Canada Express Entry System: How To Apply and Get Selected
Canada’s express entry is the most popular and prominent of the immigration selection system through which foreign worker gets permanent residency in the country. This system is a points-based system that was started in 2015 and has seen more than 500,000 immigrants being admitted to the country.
If you want to work in Canada and become a permanent resident, this article explains what Express Entry is, how it works for skill-selective employment, and how to increase your prospects.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is not an immigration program itself, but rather an online system that manages applications for three main federal economic immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
The candidates who wish to apply for any of these schemes can open an online profile of express entry and they are given a particular score according to their age, education, work experience, language proficiency, etc. The best candidates are then allowed to fill in documents for the working permit to be granted permanent residence.
How to Create an Express Entry Profile
Creating an express entry profile may sound quite simple and easy, especially after reading this article.
The first step is to create an account on the Government Website that holds the Express Entry Profile. Here’s how it goes:
- Step 1: Check whether you meet the requirements for one of the qualifying programs based on factors such as education, experience, language skills, etc.
- Step 2: Set up an account on the Canada Immigration website and fill in the Express Entry Profile under the “Check Your Eligibility” section by inputting your information regarding your education, profile, and interest in Canada.
- Step 3: Your profile is then placed in the Express Entry pool whereby your profile is ranked against other applicants in line with the Comprehensive Ranking System.
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)
This is more or less like a scoring system where one is given scores for all human capital factors that one can offer including age, education levels, language proficiency, and work experience. The CRS score is used by the Canadian government to determine which applicants should be offered an ITA for permanent residency, and as such, the higher your score the better your chances are of being issued an ITA.
Draw from the Pool
Often, the government has what is referred to as the ‘draws’ whereby a stated number of the highest-ranked candidates in the Express Entry pool is invited to apply. Once you receive an ITA (Invitation to Apply), you can apply for PR (permanent residence) within the 60-day window.
How to Make Your Profile More Competitive
The Comprehensive Ranking System ( CRS ) is the primary method of issuing an Invitation to Apply through Express Entry. The minimum score varies for example in correlation with the needs of the national and global labor market although it stays approximately 470 points. Here are some ways to increase your score:
Education
Those with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate qualify for an additional 140 CRS points. You should get your education credentials evaluated so that their foreign equivalency can be determined.
Language Ability
IELTS or TEF equivalent or any other language test approved by the Canadian province that is related to English or French language can give an extra 146 CRS points for a nominee who is applying for provincial nomination.
Work Experience
You can gain additional points for every year of skilled work experience, provided that the maximum points allowed for this will be given. Arranging employment in Canada also gives an added advantage of bonus points.
Provincial Nomination
If you are nominated through a Provincial Nominee Program, this means that the Canadian province or territory of your choice recommends you, and you will be given the additional 600 CRS points that can contribute to an invitation to apply.
The Express Entry Pool
Once you submit your application to be included in the Express Entry program, your profile will be placed in the pool and stay active for 12 months. IRCC uses an FSWP to process applications for permanent residence in Canada and invites the highest-ranked specific candidates in the pool every couple of weeks. These draws usually take place in intervals of two weeks, but this may also vary depending on certain circumstances.
However, if no invitation is received within the one-year timeline, they will be required to build a new profile and put themselves in the pool once more.
Invitation to Apply
Once you are invited to apply for permanent residency, you will have sixty days to provide all the filled application forms, police certificates, proof of the money you have, and the medical reports plus any other forms as requested.
IRCC still has an objective to finalize complete applications within 6 months. If you meet the requirements of the application then you will be a permanent resident in Canada. From there, you can travel to Canada and if you wish, apply for Canadian citizenship.
