Gershon Koffie has been granted his permanent Canadian residency as well as signing a contract extension with Vancouver Whitecaps.
The 21-year old Ghanaian arrived in Vancouver in 2010 and has now obtained his permanent residency card from Citizenship and Immigration Canada allowing him to come off the clubs international roster.
"Gershon has embraced this club, city, and country, and we are very happy for him," said Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie.
"He is the type of character we want at our club and being only 21, we think he has a big future ahead of him."
Koffie added: "I'm really glad to become a permanent resident of Canada.
"The fans have been fantastic since I came to Vancouver in 2010. They've welcomed me and made this my home. I love this city and I can't wait to get back on the field."