Express Entry immigration to Canada: The shortest route to immigration to Canada is via Express Entry. However, this does not imply that anybody may use Express Entry to come to Canada. whether your family is eligible, this information will assist you in determining whether Express Entry is the best option for you to settle in Canada.
Families and individuals from all over the globe may come to Canada via the Express Entry immigration screening process in a matter of months. Since its launch in 2015, Express Entry has grown to be one of the most well-liked immigration programs worldwide and the primary force behind skilled worker immigration to Canada.
Express Entry Canada: What Is It?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses the application management system Express Entry to handle and process applications that come in via the three federal economic immigration programs for skilled workers in Canada.
Express Entry is a competitive immigration system that invites the top-ranked applicants to submit an application for permanent residence status in Canada. All qualified candidates are ranked against one another. Based on a variety of criteria, including age, education, job experience, and language competency, candidates are rated against one another.
Families and individuals who want to relocate to Canada may become new permanent residents via Express Entry in a few of months.
How Express Entry Canada Operates: A Detailed How-To
Establish Your Eligibility Candidates for Express Entry must qualify for one of the following government programs for economic immigration.
The Federal Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST).
Candidates must still be eligible under one of the three federal programs in order to join the Express Entry pool, even if certain Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are linked with Express Entry.
Each of the Express Entry-aligned programs has different eligibility criteria, but all applicants must meet a minimum criterion of fluency in either English or French on an authorized language exam and have at least one year of competent work experience. Additionally, Canada checks all candidates for Express Entry for medical conditions and criminal histories that would prevent them from entering the country.
Create an Express Entry profile: To be included to the applicant pool, eligible people need to submit an Express Entry profile. An Expression of Interest (EOI) is made using the Express Entry profile. applicants that meet the eligibility requirements will immediately be compared against the other applicants in the pool and given a score based on their profile.
Based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), Express Entry has a ranking score of 1,200 points. By making changes to their CRS score, candidates may raise their ranking. A candidate’s chances of receiving an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA) increase with their CRS score.
A cut-off point for Express Entry drawings is the CRS score. Its purpose is to forecast a candidate’s chances of achieving financial success in Canada. It rates applicants according to a variety of criteria, including their educational background, professional experience, language proficiency, and whether or not they have previously obtained a qualified job offer or provincial nomination in Canada.
Candidates for Express Entry may be eligible for bonus points if they meet certain requirements, such as having a legitimate work offer from a Canadian business or being nominated by a province.
Eligibility for Express Entry and CRS Calculator
Without providing personal contact information, you may use the Moving2Canada Express Entry CRS Calculator to verify your eligibility for Express Entry and your projected CRS points total simultaneously. This is something that no other Express Entry Calculator offers.
Spend a minute learning which Express Entry program you could be qualified for and how competitive your profile might be before establishing your Express Entry profile.
Establish a profile in a job bank (optional): Candidates for Express Entry who do not get a job offer or a province nomination may then register with the Canada Job Bank, a free public resource that assists Canadian firms in finding and choosing employees with the necessary skills. June 2017 saw the change from required to optional for this stage.
Get an Invitation to Apply (ITA):
Every two weeks on average, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) holds Express Entry lotteries. Candidates over a particular rank are asked to apply for permanent residence in Canada via these Express Entry lotteries. A candidate’s profile will expire after 12 months if they are not invited, at which time they may submit a new one. For information on the most recent Express Entry draw, go to this page.
Raise your CRS score:
Applicants in the Express Entry pool who have not yet been chosen have the opportunity to raise their score and profile. They may do this by sending in fresh, current data. Increased language proficiency, evaluations of educational background, gaining more work experience, getting a suitable employment offer, or being nominated by a province are a few examples. Check out our advice on raising your CRS rating.
File your application for permanent residence:
You have 60 days from the date of your Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA) to file a full application for permanent residence. You must submit this application with a lot of personal information and supporting paperwork. The application is submitted online in its entirety.
You must wait to hear back from the application committee before receiving a final decision. Six months or less is the average processing time for 80 percent of Express Entry applications. You will be given permission to activate your permanent resident status in Canada if your application is accepted.
In order to build your Express Entry profile, what do you need?
You need three key papers in order to submit your Express Entry profile. The first thing you should do if you’re interested in Express Entry is obtain these three documents:
Language Test: Candidates for Express Entry must demonstrate fluency in either French or English. To submit your profile, certified test results from an authorized language exam are required. The three Express Entry-aligned programs have different minimum needed scores.
The CELPIP General test or the IELTS General Training exam are your alternatives if you wish to demonstrate your English language skills. The TEF or TCF exams are your alternatives if you wish to demonstrate your fluency in French.
The Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA) assesses non-Canadian educational programs using Canadian criteria. Notably, only the Federal Skilled Worker Program requires education; nevertheless, as education plays a significant role in the CRS score, it is advised that FST and CEC applicants also submit an ECA report.
Note: Completing an educational program in Canada does not need an ECA.
Passport: In order to submit an Express Entry profile, you must have a current passport. When obtaining a passport is not feasible, other forms of identification could, in very rare circumstances, be approved.
