Permanent Resident

Express Entry refers to an online application system by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to handle and process applications received from applicants across the three federal programs of Canada's economic immigration for skilled workers.

Express Entry is the fastest way to shift to Canada permanently. People all around the globe have the opportunity to immigrate to Canada along with their families through the Express Entry selection system. The ease of applying and the quick processing have made Express Entry one of the most popular immigration systems for workers around the globe.

Express Entry is a highly competitive mode of ranking eligible candidates against others to ensure the best federal economic applicants are selected for Canadian permanent residence. The ranking method takes into account factors like – education, work experience, language skills, age, and others. So, you will have to meet certain eligibility criteria and pass some proficiency tests before being considered for this immigration system.

While this may sound like a lot of work, it is worth it! As we said before, the best advantage of Express Entry is that it offers permanent residence to eligible and deserving candidates in as little as 6 months.

To apply for the Express Entry immigration program, you would need to meet certain eligibility criteria. There are three immigration programs under Express Entry, and each has different requirements. All applicants must have skilled work experience and an intermediate level of proficiency in English/French.

In addition, before you submit your application through Express Entry Canada, you are also required to be eligible under one of the below federal immigration programs.

The Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) is also known as the Federal Skilled Worker Class. It is a Canadian immigration program that allows professionals and skilled people worldwide to demonstrate their skills and join the Canadian workforce.

The FSWP is Canada’s flagship immigration program that enables thousands of deserving candidates to shift to Canada and benefit from the job opportunities available in the country. The program also allows candidates to apply with their spouses and dependent children.

One of the best things about the FSW program is its fast processing time. Almost 80% of the applications get processed in less than 6 months.

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an immigration program specifically meant for individuals who have worked in a NOC skill level 0, A or B occupation in Canada for at least 1-year. The program allows workers to apply for permanent residence status.

The Canadian Government acknowledges the skills and expertise of these candidates and thus encourages them to be a part of the Canadian workforce.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST) is a Canadian federal economic immigration program that permits qualified and experienced tradespersons worldwide to be a part of Canada’s workforce. Because of the labour shortage in Canada, these tradespersons are in high demand and the Government ensures that the applications for these programs are processed in just a few months.

Now that you have a basic idea of what Express Entry is, let’s understand how you can successfully apply for the immigration program. To create an Express Entry profile, you would require three essential documents, as discussed in the below paragraphs:

To be considered for the Express Entry program, every candidate must have proficiency in one of Canada's official languages. To create the profile, you must submit an official score from an approved language test. The IELTS General Training Exam or CELPIP General Exam is suitable for improving English proficiency scores. For proving proficiency in French, TEF or TCF exam scores may be used.

Remember, to be eligible for the Express Entry program, you must maintain a valid language test in your profile. Generally, these test scores have a validity of two years.

So make sure to submit your final application for Canadian permanent residency before the expiration of your language test scores. In case your test scores expire before you submit your application, you will need to take the test once again.

ECA forms a key element in evaluating the Non-Canadian education as per Canadian standards. Though education is a mandatory requisite only for Federal Skilled Worker Program, it is better to have an ECA report for other programs as well to improve the CRS score. Those who have any educational degree completed in Canada do not require an ECA report.

A valid passport is vital to submit the Express Entry profile. However, in some situations, an alternative identification document may be accepted, where it is not possible to get a passport.

To be eligible for Express Entry, as a skilled worker, you need:

Express Entry immigration to permanent residency in Canada involves various stages. These require candidates to go through several assessments and checks, collect reports from authorized persons, and such.

Therefore, there are costs associated with these steps. Go through the below tables on cost-related information pertaining to Express Entry immigration to Canada.

Express Entry, as the name suggests, is a way to make faster entry to permanent residence in Canada. Those eligible candidates who receive ITA for permanent residence after entering the pool, complete and submit their application quickly can expect to have the procedure completed in 6 months. However, certain factors tend to delay the process:

Some candidates receive ITA soon after entering the pool, others based on their CRS score and CRS cut-offs in Express Entry draws either receive ITA later or never.

While some candidates might be ready to immigrate to Canada soon after being invited, others may prefer to wait till the end of the 60 days period.

Though IRCC claims to process applications in 6 months, depending on various factors, some application processing might take longer, and some may be completed much before 6 months.

All eligible candidates must create an Express Entry profile, considered an Expression of Interest (EOI). They need to submit the profile to a pool of candidates. The eligible candidates automatically get a score and are ranked among the pool of other candidates.

