What you should know about Express Entry (Federal Skilled Workers)
Started on January 1, 2015 as an online way of filing immigration applications to manage a pool of qualified skilled workers ready for PR
The program awards applicants ‘points’ based on several criteria – age, level of education, relevant work experience, proficiency in Canada’s official languages, etc. – and ranks the applicants on their aggregate score
Express Entry has quickly become one of the most popular immigration systems globally. In Canada, Express Entry accounts for nearly a third of all new PRs into the country
Express Entry has been created to process applications quickly; ITAs are accompanied with a deadline of 60 days to complete and submit the documentation associated with the application and most complete applications are processed within 6 months.
The government administers 3 immigration programs under the Express Entry system:
Federal Skilled Workers (FSW)
Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
The candidate is required to gather certain documents at various stages of the Express Entry application process. Information from these sources may be used to build up the candidate’s Express Entry and include, among other things:
LANGUAGE TEST
REPORTS
Express Entry eligibility lays down that the applicant must prove his English and/ or French language ability by appearing for an approved language test and secure a minimum of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7.
EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
The applicant must demonstrate completion of secondary school (at the minimum) in Canada; in respect of education completed abroad, an educational credential assessment report is sought.
RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
Applicants must demonstrate at least one year of skilled work experience, under NOC code 0 (managerial), A (professional) or B (technical/ trade). The work experience could either be full time or an equal amount in part time.
PROOF OF FUNDS AND OTHER ADMISSIBILITY
Under the FSW and FST programs, the applicant must furnish proof of funds as adjudged by the government. Additionally, the applicants and accompanying family must meet the required admissibility criteria like medical exams, police certificates, etc. for entry into Canada.
A quick snapshot of the Express Entry process
Create your Express Entry profile
Submit your profile in the Express Entry pool
Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
Apply for Permanent
Residence
How we can help with this process
Our immigration experts can help you to maximize your chances of getting an Invitation to Apply (ITA) under the Express Entry program.
Want to know how?
- – We assess your individual case for eligibility under the program taking all criteria into consideration
- – Our documents experts will guide you to identify, source and collate all necessary information in the form of documents, forms, etc.
- – We thoroughly check your submitted profile and accompanying documents for completeness and accuracy
- – We securely submit the application on your behalf, saving you valuable time and you will also be informed about the status of your application
- – Our office can take care of all additional documents or information requests with the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Our Special Express Entry Service Packages
The Express Entry lays down fulfillment of specific criteria to qualify and requires attention to detail. We understand how critical the process is and offer our personalized services and support in a graduated fashion, depending on far you have progressed along the application process.
For instance, our immigration experts can help you with an initial in-depth assessment of your profile to check program eligibility like for instance, what job code your previous/ current work experience shall come under, etc. We can also help you with end-to-end ongoing support throughout the entire Express Entry process right from program eligibility assessment to profile creation to review of all concerned documents to submission. This gives you flexibility and the best possible chance to qualify under the program.
CASE REVIEW
- Initial consultation
- Program eligibility assessment
- Match applicant's profile to appropriate Express Entry program
- Follow-up advice & recommendations
EXPRESS ENTRY PROFILE
- Initial consultation
- Program eligibility assessment
- Check for program fitment & completeness of applicant’s profile for entering Express Entry applicants' pool
- Creation of applicant's Express Entry profile
- Recommendations for subsequent ITA phase of application
POST-ITA SUBMISSION
- Initial consultation
- Review of applicant's Express Entry profile & ITA requirements
- Comprehensive appraisal of documents supporting PR application to ensure completeness & accuracy
- Identify gaps in documentation, if applicable, & provide guidance to meet eligibility
EXPRESS ENTRY COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE
- Program eligibility assessment
- Initial Express Entry profile creation
- Comprehensive review, completion & submission of PR application & supporting documentation, once ITA received by client
- Regular updates about application status
- Completion & submission of all additional documents & information requests to IRCC
EXPRESS ENTRY + PNP
- Program eligibility assessment
- Initial Express Entry profile creation
- Active assistance in searching for provincial/ territorial nomination stream(s) matching client's NOC
- Completion & submission of application to qualifying PNP stream of province/ territory
- Manage all provincial/ territorial communication via the applicant account
- Comprehensive review & submission of PR application & supporting documentation, post-ITA
- Sustained advice & ongoing support along the entire application process
Come to us for Expert Resolution of your Express Entry problems
We are subject matter experts of the various aspects connected with Express Entry. Some common queries that our clients come to us with are:
It’s a no-go. As per Canadian immigration laws, you can have only 1 profile at a time. Having multiple profiles does not increase your chances at being invited.
Sure, go ahead! You can make multiple changes to your profile before receiving the Invitation to Apply (ITA) and you should attempt to garner optimum points under the system. In fact, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) encourages you to be transparent and submit as complete a profile as possible.
Yes, you can claim multiple NOCs if they are in the same high-skilled job categories, i.e., skill types 0, A and B. You cannot club together these high-skilled categories with other skill levels such as C or D. The basic condition is that you have to you should keep a NOC as primary where you possess a minimum of 1-year continuous experience.
Umm, it does not work that way. You may or may not secure more points by adding your spouse. Your CRS score comprises of a maximum possible 500 points under Human Capital Factors and the only difference when you co-apply with your spouse is that the distribution of these 500 points is split between you 2. Whether or not you stand to gain more points will depend on the work experience, educational assessment, and language test results of both you as well as your spouse.
While it is not mandatory to hire an immigration consultant or lawyer to prepare and submit your Express Entry application, there are many ways in which such an immigration expert can help you. A decision to immigrate to Canada is a carefully taken decision and involves time, money and third-party assessments who scrutinize every application. Policies and procedures may change as per Government decision and the services of a professional who expertly reviews your case, your profile, and the supporting documentation to ensure complete adherence cannot be emphasized enough.
Did you know?
Beyond the federally administered Express Entry programs, the individual provinces can also ‘nominate’ applicants of their choosing to facilitate their permanent residence in Canada. These are called the ‘Provincial Nominee Programs’ or (PNP). There is a fair congruence between PNP and Express Entry; for starters, you need to be in the Express Entry pool to be nominated. The PNPs present a great opportunity for temporary residents too. Our qualified experts can help you to examine your eligibility under the program and propel you towards your dream of becoming a permanent resident in any of the participating provinces.