EXPRESS ENTRY IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
It is crucial to note that Express Entry is an online system that is created to manage Canada’s immigration application intakes and provide a clear pathway to permanent residency. An eligible EE prospective candidate has the right to register an EE Profile (subject to meeting the program requirement). This EE profile will be eligible for 12 months, after which it will expire. During these 12 months, the candidate has an opportunity to receive an Invitation to Apply from the Canadian Government or an interested Canadian province. Upon the receipt of the Invitation to Apply (ITA), the candidate is welcomed to submit the required documentation.
The Express Entry covers the following programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
Application Process
Even though the system itself might look very straightforward, the application process, including the EE profile registration and application submission should be treated very seriously in order to avoid PR refusal, misrepresentation and CRS score recalculation. These are few steps to be taken before the approval of a permanent resident application:
- Evaluate applicant’s eligibility.
- Gather required documents, ensuring that the information needed for CRS score calculation can be backed up by valid evidence
- Register an Express Entry profile and verify that the appropriate information has been inputted. Once the profile is created, it remains valid for 12 calendar months.
- Receive an Invitation to Apply. IRCC conducts draws on a monthly basis with CRS cut-off score. Invitations are issued to those who meet the score. Once the ITA has been accepted, applicants have 60 days to submit their application for Permanent Residence with all required documents.
Complete your Express Entry profile correctly
Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Worker Program is an Express Entry stream for skilled workers with foreign work experience who wish to immigrate to Canada permanently. This program has minimum requirements for skilled work experience, language ability and education. To be eligible, applicants must meet all the minimum requirements.
Selection Factors
Applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Program are assessed based on:
- Age
- Education
- Work experience
- Valid job offer
- English and/or French language skills
- Adaptability
Minimum Requirements
Skilled work experience:
Your skilled work experience must be:
- in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)
- within the last 10 years
- paid work. Volunteer work or unpaid internship don’t count.
- at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total per year.
Language ability:
- An approved language test results obtained within 2 years
- A minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities
Education:
- A completed credential, and
- An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report obtained for immigration purposes from a designated organization
Proof of funds:
- Applicants will need to prove that they meet the financial requirement for themselves and teir family in order to successfully settle in Canada.
The most important factor that should be noted within the Federal Skilled Worker Program is that the applicant MUST pass the mark of 67 out of 100 eligible points in order to qualify for the EE profile registration.
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Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is an Express Entry stream in which applicants can submit their application for permanent residency through the Express Entry system. This program is for skilled trade workers that possess qualified skilled trade work experience in the following National Occupation Classification (NOC) groups:
- Major Group 72, industrial electrical and construction trades
- Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades
- Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
- Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
- Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers
Minimum Requirements
Language:
Applicants must meet the required language level for each language ability:
| Language | Abilities | Minimum Level |
| English | Speaking and listening | CLB 5 |
| English | Reading and writing | CLB 4 |
| French | Speaking and listening | NCLC 5 |
| French | Reading and writing | NCLC 4 |
Work experience:
- Applicants must have at least 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the 5 years prior to applying
- The job must meet the requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupation Classification, except for the certificate of qualification
- A valid job offer of full-time employment for a minimum of 1 year OR a certificate of qualification in a skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority
Education:
- A completed credential, and
- An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report obtained for immigration purposes from a designated organization
Proof of funds:
- Applicants will need to prove that they meet the financial requirement for themselves and their family in order to successfully settle in Canada.
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Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience and who want to immigrate to Canada permanently.
Minimum Requirements
Language:
Applicants must meet or surpass a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 or 7, depending on the level of the job.
| NOC skill type or level | Minimum level for all four language abilities (English) | Minimum level for all four language abilities (French) |
| NOC 0 or A | CLB 7 | NCLC 7 |
| NOC B | CLB 5 | NCLC 5 |
Work experience:
- Applicants must have at least 1 year of full-time work experience in the last 3 years prior to creating their EE profile
- The work experience must be full-time or an equal amount in part-time and gained by working in Canada legally
- This work experience can be in 1 or more NOC 0, A or B jobs.
Education:
- There is no education requirement under the Canadian Experience Class. However, in order to improve your CRS score, it is crucial to obtain your ECA report from a designated organization.