The ranking procedure for eligible candidates is as per the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Canada uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank and select candidates based on various factors and determine their eligibility to obtain permanent residence through the Express Entry immigration system. Candidates across all 3 federal economic immigration programs are awarded the score.

The Immigrants, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducts Express Entry Draws usually every two weeks, and those with high CRS scores stand better chances of obtaining an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. People across the world interested in settling in Canada apply via these methods.

Candidates in the pool are ranked on the Comprehensive Ranking System and assigned a score out of 1200 points.

CRS Score = Core/Human Capital Factors + Skill Transferability Factors + Spouse Factors + Additional Factors

The points available are different based on various factors for single (without a spouse or common-law partner) candidates and candidates with a spouse or common-law partner.
In Canadian Express Entry for permanent residence, the scores calculated using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) are known as Express Entry points.

The CRS uses the below parameters for calculating the applicant scores:

Once you are a part of the Express Entry pool, you receive a CRS score. This is regardless of whether you are from Candidate Experience Class, Federal Skilled Workers, or Federal Skilled Trades programs. CRS score indicates the rank of a candidate with respect to other candidates in the pool, besides acting as a key parameter when IRCC conducts an Express Entry draw.

The CRS cut-offs are not decided in advance, however, their values from previous draws help get an idea of who stands a chance of qualifying for permanent residence. There are no hard and fast CRS cut-offs that would guarantee your Express Entry immigration to Canada, the scores are only suggestive of the earlier draws.

If you think that your CRS score is quite low and you may miss out on your chance of receiving an ITA for Express Entry, you can increase your CRS score through the following methods:

Your work experience plays a major role in boosting your CRS score. A high level of skilled work experience means a better CRS score, which can increase your chances of receiving an ITA.

In addition, there’s a National Occupational Classification (NOC) matrix to which Express Entry assigns the candidates. Ensure that you record your experience against the appropriate NOC code. This is very crucial as in case you receive an Invitation to Apply, you should justify that your occupation is relevant and you haven’t misrepresented your experience.

Your work experience plays a major role in boosting your CRS score. A high level of skilled work experience means a better CRS score, which can increase your chances of receiving an ITA.aHaving a job offer from a Canadian employer can also do wonders for your CRS score! It would increase your CRS score by 50 to 200 extra points depending on the NOC code. So, try to reach out to some Canadian workplaces or employers and apply for jobs you are interested in.

In this regard, you may take the help of the Canada job bank, social networking sites, and various job boards.

In addition, there’s a National Occupational Classification (NOC) matrix to which Express Entry assigns the candidates. Ensure that you record your experience against the appropriate NOC code. This is very crucial as in case you receive an Invitation to Apply, you should justify that your occupation is relevant and you haven’t misrepresented your experience.

If you are interested in furthering your education, then studying in Canada can be an excellent investment. Even though some might argue that studying abroad requires a huge investment, it could be beneficial in the long run. It will give 2 major benefits.

Firstly, Canada has some of the best colleges and universities globally. So, you will get the opportunity to acquire higher education from top-class universities. And secondly, you will get some major points to increase your CRS score.

Even a short program like a 1-year post-graduate certificate program can add many points to your CRS score.

This parameter may not be applicable to all candidates. However, those whose spouse or common-law partner will be accompanying them can make huge points.

First, if your spouse or partner retakes a language test or gets the Educational Credentials Assessments (ECA) for a post-secondary degree, they could increase your CRS score.

Second, suppose you and your spouse or partner are strong applicants individually. In that case, it is a smart idea for each one of you to submit your profiles in the Express Entry by listing the other as accompanying. That would buy you both good points.

Having a provincial nomination can also give a major boost to your CRS score. Several provinces have an operating program aligned with the Express Entry immigration system.

You can check the eligibility criteria for some of these provincial nomination programs and apply to those suitable for you. If you can receive a nomination from any province, it can add a whopping 600 additional points to your CRS score!

“What should be my minimum CRS score to be eligible for Express Entry?”

This is one of the most common questions asked by people willing to receive permanent residency in Canada through Express Entry.

Well, to answer this, there is no minimum CRS score to receive an invitation to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence through Express Entry as it varies across draws. However, candidates must keep trying to increase their CRS scores to rank higher than others in the pool and improve their chances of receiving the invitation.

While for Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class Programs, there are no separate Express Entry eligibility points, the candidates in Federal Skilled Workers Program have to secure at least 67 points out of 100 in the Federal Skilled Workers Selection Grid. If they obtain this, they can enter the Express Entry pool. Once any candidate, regardless of the 3 programs, enters the pool, they receive a CRS score.