You may build your Express Entry profile after you have these three papers.
Applying with a spouse or common-law partner: You may wish to compare your resumes in advance if you want to apply alongside your spouse or common-law partner. The primary candidate must be identified in the Express Entry profile, and their qualifications will account for the great bulk of the CRS score.
Important information for your Canada Express Entry application
You may officially apply for permanent residency if you get an invitation to apply. The whole application process is completed and submitted online. Regarding the final application for permanent residency, bear the following points in mind:
Proof of settlement monies may be required.
It is a requirement for all FSW and FST candidates to show that they have sufficient funds to sustain themselves and their families while resettling in Canada. Candidates who have a signed employment contract in Canada, as well as CEC candidates, are not required to meet this condition.
| Number of family members | Required funds (in CAD) |
| 1 (single applicant) | $13,757 |
| 2 | $17,127 |
| 3 | $21,055 |
| 4 | $25,564 |
| 5 | $28,994 |
| 6 | $32,700 |
| 7 | $36,407 |
| For each additional family member, add | $3,706 |
job offer” is genuinely a job offer.
Many Canadians working on LMIA-exempt work permits, such the IEC Working Holiday Visa, have a common misconception: their current employer’s “job offer” is the same as what the IRCC deems to be a legitimate employment offer for Express Entry.
When you see “valid job offer,” it indicates that the position satisfies a number of requirements unique to Express Entry. Learn more about the requirements for a legitimate job offer in Express Entry.
Everything from your Express Entry profile is retained.
Did you falsify a few months of employment history on your Express Entry application without realizing the repercussions? You’re going to be really surprised.
When you submit your electronic application for permanent residence (PR), much of the crucial information you put in your Express Entry profile is sent immediately. At this point, any modifications you make might endanger your application.
As such, it’s critical to use caution while entering something for the first time. It will be necessary for you to provide proof of the statements you have made.
A five-year ban from Canada is a severe penalty for lying on an immigration application.
Those applying for CEC and FST Express Entry should get their Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)!
You should still complete the ECA even if it is not necessary for FST and CEC. Upon completion of the ECA and integration into an Express Entry profile, scores often rise significantly. Thus, start the ECA procedure as soon as feasible if you are an FST or CEC candidate with a post-secondary certification.
How many points are required to enter Canada using Express Entry?
It is preferable to respond to this question twice: once within the pool and once before to entering the Express Entry pool.
Prior to joining the Express Entry pool, candidates may be selected for immigration to Canada via one of three programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST).
For qualified tradespeople with recent experience in a designated profession, there is the FST program; for those with recent skilled Canadian work experience, there is the CEC program. Candidates are not need to meet a point threshold in order to be eligible to submit a profile via the FST program or the CEC.
On the other hand, anybody who meets the minimal point criteria for qualifying may apply to the FSW program, regardless of where they live. Note that the scoring system used here is entirely different from the CRS score. To be eligible for the Express Entry pool, you must get at least 67 points out of a possible 100 according to the FSW scoring grid. Here are the criteria and points grid for the FSWC.
After entering the Express Entry system
Candidates in the Express Entry pool are assigned a CRS score, irrespective of the program for which they qualify. The Express Entry pool assigns a candidate’s rank based on this score. This score is the primary criterion used by the IRCC to determine which individuals are invited to apply for permanent residence during an Express Entry lottery. In the past, the CRS cut-off points for FSW and CEC candidates have dropped as low as 413 points, and on rare occasions, the cut-off points for FST candidates have dropped even lower. For more information, see our Express Entry Canada draw page.
Please be aware, however, that the CRS cut-off values are subject to vary for various Express Entry drawings and are not set in stone. In the end, there is no set minimum or maximum amount of points required to enter Canada via Express Entry; nevertheless, past drawings indicate which applicants, based on CRS score, have the highest prospects of being called to apply. To learn more, see our Express Entry draw page.
How much does using Express Entry to come to Canada cost?
- An overview of the expenses related to Canadian immigration via Express Entry is provided in the table below.
- Not all charges may be included in this table. Additional expenses for shipping, etc., are not covered either.
How long does it take to enter Canada using Express Entry?
The goal of the Express Entry system is to facilitate quick immigration to Canada. The whole procedure may take six months, or even less, for qualified applicants who are invited to apply (ITA) shortly after joining the pool and who promptly submit a completed application. Nevertheless, the following factors should be considered since they may cause this timescale to be extended:
Certain applicants get an invitation shortly after joining the Express Entry pool, while other candidates may not receive an invitation at all or only receive one months later, based on their CRS score and the CRS cut-off criteria in Express Entry drawings.
After receiving an invitation, some applicants could be prepared to file for immigration to Canada right away, while others would need more time than the 60 days allowed.
Although the IRCC tries to process applications in six months, judgments on certain applications could take longer, and other applications might be processed in less time.
How can I learn more about Canada’s Express Entry program?
To help you make the best immigration choices possible, we have created the Express Entry Roadmap, a free tool that aims to educate you about the Express Entry procedure. Register for the Roadmap for Express Entry here.
A list of some of the most popular queries about Express Entry Canada has been put up by Moving2Canada.