Permanent residence for Indians in 2026: Express Entry, Australia 189, UK ILR, US green card, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand compared

Key facts

• Points-tested from abroad: Canada Express Entry (CRS), Australia 189 (65 points minimum), New Zealand SMC (6 points)
• Earned in-country: UK ILR after 5 years; US green card via PERM and I-140; Singapore PR after years on a pass; Japan after 10 years (1 or 3 with HSP points)
• Fees: Canada CAD 1,590 principal; Australia AUD 6,135; UK GBP 3,226; US I-140 USD 715 plus DS-260 USD 325 and USCIS immigrant fee USD 235; NZ NZD 6,450; Singapore SGD 100; Japan JPY 200,000 on approval
• Published processing: Canada 6 months after submission; UK up to 6 months (5 days priority); Singapore about 6 months; NZ 4 to 6 months; Japan 4 months standard, 6 to 12 in practice; Australia several months to a year
• Settlement funds: Canada CAD 15,263 (FSW/FST, not CEC); Australia none for 189; NZ none
• Residency obligation: Canada 730 days in 5 years; Australia 2 of 5 years for the travel facility; UK absences cap 180 days a year before ILR; US re-entry permit beyond 1 year abroad
• Citizenship after PR: Canada 3 of 5 years; Australia 4 years residence; UK 12 months on ILR; US 5 years as LPR
• Verified: 7 route pages re-read 29 to 30 October 2026

Overview

Permanent residence for Indians is reached by 7 verified routes on this site, and they split into two kinds: points-tested from abroad (Canada Express Entry at CAD 1,590, Australia's subclass 189 at AUD 6,135, New Zealand's Skilled Migrant Category at NZD 6,450) and earned after years in the country (UK indefinite leave to remain at GBP 3,226 after 5 years, the US green card through PERM and the USD 715 I-140, Singapore PR at SGD 100, Japan at JPY 200,000). Published processing runs from 4 to 6 months in New Zealand and Canada to a year or more where a priority-date queue applies.

This guide is the long version of the permanent residence hub. Each route page carries the points table or residence test, the fee list, the checklist and the refusal reasons for that country.

Permanent residence for Indians: the 7 routes side by side

How do the points systems score an Indian profile?

Canada's Express Entry scores age (maximum at 20 to 29), education with an Educational Credential Assessment, first-language test results, skilled work experience and a spouse's factors, then adds 600 for a provincial nomination; job-offer points were withdrawn in March 2025. In 2026 there were no general draws: Canadian Experience Class rounds closed between 507 and 523, trades and transport at 476 to 477, healthcare at 475 and French-language rounds from 382 to 435, so most Indian profiles reach an invitation through a PNP stream or a category-based draw rather than the general pool.

Australia's 189 needs 65 points to lodge an expression of interest, but invitations in recent rounds have gone well above that floor in most occupations outside healthcare and teaching; a positive skills assessment in an eligible occupation comes first and typically takes 1 to 4 months on its own. New Zealand's Skilled Migrant Category replaced the old pool with a simple 6-point test from October 2023: 3 to 6 points from a qualification, occupational registration or income at 1.5 to 3 times the median wage (NZD 33.56 an hour), the balance from years of skilled work in New Zealand, with no cap and no draws.

How do the in-country routes count the years?

The UK's indefinite leave to remain is a clock: 5 years of continuous residence on a qualifying visa (Skilled Worker, partner, UK Ancestry; 3 for Global Talent and Innovator Founder), no more than 180 days of absence in any 12 months, the Life in the UK test and English at B1. Singapore's PR is a holistic assessment with no published points: salary, age, qualifications, family ties, time on the pass and contribution all count, refusals carry no reasons and a fresh application is allowed after 6 months. Japan's permanent residence needs 10 years of residence with 5 on a work status, cut to 3 years with 70 Highly Skilled Professional points or 1 year with 80, plus tax and pension records with no late payments.

The US green card through employment is a three-stage file: the employer's PERM labour certification, the I-140 petition (USD 715; premium processing decides in 15 business days) and the immigrant visa or adjustment of status, which for Indian nationals in EB-2 and EB-3 waits on the Visa Bulletin priority date. EB-1 for multinational managers and outstanding researchers and the EB-5 investor route are the faster categories for Indian nationals, and the route page compares all three.

Settlement funds, medicals and police certificates

Points-based routes ask for proof of settlement funds unless you have a job offer or are already working in the country: Canada's Federal Skilled Worker and Trades streams require CAD 15,263 for a single applicant (not needed for Canadian Experience Class), while Australia's 189 and New Zealand's SMC set no funds requirement. Every route needs a police certificate from India (and from any country lived in for 6 or 12 months) and a medical from a panel physician, both of which expire, typically after 12 months, so they are ordered after the invitation rather than before. Language tests expire too: IELTS and PTE results are valid 2 years for Canada and 3 for Australia, and an expired test at the full-application stage is one of the most common refusal reasons on the Canadian route page.

Why PR applications get refused, and the fix

Across the 7 route pages the refusal reasons cluster into: the Educational Credential Assessment or skills assessment not completed before the invitation; a language test expired by the time of the full application; work experience that does not match the claimed occupation code in duties or hours; settlement funds below the threshold for the family size; and, on the in-country routes, absences above the cap or a tax or pension gap. The fixes are sequencing and record-keeping: assessments and tests in hand before the expression of interest, reference letters written to the occupation code's duties, funds seasoned and the absence log kept from day one. The permanent residence refusal page sets out every reason with the evidence that answers it.

Which PR route fits an Indian professional?

If you are outside the country with a degree, 3 or more years of skilled experience and strong English, Canada and Australia are the only routes that grant PR before you arrive, and the Canada vs Australia permanent residence comparison puts the fees, tests and windows side by side. If you already hold a work visa, the in-country clocks decide: 5 years in the UK, 2 or more on a Singapore pass, 1 to 10 in Japan depending on points, and a priority-date wait in the United States. The citizenship guide covers the step after PR, and the free eligibility check estimates your points band before any fee is paid.

Questions, answered