Canada uses CRS scores to rank the candidates against each other in the pool. The Express Entry draws are conducted every two weeks where the candidates with higher CRS scores receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for Canadian Permanent Residency.

Express Entry profile is an online form submitted by eligible applicants who include their personal details, work experience, language (English/French) skills, education, and connections in Canada. Based on these inputs, the system ranks the profiles in the Express Entry pool and determines to whom to send out the invitations.

In order to create an Express Entry profile, you need to follow the below-mentioned steps:

An Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA) report is required to verify that your non-Canadian degree, certificate, or diploma is authentic and equivalent to a Canadian one. You must include your ECA reference number in the Express Entry profile.

Most people in Canada believe that certain work permits or the IEC Working Holiday Visas from their current employer are a job offer. However, this is not true! At least, not entirely!

IRCC defines a valid job offer differently, and only the offers satisfying these criteria will receive CRS points. A valid job offer includes the following:

Having a valid job offer from a Canadian employer can help you increase your CRS score and improve your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA). However, it is not mandatory to have a job offer to apply for Express Entry. If you are in either of the FSW or FST programs, you may need one in case you don’t have enough money to support your family in Canada.

As we said, under Express Entry, a valid job offer helps you earn additional points on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and boosts your CRS score.

Checking the status of your Express Entry profile is a pretty quick and straightforward process. You can check the status of your Express Entry profile by following these three steps:

An Express Entry profile is valid for 12 months. If you have not received an ITA within this time, you can submit another Express Entry profile.

An Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency is sent to those who have ranked the highest out of the eligible Express Entry candidates within the pool.

If you receive an Invitation to Apply or ITA, make sure you complete the application and apply within 60 days of receipt of the invitation. If you miss the deadline, you will not be sent another invitation to apply, unless you create another profile and are then issued another ITA.

Applying for permanent residence in Canada through the Express Entry immigration program can be confusing if you do not have the right information. When applying for the Express Entry program, it is essential to follow the right steps so that you do not miss your chance of receiving an ITA.

If you want to apply to the Express Entry program but do not know how or where to get started, we have got you covered! Below paragraphs discuss the procedure involved in applying for permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry immigration:

When creating an Express Entry profile, the online system will determine your eligibility across all 3 Express Entry programs.

Candidates ranked higher on the CRS scoring system have greater chances of receiving an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA).

The candidate’s CRS score serves as an indicator of determining the candidate’s probability of being economically established in Canada. The rank is based on candidates’ work experience, education, language skills, and also whether they have received job offers or provincial nominations in Canada.

The IRCC conducts Express Entry draws every two weeks. These involve sending invitations to apply (ITA) to candidates based on their CRS scores. These candidates can apply for permanent residency in Canada.

The only downside of this process is that if a candidate does not receive an ITA within 12 months, their Express Entry profile will expire. In such a case, they will have to go through the entire process once again to create and submit a new profile.

Finally, if you receive ITA, you will have 60 days to apply. Essentially, you must furnish all the required personal information and supporting documents. The good news is that applications can be submitted online.

After submitting the completed application, you must wait for the final decision. Most of the Express Entry applications are processed in 6 months or so. If your application gets approved, you will get a notification authorizing you to activate your permanent resident status in Canada.

All applicants in Federal Skilled Workers and Federal Skilled Trades programs must justify that they are financially self-sufficient to support themselves and their families during settlement in Canada. The applicants with a valid job offer from a Canadian employer are exempted from this.

To showcase Express Entry proof of funds, applicants must submit letters from financial institutions or banks that keep their money. The letters must be printed on the respective institution’s letterhead and contain their contact details, the name of the applicant, any outstanding loans, credit card debts, and the applicant’s account details (account no., date of opening, current balance, the average balance of past months).

Based on the CRS cut-off scores, the candidates who submitted the Express Entry profile in the pool receive an invitation from Express Entry draws. These are conducted every 2 weeks when Canada sends out the invitations to the eligible candidates. These candidates may then apply for Canadian permanent residency.

Generally, the Express Entry draws are conducted once every 2 weeks on a Wednesday. However, there is no fixed rule tied to this. Check out the latest CRS draw here.

Canada has various provinces. As mentioned in the above paragraphs, if you receive a nomination from a province, you earn 600 points as a part of the CRS score. This is an excellent way to gain permanent residence in Canada.

If you are nominated to the Provincial Nominee Program, it boosts your Express Entry CRS score by adding 600 points. This highly improves your possibility of securing a Canadian Permanent Residence.