Apply for Immigration Express Entry for Canada – Know the Process

Immigrate as a Skilled Worker Through Express Entry

CIC choose skilled immigrants as permanent residents on the basis of their ability to settle in Canada and take participation in the Canadian economy. There is a new system to handle how people with work experience apply to immigrate to Canada. It is termed as Express Entry.

Express Entry is Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) system for managing the admissions of economic immigration applications received for the following classes:

• Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC)
• Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs

As of January 1, 2015, foreign nationals must get an invitation from IRCC before they may apply to the above programs.

Express Entry eliminates the necessity to process applicants in these programs by a first in, first out method. IRCC aims to process 80% of complete Express Entry applications in six months or less.

The Express Entry system has two steps:

Step 1) Potential candidates complete an online Express Entry Strong

Profile candidates will complete an online Express Entry profile. This is a secure form that they will use to provide information about their:

• skills,
• work experience,
• language ability,
• education, and
• other details that will help us assess them.

Those who match the criteria of any of the federal immigration programs mentioned above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.

Someone who does not already have a job letter supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (if need one), or a selection from a province or territory, get registered with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. Job Bank will support connect Express Entry applicants with eligible employers in Canada.

Applicants are also encouraged to present themselves to employers in different ways, like using job boards, recruiters etc.

For a job offer to be authentic in Express Entry and get points, employers will require an LMIA from ESDC (there are a few exceptions).

There is no LMIA payable for permanent resident applications.

Note: If you match the entry criteria for the Express Entry pool, you’re not confirmed an invitation to eligible for permanent residence. All applicants for permanent residence also need to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).

Step 2) The top-rankings applicants in the pool will be invited to apply for permanent residence

Candidates will be ranked in front of others in the pool using a Score-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Points are rewarded using the information in their profile.

Candidates with the top scores in the pool will be issued an invitation to apply. Candidates will be awarded points for:

• a job offer, and/or
• a nomination from a province or territory, and/or
• skills and experience factors.

A candidate can get additional points for:

• qualifying education in Canada
• a valid job offer or
• a nomination by a province or territory

These extra points can make a candidate rank higher enough to be called to apply at the next eligible stages of invitations.

If someone is invited to apply, they will have 90 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will proceed the majority of complete applications (meaning those with all the required and supporting documents) in 6 months or less.

applicants can stay in the pool for 12 months. If they don’t get an invite to apply for permanent residence under 12 months of submitting an Express Entry profile, they can submit a new profile. If they still match the eligibility, they can re-enter the pool. This will avoid backlogs and ensure quick processing times.

Notice to Express Entry candidates

Note: If you have already received an invitation to apply, you will not be affected by the below changes. CIC will further proceed your application on the basis of the rules in place when your ITA was sent.

The Express Entry system should be updated.

CIC has made a number of improvements that may affect you:

• The points you can get for a job offer has changed.
  • you can gain a total of 50 points if you have an authentic job offer in a NOC 0, A or B occupation
  • you can earn a total of 200 points if you have a valid job offer in a NOC 00 occupation.
• A job offer now needs to be for an at least one year from the time you become a permanent resident.
• You can now earn CRS points for study in Canada above high school.
  • you can earn 15 points for a one- or two-year diploma or certificate
  • you can earn 30 points for a degree, diploma or certificate of three years or longer, or for a Master’s, professional or doctoral degree of at least one academic year.
• Now you have more time to complete an application for permanent residence if you get an invitation to apply.
  • Applicants will get 90 days to apply for permanent settlement, in place of 60 days.
• An LMIA will no longer be required for certain qualifying job offers to Get CRS scores as well as Scores for planned employment under the Federal Skilled Worker Class. Lots of people in Canada on an LMIA exempt work permit will be able to carry that LMIA exemption under Express Entry, including those:
  • here under the North America Free Trade Agreement
  • here under a federal-provincial agreement
  • here under Mobilité Francophone or
  • are an intra-company transferee

as long as they meet certain criteria, such as a minimum of one year of work experience from the same employer who is providing their job offer.