Express Entry Canada

If you wish to settle in Canada then Express Entry is one of the best pathways. Express Entry was first introduced in 2015 and has become the main source of skilled worker immigration to Canada. This program admitted more than 92,000new permanent residents in 2018 and planning to increase the number of invitations in the future to fill the gap in the workforce.

This program gives the opportunity for skilled workers with foreign work experience to come and join the Canadian workforce. This stream grants permanent residency to applicants who meet the required eligibility criteria based on their education, work experience, and language proficiency.

There are multiple options (Provincial Nomination Program, Sponsorship, Start-up Visa) available to settle and gain permanent residency in Canada, though Express Entry is one of the most popular streams among foreign nationals to settle in Canada.

Types of categories under Express Entry Program

Express Entry has three immigration programs you can choose from to gain permanent residency in Canada:

1. Federal Skilled Worker Program
2. Federal Skilled Trades Program
3. Canadian Experience Class

Federal Skilled Worker Program

This program allows skilled workers with foreign work experience to live and work permanently in Canada. To qualify for this stream you must meet the minimum requirements from the below factors:

• Work Experience
• Education
• Language proficiency

Apart from these three factors, your application will be reviewed based on the below list of factors, which are equally important as the above factors:

• Age
• Valid job offer
• Adaptability

These six factors consist of 100 marks in combination and at present, passing marks are 67 out of 100. To qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you must score 67 or higher points. Check below for more details about the points table:

Language Skills (maximum 28 points)

You can score up to 28 points in your language proficiency in English or French. You can score a maximum of 24 points in your first official language and a maximum of 4 points in the second official language. You’ll be assessed based on your ability to:

• Write
• Read
• Listen
• Speak

First Official Language (maximum 24 points)

Second official language (maximum 4 points)

You can get a maximum of 4 points If you score at least CLB 5 in each section of language ability.

Education (maximum 25 points)

If you have a foreign education, you must have:

• An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for immigration purposes from designated organizations.

Work Experience (maximum 15 points)

You can score up to 15 marks for your full-time work experience at skill type 0, or skill levels A or B in National Occupational Classification.

Check your NOC code here

Age (maximum 12 points)

You can score up to 12 marks based on your Age.

Job Offer in Canada (maximum 10 points)

You can get up to 10 points If you have a job offer from a Canadian employer for at least 1 year. You must have this job offered before you apply through Express Entry as a Federal Skilled Worker.

To gain 10 points, the job offer must be:

• Full-time work
• For at least 1 year
• Listed as skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC

Adaptability (maximum 10 points)

You and your spouse or common-law partner who will immigrate to Canada with you can earn points. You can get these 10 points if:

• your spouse scored CLB 4 or higher in all 4 sections (Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing) (5 Points)
• you have completed at least 2 years of full-time education in Canada (5 Points)
•  your spouse or common-law partner completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study in Canada (5 Points)
• You have at least 1 year of full-time work experience in Canada in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of NOC (10 Points)
• Your spouse or common-law partner’s past work in Canada (5 Points)
• You have a job offer from a Canadian employer (5 Points)
• Relative in Canada (5 Points)

Language Skill + Education + Work Experience + Age + Job Offer + Adaptability = 100 Points

You can check the above point grid to get some idea of how one can score to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Trades Program targets skilled applicants who are qualified in a skilled trade and can contribute to the workforce. Many job opportunities lying vacant in Canada where skilled trade workers are required.

To qualify for this stream, you must meet the minimum requirement from the below list of factors:

• Work Experience
• Education
• Language proficiency

Work Experience

To meet the minimum requirement of Work Experience, you must:

• have at least 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the 5 years.  
• meet the job requirements guideline set in the National Occupational Classification
• have a full-time valid job offer for at least 1 year
• have a certificate in trade qualification

Below are the verticals for your reference which comes under Skilled trades:

• Major Group 72, industrial, electrical, and construction trades
• Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades
• Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture
• Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing, and utility supervisors and central control operators
• Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
• Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers

Note: To qualify for points in the work experience section your work experience must meet the description outlined in the NOC for skilled trades. If your work experience doesn’t match with the description then your application won’t be considered.

Education

In the Education section, if you have completed your certificate, diploma, or degree in Canada then you can get points that can make your application strong to qualify for an invitation.

If you are a foreign national and have completed your study outside Canada, then to gain points in this section you must submit your ECA report from a designated organization.

Language proficiency

To qualify for the Express Entry Skilled Trade stream, you must submit your language test results. Your language test results are valid for only 2 years after the result date.

If you’re applying through Federal Trade Skilled Program, then you must score CLB 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing.

Canadian Experience Class

This stream is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience. If you’re in Canada and working full-time then you can apply for your residency through this stream.

To qualify for this stream, you must meet the minimum requirement from the below list of factors:

• Work Experience
• Education
• Language proficiency

Work Experience

To meet the minimum requirement of Work Experience, you must:

• have at least 1 year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada, in the last 3 years.
• have work experience in Canada
• have your work experience in skill type managerial jobs (Skill level 0), Professional jobs (skill type A) and Technical Jobs and Skilled Trades (Skill type B)  

Note: To qualify for points in the work experience section your work experience must meet the description outlined in the NOC list.

Education

In the Education section, if you have completed your certificate, diploma, or degree in Canada then you can get points that can make your application strong to qualify for an invitation.

If you are a foreign national and have completed your study outside Canada, then to gain points in this section you must submit your ECA report from a designated organization.

Language proficiency

To qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, you must score a minimum language score. You must score CLB 7 If your work experience is in skill type 0 or A Jobs and score CLB 5 If your work experience is in skill type B Jobs.

