I am officially a Permanent Resident of Canada

The fine print: I don't yet have my Permanent Resident Card; they're mailing it to me (six to eight weeks). However, I do have the permanent visa, which is legally equivalent. The only thing I can't do with this is go on international flights—commercial carriers ask to see the PR card. In every other respect, my visa is legally equivalent to the PR card—I can stay in the country permanently, leave on trips and return, work for any employer, and so forth. And I'll have the PR card within the next two months, at which point I can go on international flights—home for Christmas, for instance!

The only real differences between my status and that of a citizen are that I cannot vote, and that my status can be revoked if I become involved in criminal activity, or if I spend less than two out of every five years in Canada—both of which conditions are hardly onerous, especially compared to previous restrictions (being tied to a specific employer, and with an expiry date on the visa).

Fine print aside, however, the chief point remains: After six years of living on temporary permits, bound to specific schools and jobs, I am free and I am officially a Permanent Resident of Canada.