WHAT IS THE EXPRESS ENTRY SYSTEM?
Government of Canada launched Express Entry in January 2015– a new electronic application management system involving the federal government, provincial governments, and Canadian employers. Participation in Express Entry will be mandatory for all economic immigrants under the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, although optional for Provincial Nominee Program applicants. Candidates eligible to immigrate to Canada under a federal economic immigration program may enter the Express Entry pool.
Consequently, the first step is to determine your eligibility for one of these programs. Candidates for Canadian permanent
residence who are eligible for one of the federal economic immigration programs make an expression of interest in immigrating to Canada by creating an online profile. They provide information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other personal information.
The Application Process and Comprehensive Point System Applicants who qualify for one of Canada’s economic immigration streams (see below) will be required to complete an online candidate profile using Express Entry. Applicants will receive points based on a number of factors meant to assess a candidate’s ability to succeed in Canada. A maximum of 1200 points will be awarded as follows:
- 50 points: If you have a valid job offer in NOC A or B occupation
- 200 points: If you have a valid job offer in a NOC o occupation
- 5 points: One or two- year diploma or certificate
- 30 points: Three years or longer degree, diploma, certificate or for a Master’s, professional or doctorate degree of at least one year
- 600 points: For Provincial Nomination Certificate
- 110 points : Maximum 110 points for age and it varies with age
- 160 points: For Official language proficiency and it varies with the score
Candidates with the highest score in the pool will be issued an invitation of apply for Permanent Residency, and after getting an invitation, they will have 90 days to submit an online application of permanent residence.
Three federal programs are:
- Federal Skilled Worker
- Federal Skilled Trades
- Canadian Experience Class
Basic requirements differ for each of the three programs. However, meeting basic requirements does not guarantee an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Instead, the Express Entry system is designed to select the highest scoring candidates based on a number of factors, including language ability, age, job offer, work experience and education.
Federal Skilled Worker Minimum Requirements
Work Experience: Candidates must have at least one year of paid full-time work experience (or equivalent part-time experience) in the last 10 years in skill type 0 or skill level A or B under the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
Language Ability: Candidates must have a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in English or French in writing, reading, speaking and listening, assessed by an approved language test.
Education: Candidates must have a certificate, diploma or degree from or equivalent to a Canadian high school or post-secondary institution. Foreign education is subject to an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
Once applicants meet the minimum requirements, they are assessed and scored on the following factors:
- Age.
- Education.
- Work experience.
- Job offer.
- Language ability.
- Adaptability.
WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR EXPRESS ENTRY ?
- Our experts will help you with preparing your application and a complete list of the documents required for the Express Entry.