Canada Immigration: Accessing Canada Express Entry Program

Canada employs the Express Entry immigration pool draws system to handle permanent residence (PR) applications, which has become the most favored pathway for immigration to Canada. The Express Entry system serves as a rapid and efficient route for foreign nationals seeking Canadian permanent residency (PR).

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) typically conducts Express Entry draws approximately every two weeks. During each draw, IRCC extends invitations to apply for Canadian PR to selected candidates from the Express Entry immigration pool.

Once your application is approved by IRCC and you complete the landing process, you will officially attain the status of a Canadian permanent resident.

Eligibility for Express Entry Immigration Pool Draws

To be considered for the federal Express Entry immigration pool, candidates must first create a profile on the IRCC website. Moreover, you need to meet the eligibility requirements for one of three programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class, or the Canadian Experience Class.

Having a job offer is not mandatory to enter or be selected from the Express Entry pool. However, those with a job offer receive additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score points, enhancing their chances. A maximum of 1,200 CRS points is available, with 600 points allocated for a job offer or a nomination under any of Canada’s Provincial Immigrant Nomination Programs (PNPs).

Your CRS score is determined by various factors like your age, education, skilled work experience, and proficiency in English or French. It also accounts for individual applicants or couples. Notably, candidates can receive ITAs (Invitations to Apply) for permanent residence without any prior experience in Canada. Your CRS is a numerical value, ranging from 0 to 1,200, reflecting your core human capital, including age, work experience, education, adaptability, and language skills. Importantly, only a limited number of candidates with the highest CRS points in the pool receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs), moving forward in the immigration process.

What are the Canada Provincial Nomination Programs?

In Canada, the provinces themselves don’t have the authority to grant permanent residency status directly. Instead, they have Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs) that allow them to nominate individuals for permanent residency if they already have a profile in the federal Express Entry immigration pool.

While it is possible to receive a permanent residence invitation by applying through Express Entry alone and bypassing the PNP process, having a provincial nomination significantly increases your chances of being invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in any of the Express Entry draws conducted by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Let’s consider an example to illustrate how this works: Meet Akhilia, who holds a bachelor’s degree and has been working in the manufacturing industry for five years. She possesses advanced English language proficiency and decided to register her profile in the Express Entry immigration pool, where her Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score is 370. However, recently, she was also granted a provincial immigration nomination through the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. As a result of this nomination, the IRCC awards Akhilia an additional 600 points, boosting her total CRS score to an impressive 970 points! This score well exceeds the minimum CRS score required to receive an invitation for permanent residency in any federal Express Entry draw.

How Express Entry works

1. Find out if you’re eligible

There are two ways to find out if you’re eligible for a program that is part of Express Entry:

• Answer a few questions to see if you meet the minimum requirements
• Read the detailed requirements for each program

2: Get your documents ready

You need documents, such as language test results, to show that you’re eligible for Express Entry.

However, note that some documents take a long time to get, so you should get them ready now.

• Get the documents you need

Step 3: Submit your profile into Express Entry pool

Basically, your Express Entry profile is where you give IRCC information about yourself.

A key point specifically if you’re married or have a common-law partner. One of you must be the main or principal applicant.

To clarify, this person is the ONE to submit a profile and list the spouse or partner in it.

Your principal applicant should be the one of you most likely to:

• meet the eligibility requirements
• earn the most points in the selection factors (if applying under the Federal Skilled Workers Program)
• earn the most points in Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System

If you’re eligible, IRCC will accept you, and register you into the Express Entry pool of candidates.

You’ll be ranked in the Express Entry pool using the CRS points-based system. Your score is based on the information in your profile.

• Quickly Check your CRS score with the simple FREE CRS Score calculator.
• THEN use the more detailed official Canada government CRS Score form for Free.
• THEN create your official Canada government Express Entry Profile.

Step 4: Receive an invitation and apply for Canada permanent residence

IRCC will send Invitations to Apply (ITA) to the candidates with the highest scores in the pool.

If IRCC invites you to apply, you’ll have 60 days to submit your application for permanent residence.

IRCC processes complete applications that have all the supporting documents in 6 months or less.

• Apply for Canadian permanent residence

Express Entry immigration pool quick check

• Create an IRCC profile/account to apply for Canada visa online
• Check your application status
• Check application processing times

How to improve your Express Entry CRS score

An Express Entry candidate typically needs a CRS score of 470-490 points in a regular draw.

To emphasize, to get to these higher scores you need to maximize your points on all available factors.

• Presentation for skilled foreign workers
• Express Entry factsheet for candidates
• Summer 2015 – Presentation deck from employer engagement sessions

Important Documents for Express Entry Profile

It’s crucial to remember that specific documents are required at various stages of the Express Entry application process. While you don’t have to upload documents to submit a profile initially, you will need information from the following documents:

1. Passport or Travel Document
2. Language Test Results
3. Education Credential Assessment Report (if you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers program or want to earn points for education obtained outside Canada)
4. Provincial Nomination (if you have one)
5. Written Job Offer from a Canadian employer (if you have one).

Documents for your application for Canadian permanent residence

Most importantly, you must upload the documents referenced in your profile.

Most applicants will also need to upload the following:

• police certificates
• medical exams
• proof of funds