People who live in Canada are divided into 3 categories:

1. Permanent residents
2. Temporary residents
3. Citizens

How do you get one of the statuses in Canada?

• Temporary Resident Status. A temporary resident is a foreign national who has been admitted to Canada for a temporary stay. To get this type of status, you need to obtain a tourist visa, study permit or work permit.

• Permanent Resident Status. To obtain it, you must be eligible for one of the immigration program. If you go though your immigration pathway successfully, an immigration visa will be issued, under which the permanent residency will be assigned.

• Canadian Citizenship. It may be obtained in three ways:

1. Birth in Canada (citizenship by law of soil), which means that any person who is born on Canadian soil receives automatic Canadian citizenship.
2. Birth to Canadian citizen abroad (citizenship by right of blood or by descent). Children born overseas are Canadian citizens by descent if either parent is a citizen by birth or naturalization in Canada. 
3. Naturalization (grant of citizenship). This person needs to meet several conditions in order to be granted citizenship: have lived in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years, pass a test on rights, responsibilities and knowledge of Canada and take the Oath of Citizenship.