Express Entry:Simplifying The Canadian Immigration Process
The simplest and quickest way to immigrate to Canada is through Express Entry. However, this does not necessarily mean that everyone can use Express Entry to immigrate to Canada. This information will assist you in understanding whether immigration through Express Entry to Canada is the best option for you and your family, if applicable.
Through the Express Entry immigration process, individuals and families from all over the world can immigrate to Canada in just a few months. Express Entry, which was first introduced in 2015, is now the main source of skilled worker immigration to Canada and one of the most widely used immigration through Express Entry processes worldwide.
One of the new measures is to significantly improve the existing Start-Up Visa Program to attract foreign entrepreneurs to come to Canada.
1. What is Express Entry Canada?
Express Entry, an application management system used by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), manages and processes three of the federal economic immigration programs for skilled workers in Canada.
Express Entry is a merit-based immigration system that compares all qualified applicants and invites the top-scoring applicants to apply for Canadian permanent resident status. Candidates are ranked against one another based on a variety of criteria, including age, education, language proficiency, work experience, and others.
Immigration through Express Entry in Canada is now possible for individuals and families who want to settle there and become new permanent residents within just a few months.
2. How Express Entry Works?
Determine Eligibility
Candidates for Express Entry must be eligible for one of the federal economic immigration through Express Entry programs listed below.
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Although Express Entry is incorporated into several Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), applicants must still be eligible for one of the three federal programs to enter the Express Entry pool.
Though the eligibility requirements are different for each Express Entry-aligned program, all applicants must have at least a year of skilled work experience and meet specific standards on an approved language test in either English or French. Also, Canada screens all Express Entry candidates for any medical conditions and criminal histories that would bar them from entering the country.
3. Create an Express Entry Profile
Eligible individuals must submit an Express Entry profile to the candidates’ pool. Through the Express Entry profile, one can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). Eligible applicants will immediately receive a score based on their profile and will be ranked against the other candidates in the pool.
Express Entry’s ranking is based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and is out of 1200 points. By working to raise their CRS score, candidates can move up the ranks. The likelihood that a candidate will receive an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA) increases with their CRS score,
Candidates can rise in the ranks by making an effort to improve their CRS scores. The higher a candidate’s CRS score, the more likely it is that they will receive an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA).
In Express Entry draws, a cutoff point based on the CRS score is used. Its goal is to forecast a candidate’s chances of being economic success in Canada. It ranks different candidates according to a variety of criteria, including their educational and professional backgrounds, language proficiency, and whether they have already been nominated by a Canadian province or obtained a qualifying job offer, among other factors.
Candidates for Express Entry may be eligible for additional points if they have a valid work offer from a Canadian employer if they’ve received the provincial nomination, or meet certain other factors.
4. Create a Job Bank Profile (Optional)
Candidates for Express Entry who do not yet have a job offer or a province nomination can register in the Canada Job Bank, a free public resource used by Canadian employers to find and hire workers possessing the skills they require. In June 2017, this step used to be mandatory but now it is optional.
5. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
Express Entry draws are regularly held by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), typically every two weeks. Candidates who score higher in these Express Entry draws are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residency. A candidate’s profile will expire after 12 months if they are not invited, at which point they can submit a new profile.
6. Improve your CRS score
Applicants in the Express Entry pool who haven’t been selected yet have the opportunity to improve their profile and score. They can accomplish this by submitting new and updated information. For example increased language proficiency scores, evaluations of educational qualifications, adding additional work experience, and/or obtaining a provincial nomination or a job offer.
7. Submit your Permanent Residency Application
If you’ve received an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA), you will have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residency application. In this application, you will have to provide your personal information, along with supporting documentation. However, the entire application is submitted electronically.
After you’ve submitted your application, you have to wait for a final decision to be issued. 80% of Express Entry applications are processed in six months or fewer. If your application is approved, you will receive authorization to activate your permanent resident status in Canada.
Though, this is how Express Entry works for the Canadian immigration process.
8. Express Entry Eligibility and CRS Calculator
The Express Entry CRS Calculator allows you to check your eligibility for Express Entry and potential CRS points total at the same time, without providing any personal contact information. No other Express Entry Calculator lets you do all of this.
Before you create your Express Entry profile, find out which Express Entry program you might be eligible for and how competitive your profile may be.
9. To create your Express Entry profile, what do you need?
You need three essential documents to submit your Express Entry profile. The first thing you should do if you’re interested in Express Entry is to gather these three documents:
1. Language Test
Any candidate for Express Entry must show proficiency in either French or English. You must submit your profile with official test results from an approved language test. The three Express Entry-aligned programs have different minimum needed scores.
- If you want to show your proficiency in English – the CELPIP General exam or the IELTS General Training exam are your options.
- If you want to show your proficiency in French – the TEF exam or the TCF exam are your options.
2. Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA)
The ECA evaluates non-Canadian education according to Canadian standards. Notably, education is only a mandatory requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, but it is suggested that FST and CEC candidates also submit an ECA report as education is an important factor in the CRS score.
Note: For educational programs completed in Canada, an ECA is not necessary.
3. Passport
To submit an Express Entry profile, you must have a valid passport. In very rare circumstances where getting a passport is not an option, alternative identification documents may be approved.
Once you have all these three documents – you can submit your Express Entry profile.
10. How long does it take for Express Entry immigration to Canada?
A system called Express Entry was designed to facilitate quick immigration to Canada. The whole process may take six months or even less for eligible candidates who quickly submit a complete application after receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) after entering the pool. However, the following variables may extend the timescale and should be considered:
- While some applicants are invited shortly after joining the Express Entry pool, others may not get an ITA at all, depending on their CRS score and CRS cut-off limits in Express Entry draws.
- After being invited, some candidates might be ready to apply for immigration through Express Entry to Canada, while others would require more time than the allocated 60 days.
- Although the IRCC strives to process applications within six months, some applications may take longer, and decisions on other applications may take less time.
Final Thoughts
Express Entry’s implementation has undoubtedly streamlined the application process for permanent residence in Canada, making it easier for professionals and talented workers from around the world to apply. The program’s streamlined application process and transparency have given applicants a sense of clarity and confidence.
Express Entry stands as a testament to Canada’s commitment to attracting top talents and fostering a diverse and inclusive society. By simplifying the process of immigration through Express Entry, the country has opened its doors to individuals who can bring valuable skills, expertise, and cultural diversity.
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