What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an online system that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to manage applications for permanent residence from skilled workers .
This system allows the Canadian Government to select the best candidates for permanent residence in Canada who are most likely to benefit the country economically. This selection process is implemented through a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that ranks candidates against each other. The rank is based on candidates’ age, education, language proficiency, work experience, and other factors.
How does Express Entry work: a step-by-step guide
Step 1. Find out if you are eligible
Successful candidates must meet specific requirements for one of the Express Entry Programs that we listed below. Although these requirements differ from program to program, essential requirements you must meet are 1 year of skilled work experience, English or French language proficiency, criminal and medical records.
Step 2. Gather all required documents
The list of documents will vary from case to case, however, these are common files that IRCC needs from you:
- Language test results;
- Proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report (ECA) ;
- Police certificates
- Medical exams
- Proof of funds
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
Step 3. Create an Express Entry Profile
Your EE profile will let IRCC know that you are interested in Canadian permanent residence and will automatically provide Immigration Canada with all relevant information.
If IRCC evaluates you as an eligible candidate, you will be accepted into the pool of candidates. Once you’re there, you will be assigned a CRS score and ranked against other candidates.
Step 4. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
After ranking all candidates, IRCC sends out invitations to apply for permanent residence to all top-ranked candidates. If you receive this invitation, you have 60 days (during Covid-19, applicants are given 90 days) to submit your application for permanent residence.
ITAs are issued in certain intervals, usually once in 2 weeks. View the latest Express Entry draw to find out what minimal CRS score allowed candidates to apply for permanent residence.
Step 5. Submit your application for Permanent Residence
Make sure your application is complete and you have all the required and supporting documents to decrease the processing time to 6 months or less.
Once your application is approved, you will receive the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) to activate your permanent residence card.
Latest Express Entry draw results
Previous Draw #170 | 01/21/2021
Invitations issued: 4626
Lowest CRS score: 454
Latest Draw #172 | 02/13/2021
Invitations issued: 27,332
Lowest CRS score: 75
Next Draw #173 | 02/27/2021
This is just a prediction date.
Prediction CRS score: 452
What programs are included in Express Entry?
Express Entry consists of three main programs that you might be eligible for:
1. Federal Skilled Worker Program
2. Federal Skilled Trades Program
3. Canadian Experience Class
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What you should know:
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- Each of these programs has its own eligibility requirements. For example, language test results should be at a certain level depending on the test you are taking;
⠀⠀ - Some of the documents take a very long time to get ready, therefore, you should prepare in advance not to lose time;
⠀ - If you are eligible for any of 3 programs under Express Entry, the Canadian Government will accept your profile to a pool of candidates where you will be ranked by a certain number of points via the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) calculator, which will allow you to get an invitation to apply for permanent residence and submit it depending on how high your score is.
CRS Score Explained
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a points-based system that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to assess and score your profile and rank it in the Express Entry pool against other candidates. The CRS is used to assess candidates’ skills, language ability, education, work experience, and other factors.
Basically, the more points you get via CRS score, the more chances you have to be invited to apply for permanent residence.
Score range
The maximum score a person can get is 1,200 points.
If you’re single, you are entitled to the following number of scores:
1. Core / human capital factors (age, education, languages, work experience) — up to 500 points;
2. Skill Transferability factors (post-secondary degree, foreign work experience, Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)): — up to 100 points;
3. Additional factors (siblings with Canadian passports, French skills, Canadian post-secondary education, job offer, provincial nomination (PNP) — up to 600 points.
If you have an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, you are entitled to the following number of scores:
1. Core / human capital factors (age, education, languages, work experience) — up to 500 points;
2. Skill Transferability factors (post-secondary degree, foreign work experience, Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)): — up to 100 points;
3. Additional factors (siblings with Canadian passports, French skills, Canadian post-secondary education, job offer, provincial nomination (PNP) — up to 600 points.
Tips for Express Entry
- Being qualified to get into the pool of candidates is crucial and here every day counts, which means you have to manage your time very well;
- Always be aware of where your CRS score is and make sure you understand what category you belong under the NOC;
- Foreign experience counts: you can be eligible for one of the programs under Express Entry if you have and can prove sufficient and relevant working experience for the past 10 years;
- Reference letters are important: it can be recommendation letters from your former employer or letters from school, professors, communities, etc.
- IELTS is important, however, don’t stress about it: try not to treat IELTS or CELPIP as the most important exam in your life. If you are reading this, your English is awesome!
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