Description
Express Entry is the fastest and most popular pathway for newcomers seeking a new life in Canada. Express Entry organizes and processes applications for people who wish to immigrate to Canada and acquire Canadian permanent residence
🠆 How can I apply for Express Entry?
🠆 Who is eligible for Express Entry?
🠆 What are the requirements for Express Entry?
🠆 What is the ideal Express Entry candidate?
🠆 How much does Express Entry cost
🠆 Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?
🠆 How long does Express Entry take?
🠆 What’s better: PNP or Express Entry?
🠆 Will the CRS score go down?
🠆 Six ways to increase your CRS score
🠆 What is the maximum age for Express Entry?
🠆 Can I apply to Express Entry twice?
🠆 How to fix mistakes in your Express Entry Profile
🠆 Free online Express Entry assessment
Getting started with Express Entry
Discover your Express Entry and Canadian immigration options by taking our free online assessment:
How can I apply for Express Entry?
Applying to Express Entry is a two-step process. The first step is to submit your profile which requires the following documents:
1.Language test results
2.Educational credential assessment report
3.A passport or travel document
After you submit your profile and you receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence, you will need to provide a more substantial application that includes reference letters, additional identity documents, police clearance certificates, and results of a medical examination.
Who is eligible for Express Entry?
Candidates with university or college degrees with skilled work experience and moderate proficiency in English and/or French are ideal candidates. Candidates who qualify for the following programs are also eligible to submit an application under the Express Entry program:
🠆 Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
🠆 Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
🠆 Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
The easiest way to find out if your eligible is to use our free online assessment tool.
What are the requirements for Express Entry?
In general, to be eligible to apply to Express Entry as a skilled worker, you must:
🠆 Have at least one year, in the last 10 years, of continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in a skilled occupation
🠆 Be able to demonstrate on an approved language test a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) seven in either English or French
🠆 Completed post-secondary education that is assessed against Canadian standards with an Educational Credential Assessment
These are the minimum requirements to apply to Express Entry as a skilled worker. Meeting these requirements doesn’t mean you will receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Candidates with stronger profiles will always be selected over candidates that simply meet the minimum requirement.
What is the ideal Express Entry candidate?
There is no one-size-fits-all type of profile that is eligible for Express Entry. Candidates who enter the pool receive a comprehensive ranking system (CRS) score. Those who rank higher, are more likely to receive an invitation to apply. Selection factors that can influence your CRS score are language proficiency, your age, your level of work experience, education, and Canadian connections.
Ideal Express Entry candidates would meet the following requirements:
🠆 Be under 30 years old
🠆 Hold at least two Bachelor’s degrees or a Master’s degree
🠆 Be able to demonstrate moderate to high English and/or French language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level eight or higher)
🠆 Have at least three years of skilled work experience
Other factors that can really boost your CRS score can include:
🠆 Higher language proficiency in English and/or French
🠆 Bilingualism in French and English
🠆 A Master’s degree or Ph.D. education
🠆 Canadian work or educational experience
🠆 A Canadian brother or sister currently residing in Canada
🠆 An arranged employment offer from a Canadian company
🠆 A nomination from a provincial nominee program
I need a job offer for Express Entry?
You do not require a job offer for Express Entry. The vast majority of candidates selected for Express Entry do not have a formal Canadian job offer.
A formal Canadian job offer for a skilled, full-time position can add 50 to 200 points to your Express Entry application. Almost always, a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required for these points to be awarded.
An informal job offer will not award any additional points to your Express Entry profile and should not be mentioned in the application.
How long does Express Entry take?
Express Entry can take as little as six months to process, from submission of the Express Entry profile to the issuance of a permanent resident visa. However, not all cases will proceed this quickly. Your Express Entry profile will remain active in the pool of candidates for 12 months if you are not invited to apply. If after 12 months you have not been selected, you are welcome to resubmit your profile and remain in the pool. To break it down further:
🠆 Your profile will remain valid for 12 months in the Express Entry pool
🠆 Upon issuance of the ITA, you will have 60 days to provide the requested full application of documents
🠆 Once the immigration authorities have received your complete application, your permanent resident visa should be processed in six months or less
What’s better: PNP or Express Entry?
There is no simple answer to this question but there are some things to consider. Most PNPs require an applicant to have an Express Entry profile. Since an Express Entry profile is free to submit, you don’t stand to lose anything by creating one.
The other thing to consider is that the majority of PNP programs require an applicant to have a specific connection to the region. If you are working or studying in a Canadian province, considering a PNP program is advisable. If you do not have any specific connections to a place in Canada, the more general Express Entry pathway to Canadian permanent residence is probably your best option.
The best way to determine whether a PNP or Express Entry is better for you is to complete our free online immigration assessment.
Will the CRS score go down?
A person’s chances of success through any of the Express Entry programs depends on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. If a candidate is close to, or above, the minimum CRS score cut-off for recent Express Entry draws, then they will likely be competitive in the Express Entry system. That said, it is impossible to predict how the CRS score will fluctuate in the future.
No lawyer or consultant can guarantee that a person will successfully receive permanent residence through the Express Entry system. The application process is lengthy, complex, and constantly changing, and approval is at the discretion of IRCC so there is always a risk that an applicant may not receive permanent residence.
There are several options for increasing a person’s CRS score. To learn more about such options, please consult with Canadian’s CRS calculator and guidelines for improving your CRS score!
