Express Entry
Express Entry is a virtual immigration application system. It allows foreign nationals to submit their profiles for consideration for permanent residency in Canada. Canada’s key provincial and federal immigration programs invite qualified applicants with high EE rankings to apply for Canadian permanent residency.
EE is not an immigration program but an electronic system intended to process candidate’s applications for permanent residence under three distinct Canadian economic immigration programs:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSWTP)
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Candidates who are sent an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence under the EE system often get the advantage of fast processing times of 180 days or less. EE also provides a way for skilled workforces to link with potential employers in Canada before arrival.
Eligibility requirements of an applicant
You will need to submit information according to credentials that include work experience, education, age, connecting in Canada, and language proficiency during application. You are advised to understand the Express Entry system requirements well before submitting your application.
1. Age Factor
you can apply for permanent residency in Canada if you fall in the age bracket of between 18-46. You will scoop all the 12 Federal points if you are between 18 to 35 years. You can only get a maximum of 110 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) if you are under 29. The younger you are, the higher the score, provided you aren’t a minor.
2. Educational Qualification:
If you are a professional who attained their academic credentials outside of Canada, you need to validate your qualification. You will need to provide your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report. The CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) (CIC) uses to:
- Validate a candidate’s foreign credential
- Decide the comparable completed Canadian qualification.
The report serves to guide the process of awarding immigration selection points. It’s also used to make program suitability decisions. Designated bodies for doing the authentication include:
- World Education Services
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
- Medical Council of Canada
- University of Toronto (School of Continuing Studies)
- International Qualifications Assessment Service
- Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada
- International Credential Evaluation Service
A master’s or doctorate can earn you a 150 Comprehensive Ranking System score and 25 Federal Skilled Worker points.
Work Experience:
You need both skills and work experience to qualify for a permanent residency permit in Canada. To fare well in the Express Entry system, you need to have the right educational qualification and a relevant experience of at least a year in one of the skilled occupations listed In Canada’s NOC (National Occupational) List.
To be worthy of a permanent residence permit, you need to have completed (within the three years before you submit your profile) at least:
- A year of full-time work
- 30 hours per week for a year
- 15 hours per week for two years—this totals to a full year of work or 1560 hours
- 30 hours per week for a year at several jobs—this is equivalent to a year of full-time work (or 1,560 hours)
3. Language Proficiency Skills
It’s an uphill task to survive in a foreign country that you can’t communicate using the language spoken there. The two official languages in Canada are English and French.
If you can speak any or both languages, you earn extra points in the Comprehensive Ranking System’s calculator. For this, you’ll take a language proficiency test which can either by TEF (est d’Évaluation de Français pour le) for French or IELTS (International English Language Testing System)(for English) and meet each respective body’s threshold. The maximum language proficiency points are 28 for FSW and 136 for CRS.
4. Connections in Canada:
While it’s not mandatory to have relatives and other connections in Canada before acquiring your resident permit, having one can earn you five points out of the 67 on the evaluation grid. Moreover, you will get 15 additional CRS points.
5. Arranged Employment:
Arranged employment is not mandatory in the Express Entry system. However, if you have a genuine job offer already, you will get ten extra points out of the 67.
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
The CRS ranks suitable nominees for immigration to Canada via Express Entry (EE). The CRS ranks applicants based on:
- Core human factors
- Accompanying common-law partner or spouse factors
- Skill and knowledge transferability factors
- Factors pertaining to things like provincial nominations or arranged employment