immigration lawyer about your options if you want to stay in Canada permanently.