Steps to apply for Canada PR through Express Entry

There are seven steps to apply for Canada PR through Express Entry.

Step 1: Check your eligibility

The very first step for you is to check eligibility criteria, whether you are eligible to apply for Canada permanent residency or not through the Express Entry. Click here to check your eligibility https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/come-canada-tool.html

Step 2: Check your CRS Score

Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)is a point-based scoring system that is used by the Canadian government to assess and score the applicant’s profile. Based on the CRS scores eligible applicants get the invite to submit an application for permanent residency.

CRS score consist of two segments of 600 each:

Core: 600 Points

• Skills and Experience Factors
• Spouse or Partner Factors
• Skills Transferability, including education and work experience

Additional: 600 Points

• Canadian Degree/ Diploma
• A valid Job Offer
• A nomination from a province or territory
• Relatives living in Canada as PR holder or Citizenship
• French Language Skills

(Core + Additional = 1200)

We have written a separate post on the CRS score click here for more information.

CRS scores play an important role in your application for residency in Canada. Your score in CRS will decide whether you will get an ITA (Invitation to Apply) or not. If you score 450 or above in CRS, then there are good chances of getting the invite. If you score below 450 then also you don’t need to get disheartened as many applicants have been invited with below 450 CRS score.

Note: If you look at the past invitation round of Express Entry, then you can find that many applicants have been invited with as low as 440 CRS score, so we will suggest you start your application even if you score less than 450.

Step 3: Educational Credential Assessment

If you have studied outside Canada, then you must evaluate your education credentials to submit your evaluation result with your application to get processed. For Educational Credentials Assessments IRCC has 7 designated Organizations. World Education Services (WES) is one of the fastest designated organization which provide ECA reports within 7 business days after receiving your documents.

Below are the designated organizations for ECA.

• WORLD EDUCATION SERVICE
• COMPARATIVE EDUCATION SERVICE
• INTERNATIONAL CREDENTIAL ASSESSMENT SERVICE OF CANADA
• INTERNATIONAL CREDENTIAL EVALUATION SERVICE
• INTERNATIONAL QUALIFICATION ASSESSMENT SERVICE (IQAS)
• MEDICAL COUNCIL OF CANADA
• PHARMACY EXAMINING BOARD OF CANADA

We have written a separate post for ECA. Click here for more information.

Step 4: IELTS

If you’re applying for permanent residency through Express Entry, or want to apply for any other work permit, then you must take IELTS General training test as this test is for working professionals. You should aim to score high on this test, as your language score plays an important role to increase your ranking in Express Entry Pool. For this stream you should target at least CLB 9 which means you have to score as:

• Listening 8.0
• Speaking 7.0
• Reading 7.0
• Writing 7.0

You should book your IELTS exam as soon as you applied for ECA. Both processes should not take more than 30 days and by doing so you can save your time as both the results you can get within 30 days if everything goes fine with your education credentials.

Step 5: Create your Express Entry Profile

If you’re applying for your permanent residency through an immigration consultant, then they will do this process for you to submit your profile in the Express Entry pool. However, if you are not using an immigration consultant for your PR application, then you can create your profile by the below steps:

To start with Express Entry you have to go to this website. Once you reach there you will get 2 options for login:

a) Continue to Sign-in Partner

b) Continue to GCKey

Here, you must choose any one option between the above two sign up options, though the GCKey option is a bit easy you just have to click on continue to GCKey and then sign up (Right side).

You must accept the Terms and Conditions to use this website, once you accepted it then the next step is to a create username and password.

The next step is to create a recovery question and answer so that in case If you forget your credentials in the future, you’ll be able to generate it by answering your recovery questions.

Once you are done with the above login requirements then you will be able to login to your express entry profile, where you have to submit all your details followed by all instructions in the tool.

After the submission of your application, you will receive a confirmation via email that your profile has been generated. Now your profile will be placed in the express entry pool and will get reviewed periodically for upcoming CRS draws announced by IRCC. If your profile score clears the Cut off list in the draw, then you will receive an ITA (Invitation to Apply) via email.

Step 6: ITA Documentation

Once you get an ITA, you’ll have 60 days to submit a complete application. It’s advisable to start collecting your documents before creating a profile in the Express Entry pool so that you will be able to submit your documents within a time limit.

Step 7: Application Submission with Fee

Once you are done collecting your required documents, you now need to submit your visa application along with Medical Certificate, Police Clearance Certificate, Employer Letter, and Visa fee which is as below:

Application Processing Fee: 550 CAD

Right of Permanent Residence Fee: 490 CAD

Spouse or Partner Fee: 550 + 490 CAD (Application Processing + RPRF)

Dependent Child: 150 CAD

RPRF Fee can also be paid in Canada at the time of your Landing.

Once you successfully submitted your documents and paid your fees, then you will receive an acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) via email. After receiving an acknowledgment, you have to wait for an email from Canada Immigration Authority or IRCC requesting your passport. Once you receive this email, you have to visit the nearest VFS Global center to submit your passport and Photos.

These are the steps for obtaining permanent residency in Canada through Express Entry. This program is chosen by many skilled immigrants who have successfully settled in Canada.

Processing Time

The current processing time for permanent residency visa applications under Express Entry Category is five to six months.

We hope this article will help you to know about Express Entry Canada and takes you a step closer to your dream of working and settling in the Canada.

At Blogimmi, we help applicants to travel, study, and settle abroad by connecting them to their preferred destinations. We eliminate the frustration with complex application procedures by streamlining the process with our fully online on-demand consulting.

Our advisors are ready to answer your queries 24/7. If you have any questions, feel free to reach us by email or phone call.

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