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Canadian Express Entry Program for Permanent Residency

Canadian “Express Entry Program” is the biggest pathway to permanent residency in the country.  It is the official authority’s online system that handles potential immigrant applications in Canada’s permanent residence.

To apply for permanent resident status, potential immigrants should calculate their scores and check their eligibility. The express entry system is an online system that is used to manage applications for permanent residence for professionals (skilled workers).

Express Entry Categories

Express Entry System works under the following streams:

As soon as the applicant creates a profile in the Express Entry System, it will be checked during the same calendar year to receive an invitation to apply. When an individual is invited by the authorities to get permanent residence, he is required to submit all the documents within ninety days.

It is highly recommended that the government prepare documents during the scrutiny so that there is enough time to receive an invitation to apply. In case of non-receipt of invitation to apply within one year, the candidate’s profile will be closed and a new account will be created in express, express entry for re-examination. Interestingly, immigrants can create a profile for free, however, there is a government fee to apply for PR.

What is the Express Entry Program?

The Government of Canada introduced the Express Entry System, a new electronic immigration program offering skilled and eligible immigrants on January 1, 2015. It is the most famous route to immigrate to Canada, especially for skilled workers.

Express Entry Program handles applications for permanent residency for immigrants who can fill jobs where Canadians are not skilled. It allows IRCC to review, recruit, and select immigrants with relevant qualifications for the “Federal Economic Immigration” programs.

The applicant will need to check academic documents for any degree, diploma, or certificate obtained outside of Canada. Knowledge of the English or French language is also required in many cases. Canada consistently provides Express Entry draws (usually twice a month) inviting the top candidates to apply for permanent residence.

If you are in the pool you will be given a score based on your age, work experience, education, language skills, and other factors such as your human capital factors. Your score is based on a comprehensive ranking system.

Express Entry Processing Time

As soon as the candidate creates a profile, he can be in a system during the complete year and attempt to be chosen for every round of invitations. After getting an invitation, the potential immigrant has ninety days to get, prepare, and submit all required documents and pay application fees as well. To get a reply from the Canadian Government, a person should wait until 6-12 months, depending on his express entry stream.

Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. It has ten provinces It is the second-largest country in the world by area.

How does the Express Entry System work?

The first question is whether the candidate is eligible or not, if he is eligible he will:

  • create an express entry profile
  • then he will provide education documents with an IELTS certificate
  • if he has the invitation to apply, he will submit the visa application with medical clearance and PCC reports within 60 days
  • in the end, he will need visa stamping.

Basic Conditions

If you want to live permanently in Canada and work in a skilled job, you need to read the information below carefully. The basic factors can be:

  1. Education
  2. Work experience Details about any job offer nationality
  3. Age
  4. Language
  5. Skills
  6. Family members

Skilled workers are selected based on their skills and ability to contribute to the Canadian economy. Express Entry handles applications for three immigration programs which are:

  • Federal Skilled Workers Program
  • Federal Skilled Trade Program
  • Canadian Experience Class

Provinces and regions also recruit candidates from the Express Entry Pool through the “Provincial Nominee Program” (PNP) to meet the local needs of the labor market. If you are eligible for express entry, you will be given a detailed list of instructions for further guidance (after filling in a form for eligibility checking). This will include filling out an online profile. Based on this profile, if you meet the requirements, you will be included in the candidates for immigration, and possibly also invited to apply for immigration.

Required Documents

The major required documents are as follows:

  • a valid passport or Travel document
  • your language test with English or French language tests such as French Niveaux de competence linguistique  Canadiens (NCLC) (with scores of NCLC 7) and/or English Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) (with scores of CLB 7)
  • provincial nomination (if required)
  • your sufficient funds for all expenses
  • job invitation or offer from a Canadian employer in written form
  • medical test
  • police certificate
  • clean record history
  • birth certificate (in case of your declaration dependent children)
  • adoption certificate(if you have adopted a child)
  • death certificate (if you are a widow)
  • a legal separation agreement or divorce (if declared divorce)
  • marriage certificate (if married)
  • common law union form (if declared your marital status as “common law”)
  • representative form (in case of hiring a representative)
  • your identification through your photo
  • your relationship with the person in Canada
  • other names to verify aliases
  • authority to issue personal data to an authorized individual form
  • any other information related to your case

How to submit an express entry profile online

The online profile submission is possible for express entry. This profile is the place where you provide information about yourself. If you qualify, you will be placed in a pool of candidates – using a points-based system, you will be ranked in the Express Entry Pool. Your score is based on the data in your profile. The online system assists you in calculating your Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) rating. CRS is a point-based system used to consider and score your profile and rank in the Express Entry Pool. It is used to consider your:

  • Expertise
  • Education
  • Language skills
  • Work experience
  • Other elements (settlement in Canada)

The online express entry profile can be submitted here.

How the candidates are chosen through an “Invitation to Apply” (ITA)?

The standard procedure used to issue ITA is the Comprehensive Ranking System Score. Express entry is a competitive immigration selection system and the CRS score is a points system used to rank candidates against each other. Only the most competitive candidates get ITA.

The best-scoring candidates in the pool are invited to apply. When you are invited to apply, you are given ninety days to post an application for permanent residence. Most completed applications are processed with all supporting files in 6 months or less.

Points Grid for Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker Program)

Above mentioned selection, factor comprises 100 total points. If a candidate scores 67 points or more, they may apply online for the selection process. The points grid can be divided into different requirements:

Skill / Selection factorsPoints (maximum)
Language (English and/or French   28
Education  25  
Work experience  15  
Age  12  
Arranged employment in Canada  10  
Adaptability  10  
Complete details can be seen here.

Express Entry Points Calculator

The points are awarded against the following factors:

  • Education
  • Work experience Details about any job offer nationality
  • Age
  • Language
  • Skills
  • Family members

Here you can calculate your points for the express entry program.