Applications for Canadian Express Entry can take as little as six months to process, making this program one of the fastest immigration programs in Canada. Only immigrants who have the right skills required in each province can qualify, unlike the Green Card Lotteries used in the U.S.
Applicants who are successful with the program can eventually apply for permanent residence in Canada.
Express Entry Process
You must first:
Find out if you meet the basic requirements;
Create an online EE Profile and make sure you have your:
Passport;
National Occupation Classification (NOC);
Education credential assessment report;
Recent language tests:
International English Language Testing System (IELTS);
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP); and/or
Test d'Evaluation de Français (TEF)
Canadian job offer (If you have one); and
Provincial Nomination (If you have one)
Receive a CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score out a possible 1,200 points;
Get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) if you score high enough on the CRS. An ITA means you can apply for permanent residence in Canada:
Please note that the score needed to apply for permanent residence changes for each draw. Even if you do not qualify for a specific draw, you still remain in the pool for one year.
Pay an application fee and a Right of Permanent Residence Fee;
Provide Proof of Funds to show you can support your family;
Provide Police Certificates;
Prepare for a medical exam from certified health professionals; and
Contact previous employers to provide job letters to prove you have valid work experience
Please note that if you have a Canadian job offer, your future employer may need to provide you with an LMIA.
Comprehensive Ranking System
Applicants are ranked on a system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which determines who gets selected from the Express Entry Pool first. This system scores you based on four main factors:
Human Capital Factors;
Spouse and Common Law Partner;
Skill Transferability; and
Additional Factors
These factors take into account:
Age;
Work experience;
Education qualifications;
Language skills;
Adaptability;
Job offers; and
Spouse or common-law partner
The higher applicants’ scores on the CRS, the better their chances of becoming a permanent resident of Canada. The highest you can score on this system is 1,200 points.
There are several ways to improve your CRS scores, like receiving a Provincial Nomination that adds an extra 600 points. Canadian job offers are also worth 50-600 Points. For example, a job offer from a level 00 job under the National Occupation Classification (NOC) will give you an additional 200 points. Any other job level offer from a Canadian employer will give you an additional 50 points. But a job offer under a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will give 600 CRS points.
Another way to increase your score is through Core Human Capital Factors (600 Points) This awards points for education qualifications like certificates, diplomas and degrees. The higher your educational qualifications, the better the score you will receive.
If you apply with your spouse or common-law partner it can also help increase your score, if they have the correct work experience and educational background. Having more work experience can also have an impact on CRS results.
Language skills are a great way to increase CRS scores. The higher applicants score on recognized French and English test like IELTS, TEF and CELPIP, the better the results. In total, language skills can add an extra 150 points.
The Year of Opportunities
In 2018, the government of Canada is seeking to improve ways to immigrate to Canada to make it easier and less time-consuming. Canada has continued to raise their immigration targets from 280,000 in 2019 to 310,000 in 2020.