2. Fill out your permanent resident application

It's very important to have a legal representative review your forms and documents before you submit your application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Make sure the information in your PR application is accurate and is the same information you included in your refugee process or PRRA. If there are any differences or changes, you should be prepared to explain them.

Your application includes forms and supporting documents. Make sure that you use the most recent forms. You must complete all the sections of each of these forms:

• Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008)
• Additional Dependents/Declaration (IMM 0008 DEP)
• Schedule 14 – Protected Persons and Convention Refugees (IMM 0008 – Schedule 14)
• Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)
• Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)
• Document Checklist (IMM 5286)
• Use of a Representative (IMM 5476), if applicable

If a question on one of the forms doesn't apply to you, write “N/A” (“not applicable”) for your answer.

It's very important to explain where you lived and worked for the past 5 years in the Schedule A. You can't have any gaps in time. If there is a period of time that is not explained, your application might be returned to you. Include any time when you were unemployed.

List your family members

You must complete the Generic Application Form again even though you completed one as part of your refugee claim.

If you're the Principal Applicant, you must list all your dependent family members. This includes your dependents who are with you in Canada and your dependents who are outside of Canada.

Family members include:

• your spouse or common-law partner, and
• your dependent child, and or the dependent child of your dependent child.

A dependent child means:

• your child under age 22, unless they are married or in a common law relationship, and
• your child over age 22 who is financially dependent on you since before the age of 22 and has a mental or physical disability.

Get legal advice, especially if you want to include:

• a child you adopted,
• a child you have raised without legal adoption documents,
• an orphaned child,
• a child over 22 with a disability, or
• a child who has a child.

You can then decide whether or not to include them in your application as “accompanying” you to come to Canada.

It's also a good idea to get legal advice if you want to say that an eligible dependent is not accompanying you to come to Canada. Saying this means that they could be permanently prevented from joining you in Canada.

If your children are 18 years old or older, they will have to complete and sign their own Schedule A, Schedule 14, and Additional Family information forms.

Additional Family Information form

The Additional Family Information form asks for information about your spouse or common-law partner, your parents, your children of any age, and your brothers and sisters. You must include all of your family members in your application. If you don't, it will be difficult to apply to sponsor your family to come to Canada in the future and you could be permanently separated from them.

If you don't know where your family members are living outside of Canada or you aren't sure if they are still alive, you should still include them in your application. You might find your family members after you have applied for permanent residence.