Table of Content
- Canada Express Entry
- Steps for Canada Express Entry Application
- Check for Eligibility
- Compute Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score
- Preparation of Required Documents
- Apply for Canada Express Entry
- Cost of Travelling to Canada Through Express Entry Program
- Factors Leading to Disqualification from Canada Express Entry Program
Canada is such a wonderful place in North America that almost everyone wishes to be because of several purposes. Some of these purposes include visiting, tourism, education and so many others. Therefore whenever you see people struggling to get Canada Visa, then you should not be surprised.
There are different immigration packages that you can leverage on to migrate to Canada, but one of them is travelling through Canada Express Entry.
Canada Express Entry
Express entry is simply a system used in Canada to enhance the permanent express immigration of skilled and productive working class immigrants that are capable of occupying the available labor gaps in Canada. The Express program is aimed at issuing successful applicants a Permanent Resident Permit to live and impact positively to the Canadian economy.
Canada Express Entry system have three immigration programs through which applicants can migrate to Canada. The 3 categories of Canada Express Entry System are;
Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Program is available for individuals who have foreign work experience (experience outside Canada) and wish to immigrate to Canada.
Minimum Requirements
The minimum requirement for this class of Express Entry are;
- Skilled Work Experience
- English/French Language Ability
- Education Qualification
These are the minimum requirement for Canada Express Entry under Federal Skilled Worker Program. However, other ranking criteria are taken into consideration while awarding scores to individuals. Check Below for details on the requirements and Comprehensive Ranking System.
Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Federal Skilled Trade Program is for people that a good in trades and wish to migrate to Canada on this basis.
Minimum Requirements
- Language Ability
- Skilled Work Experience
- Posses a valid full-time job offer or certificate of qualification
Canadian Experience Class
This is for individuals that have Canada work experience and wish to remain in Canada on permanent terms.
Minimum Requirements
- Language Ability
- Skilled work Experience in Canada
- You must have acquired your work experience while working in Canada on Temporal resident status.
NOTE: Refugee claimants, people working without authorization and individuals with work experience gained without temporal resident status are not eligible for this category.
Also note that there are other available immigration programs in different Canadian provinces, such as the Quebec Immigration Program. You may wish to check it out if interested.
Steps for Canada Express Entry Application
1. Check for Eligibility
For any application to be a success, there must be some major yardstick that will be considered. The minimum requirements needed to be eligible for each of the 3 categories of Canada Express Entry have been discussed above. However, these points will be buttressed under the Comprehensive Ranking System below.
More so, you should also note that the eligibility is based on a point system known as the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) where you earn points on every required factors which are to be considered.
If you are eligible for any category of the Express Entry program, proceed to computing your CRS score to determine your chances of being invited to Apply for Canada PR.
2. Compute Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score
a. Skilled Work Experience
Skilled work experience requirement is compulsory across the 3 categories of Canada Express Entry Program. This skilled work experience must belong to the National Occupational Classification - NOC jobs.
Jobs under NOC are classified under 3 major groups;
- Managerial Jobs (skill level 0)
- Professional Jobs (skill type A)
- Technical Jobs, including skilled trades (skill type B)
The skilled work experience criteria varies across the Express Entry categories. Below are some of the important traits you must possess in your chosen skilled work.
- Your skilled work level should be in the right category as listed in the NOC.
- For the federal skilled worker program, people who have more years of experience are rewarded with more CRS scores. However, these points vary from either foreign or Canadian experience.
- For federal skilled worker program category, you must have atleast 1 year of continuous work experience with pay (salary/wages/commission) within the last 10 years.
- For the Federal Skilled Trades Program, applicants must have at-least 2 years full-time work experience (or part time equivalent) with pay within the last 5 years.
- For Canadian Class Experience, you must have at least 1 year full time experience (or part time experience) in one job.
b. Good in English/French Language
You must have a good command in English and/or French Language(s) including writing, reading, speaking and listening skills. Visit the IELTS page to learn important facts about IELTS English examination.
- For the federal skilled worker program, you should get a minimum score of 7 in the skills that we listed earlier using the Canadian Language BenchMark (CLB).
- For the federal skilled trade program and the Canadian Experience Class, a minimum of 5 and 7 CLB is needed respectively. Remember to input your language result when filling your express entry profile.
c. Educational Qualification
Educational credentials is necessary while applying for the federal skilled worker category. These qualifications include your secondary and tertiary qualifications. It is worthy of note that the higher your educational qualifications, the higher your CRS score.
People who completed their studies in Canada are expected to present a certificate, diploma or degree from the respective institutions attended.
You can checkout top 10 best universities in Canada here.
However, individuals who completed their studies outside Canada are expected to complete an Educational Credential Assessment which will indicate that completed education is equivalent to Canadian Diploma, Degree or certificate. The under listed organisation are approved by IRCC for credential assessment;
- World Education Services - WES
- Comparative Education Service
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
- IQAS
- International Credential Evaluation Service
Kindly checkout the Educational Credential Assessment Guide to see details of these bodies, including their application cost and processing time.
