Canadian “Express Entry Program” is the backbone of its immigration system. This program” is the biggest pathway for 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 deals applications for three immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
A candidate should know what the main requirements are when he/she applies through the Express Entry system to one of the above programs. It is clear that all the 3 programs have different criteria for the candidates in which they are going to apply for the job.
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Applicants must have worked in Canada or outside of Canada in an occupation that falls under one of the 4 below. National Occupational Classifications (NOCs) TEER Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities if they are applying to the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
- TEER 0
- TEER 1
- TEER 2
- TEER 3
Learn more about the TEER system.
To be considered eligible for work in any of the above TEER types, a candidate must demonstrate that they have “performed the duties specified in the central statement of the occupational description in the NOC. It includes all necessary duties and Most important duties are involved.” The job done in any of these TEER types should also:
- have been paid a job, where he obtained a salary or commission.
- have the same NOC as the job an applicant would wish to use for his express entry immigration application.
- have been taken as 1 year of full-time work (1560 hours total, equivalent to 30 hours in a single week) in the previous 10 years.
- have not been volunteer-based or an unpaid internship.
With the help of the following steps, an applicant can fulfill the requirements.
- Full-time single employment (30 hours in a single week for 1 year equaling 1560 hours in total),
- Full-time at more than one employment (30 hours in a single week for 1 year equaling 1560 hours in total), job hours more than 30 per week are not considered for part-time work,
- Equal amount at any number of part-time employments (any number of hours less than 30 each week), such as a job 15 hours in a week at 2 different works for 12 months (1560 hours) or 15 hours in a single week at one part-time employment for 2 years would equally satisfy the condition.
Learn more about the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Special students provisions
If an applicant also fulfills the below three requirements, work experience obtained during their education may be considered towards achieving the Federal Skilled Worker Program category:
- He has a Paid-work or commission-based job,
- He has non-stop work with no gap in his job,
- He must have completed the additional requirements according to his case.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
The important thing is that the Skilled work experience for the CEC qualification must be gained in Canada only. Those who wish to apply under the CEC must demonstrate 12 months of skilled work experience part-time or full-time, subject to the same requirements as mentioned above for the FSWP-in an occupation that suites one of the below given TEER types:
- TEER 0
- TEER 1
- TEER 2
- TEER 3
The job done by an applicant must have been:
- performed in the 3 years before submission of the application,
- obtained by working in Canada while permitted to do so under temporary residence status,
- completed to an extent that fulfills all duties set out in the lead statement of the occupation description in the NOC, including all necessary responsibilities,
- and most listed important duties,
- paid job, performed in exchange for salary or commission.
NOTE: Volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count toward CEC eligibility. Self-employed and full-time student work experience is not considered work experience for eligibility requirements for CEC.
Know here complete information about the Canada experience class.
Special provisions for physicians
The CEC’s normal self-employment terms and conditions do not apply to temporary self-employed doctors outside Canada who have received an ITA (Invitation to Apply) for permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry on or after April 25, 2023, if they have work experience in providing publicly funded medical services in Canada.
The applicant under the Canadian Experience Class who fits this information should not click the “self-employment work” checkbox under “work experience in Canada” to have his job experience considered as Canadian experience when generating his/her Express Entry profile.
Federal Skilled Traders Program(FSTP)
Candidates of this program must have work experience that fulfills the below-given requirements:
- 24 months of full-time (or equaling part-time, along with the same needs as mentioned for FSWP above)work experience in a skilled trade within the 5 years before submission of an application,
- His/her job demonstrates that the applicant completed the whole responsibilities described in the lead declaration of the occupation description in the NOC, including the important duties,
- He/she has a paid job (Volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count towards FSTP eligibility).
For eligibility, the immigration applicant must have been qualified to independently practice the trade field during this period. Otherwise, the file will be canceled. Acceptable work experience for the FSTP must have been completed in one of the below given NOC groups:
- Major Group 72, technical trades and transportation officers and controllers (excluding Sub-Major Group 726, transportation officers and controllers),
- Major Group 73, general trades,
- Major Group 82, supervisors in natural resources, agriculture, and related production,
- Major Group 83, occupations in natural resources and related production,
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing, and utility supervisors, utility operators and controllers,
- Major Group 93, central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors (excluding Sub-Major Group 932, aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors),
- Minor Group 6320, cooks, butchers, and bakers,
- Unit Group 62200, chefs.