IRCC Form IMM 0008: Fillable PDF
Generic Application Form for Canada (Permanent Residence)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Main application form for permanent residence in Canada across most immigration programs.
Reviewed July 2026
This form must be opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader to fill it out. Browsers show a placeholder page instead of the form.
How it works
- 1
Download the form. Save the official PDF to your device.
- 2
Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader and fill in each field. Browsers show a placeholder page for this form type.
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Save and submit the completed form following the official instructions.
Form IMM 0008, Generic Application Form for Canada, is the foundation of most permanent residence applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It identifies the principal applicant, the immigration program, and every family member included in the application, whether or not they are coming to Canada.
IRCC publishes IMM 0008 as a dynamic XFA PDF, so it appears as a placeholder page in web browsers. Download the form from this page, save it to your computer, and complete it in Adobe Acrobat Reader on Windows or macOS. This guide covers what the form does, who completes it, and how to validate and submit it.
What is IMM 0008 used for
IMM 0008 is the generic application form that starts a permanent residence file across a wide range of programs, including family sponsorship, refugee and humanitarian streams, and various economic classes that still use paper or uploaded forms. It collects identity, contact, passport, education, occupation, and language details for the principal applicant and all dependants.
Some programs, such as Express Entry, collect the same information through fully online systems instead of this PDF. Always follow the document checklist for your specific program, since it dictates whether IMM 0008 and which schedules apply to you.
Who files IMM 0008
The principal applicant completes one IMM 0008 for the whole family unit and signs it, listing dependants on the form itself.
- Applicants for permanent residence in family, refugee, humanitarian, and many economic categories.
- Sponsored spouses, partners, and children, where the sponsored person is the principal applicant and the sponsor files separate sponsorship forms such as IMM 1344.
- Families with more than the number of dependants the form accommodates, who add the Additional Dependants/Declaration annex.
- Applicants in specific streams also attach the schedule for their category, for example Schedule 2 for refugees selected abroad or Schedule 12 for refugee claimants in Canada.
How to fill out IMM 0008
Open the downloaded file in Adobe Acrobat Reader and complete each section in order. The dynamic form adjusts its questions based on your program selection, so choose your category carefully at the start.
When everything is complete, click the Validate button. Validation highlights missing fields and generates barcode pages that encode your data; submit the validated PDF and do not edit it afterward.
- Program selection: the immigration category you are applying under, which drives the rest of the form.
- Personal details: names, date and place of birth, citizenship, and residence history for the principal applicant.
- Contact information, passport, and national identity document details.
- Education, occupation, and language: highest education level, current occupation, and your preferred official language.
- Dependants: personal details for a spouse or partner and each dependent child, with an indication of who is accompanying you to Canada.
- Consent and declaration: the principal applicant signs and dates the completed form.
Filing tips
IMM 0008 rarely travels alone. Most permanent residence applications pair it with Schedule A background declarations (IMM 5669), Additional Family Information (IMM 5406), travel history (IMM 5562), and program-specific schedules, plus fees payable per the IRCC fee list.
- IRCC forms are version-pinned; confirm the current version of IMM 0008 on the official page before submitting, since outdated forms can be returned.
- List every family member, accompanying or not; leaving out a spouse or child can make them ineligible for future sponsorship and can amount to misrepresentation.
- Keep names, dates, and places consistent across every form and document in your package.
- Permanent residence files are high stakes; a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or immigration lawyer can review your package before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
IMM 0008 is a dynamic XFA PDF, which browsers and most lightweight PDF viewers cannot render. Save the file to your computer and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader on a desktop computer to see the full form.
No. The principal applicant completes one IMM 0008 covering the whole family and lists all dependants on it. Other forms in the package, such as Schedule A (IMM 5669) and IMM 5406, are completed individually by adult family members.
The main form has space for a limited number of dependants. If your family is larger, complete the Additional Dependants/Declaration annex (IMM 0008DEP) for the remaining family members and include it with your application.
It depends on your program. Refugees selected abroad add Schedule 2, refugee claimants in Canada add Schedule 12, and other categories have their own schedules. Your program's document checklist on the IRCC website is the authoritative list.
Fees vary by program and family size and change over time, so check the current fee on the IRCC fee list. Most adults also pay the right of permanent residence fee, payable before landing.
Yes. You must declare all family members even if they are not accompanying you. Undeclared family members generally cannot be sponsored later, and omissions can be treated as misrepresentation.
Related forms
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