However, if you work in regulated occupation such as Pharmacy, Physicians, Medical Doctor etc, you will need to complete an assessment by designated organisation to ascertain your fit to practice. Check the CIC website for the official regulatory body for your occupation.
d. Job Offer
Canada Express Entry applicants who posses job offer from Employers in Canada have high chance of being invited to apply for Permanent Residence (PR). You can seek for job offers in Canada through Job Bank Website or other reliable portal of your choice.
Meanwhile, checkout the List of Jobs to do in Canada with their salaries.
e. Age Factor
You also gain points according to your age. The spotlight age bracket is 20 - 29 years which gets score points ranging from 100 to 110 depending on the marital status. However, ages outside this range get lesser CRS points.
f. Spouse or Common Law Partner
The Canada Express Entry program considers the spouse of applicants. For having a spouse, you get extra points from their level of education, language proficiency and Canadian work experience.
g. Certificate of Qualification
This is only applicable for people under the Federal Skilled Trade Program. Having a certificate of qualification will earn you more CRS points.
h. Relation Living in Canada
Having a brother or sister living in Canada as a citizen or Permanent Residence will earn you more CRS scores.
i. Post Secondary Education in Canada
Express Entry applicants who have masters or phd certificate in Canada earn extra points.
j. Proof of Fund
To migrate to Canada through Express Entry, you must show that you have enough fund to sustain yourself while settling-in at Canada.
However, you may be exempted from this if you currently have job offer from a Canadian Company, or legally able to work in Canada.
See steps to improve your CRS score.
View the official points breakdown at IRCC Website.
3. Preparation of Required Documents For Canada Express Entry
Having confirmed that you are eligible for the Canada express entry, the next thing that should come to your mind is knowing the required documents. Most of these documents do not need to be submitted but the information on them will be needed to fill your Canada Pool profile. These documents include;
- Passport or travel documents
- English and/or French Language test result(s)
- Educational Credentials and Certificate - Compulsory for those that wants to apply for the federal skilled workers program.
- Provincial Nomination - PN (if available)
- A written job offer from an employer in Canada (If any)
- Medical Report
- Police Certificate
- Proof of Fund
- Proof of relationship with a Canadian citizen or Permanent Residence (If any)
- Digital Photograph (Passport)
4. Apply for Canada Express Entry
The Minimum Point Needed To Travel To Canada Through Express Entry
Well, it is only the Federal Skilled Worker Program category that uses a minimum point score which is 67/100. Then, for the Federal Skilled Trade Program, the major benchmark is recent experience relating to the person's preferred skill while the Canadian Experience Class too is experience based.
The lowest CRS score from the recent draw of candidates in the Express Entry Pool as at January 10, 2023 is 491.
Submission Of Your Express Entry Profile and How To Apply
Application for Canada Express Entry Program is done online where you can update some major information about yourself.
After your profile has been updated, it will be graded using the information provided. This grading is done by using the CRS point based system which will determine your final eligibility for the express entry program as discussed above.
You can submit your profile here
After Submitting your profile, what next?
At this point, the ball is on the court of Canada IRCC team to determine which CRS cutoff to take for the next Canada Pool draw. However, you can always improve on your points and update them accordingly on your Express Entry Profile.
If you are lucky to be among the next set of applicants, the IRCC team will send you an Invitation To Apply (ITA) for Canada Permanent Residence. Also note that you have just 60 days for this ITA application after an invitation has been sent over to you.
Cost of Travelling to Canada Through Express Entry
Here is a major break down of the cost associated with processing and travelling to Canada through the Express Entry Program. Remember this break down won't be including some cost that are bound to increase anytime soon.
- The Educational Credential Assessment Fee which is important for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and The Federal Skilled Trade Program that studied outside Canada. This is known to cost over $208.
- The language test fee which is compulsory for all categories cost over $290.
- The police clearance certificate which may vary in different countries cost about $100.
- Your medical report cost is over $200.
- The processing fee is $825.
- The permanent resident fee is worth more than $515.
Wow, it seems to cost more right? and more likely to be costlier. But you can always ignore that cost and think about the value you will get.
I believe at this stage, you must have had a good knowledge on Migrating to Canada through Express Entry Program and how to apply. So you can spread love by using the social share button to let your family and friends learn about this too. Someone in your cycle might need it.
Factors Leading to Disqualification from Canada Express Entry Program
Crime
It is a fact that some people apply for such opportunity to escape jail time in their countries. Others go to foreign countries to carry out their criminal activities. Therefore the state of Canada has a task force that runs a background check on anyone who has been selected. This helps in identifying the criminals and hence denies them the free passage.
Medical Issues
If you're going to have, a smooth process ensures that you tag along with the medical report. The test done should be according to Canada standards. The medical test shows the kind of disease you are having if any. For example, if you are found to be having cancer, then that is automatic cancellation. This wouldn't matter if you did qualify for the position or not.
Misrepresentation
The information you give during the application has to be correct. Nothing should be fabricated as this leads to disqualification and a two-year ban from reapplying. We are confident you wouldn't want that, therefore have the correct information on you profile.