Canada’s Federal Express Entry system is one of the fastest immigration programs for skilled and qualified foreign workers seeking permanent residency.
This system specializes in accepting, organizing and processing permanent residence applications for individuals who wish to move to Canada and obtain Canadian PR status. It manages three key federal economic immigration programs, including:
- Federal Skilled Workers Program– This program is designed for those aspiring immigrants who have foreign work experience in an occupation listed under NOC skill level 1,2 or 0.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program– This program is for those individuals who want to move to Canada permanently on the basis of being qualified in any skilled trade.
- Canadian Experience Class– This program is ideal for those workers who have relevant Canadian work experience.
If you are a skilled worker with more than 1 year of skilled work experience and required educational qualification, then I would suggest that Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Workers Program would make an ideal option for you.
If you are wondering how you can apply under FSWP, then you may go through the below mentioned points.
- First step is to find your eligibility and submit your profile for which you must meet the minimum eligibility criteria, including:
- Minimum 1 year of full-time continuous skilled work experience or equal amount in part-time
- Get minimum score of CLB 7 in all 4 abilities in an approved language test
- Have a certificate, degree or diploma (for foreign education, must submit Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report
- If you meet the minimum requirements, then the IRCC will assess your application on the basis of key selection factors and you must score minimum 67 points out of 100 on the FSW points grid to qualify.
Selection factors include:
👉 Age
👉 Education
👉 Work experience
👉 Whether you have a valid job offer
👉 English and/or French language skills
👉 Adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)
Canada Express Entry Eligibility Criteria
The essential express entry eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Provide the score results of the language test. The language tests results are valid for two years and
- Overseas applicants need to show their Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report lists parallel to Canadian education. ECA’s are valid for five years.
- Need to score minimum 67 points based on their profile factors (i.e. age, education, language proficiency, etc.) to become eligible to apply via the express entry system
- A candidate needs to apply online in Express entry and submit EOI.
- Provide the health and character certifications once ITA (invitation to apply) for PR visa is issued.
What is Canada Express Entry Minimum Points Requirements
The EE system has two-staged points’ criteria. At first, you need to score Express Entry eligibility points, i.e. 67 points out of 100, under Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) category, based on the selection factors of FSW immigration points calculator. If you cannot score the minimum Express Entry points, under FSW category, you will not be able to apply Canada PR through express entry system.
- Once you have scored the eligibility points and qualified for the EE system as an applicant, you will find a place in the Express Entry pool of candidates. Now, the IRCC will assess your EOI profile and subsequently, give you a CRS Point score, based on similar selection factors. The Candidates submitting their EOI (Expression of Interest) in the Express Entry pool get points for each profile factor, i.e. qualification, work experience, language proficiency, age, etc. based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The cumulative of these points forms a CRS score of the candidate. The IRCC chooses the candidates with the top CRS score through its periodic Express Entry draws.
To calculate your points against Canada Express entry point’s requirements, you may refer to Canada CRS Point calculator.
Express Entry Process
You may follow the Express Entry process mentioned below to apply for Canadian PR Visa. The candidates with the top CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score get the ITA (Invitation to Apply) from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The EE system has three main steps, i.e.
👉 Create profile
The prospective candidates need to complete an online express entry profile wherein they mention their Skills, Work experience, Language ability, Education and Other details required by the IRCC for assessment. The candidates meeting the eligibility parameters find a place in The Express Entry pool of candidates.The IRCC will assess the registered candidates against others within the EE pool, and rank them based on criteria known to develop a newcomer’s economic success in Canada.
👉 Get the ITA
The highest-ranking candidates in the pool get the ITA (Invitation to Apply) to apply for a PR visa. Candidates get the CRS score against others in the pool using a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Based on the information you provided in their profiles, you would get these points, i.e. age, qualification, work experience, language proficiency, etc. Candidates with the highest scores in the pool receive an Invitation to Apply. A candidate gets additional 600 CRS points for a nomination received from a Canadian province or territory.
👉 Submit the PR application
Once an applicant has received the ITA, they will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence. The IRCC will process the best part of complete Permanent Residence applications received in six months or less. Candidates can stay in the pool for up to 12 months. In case they do not get an invitation to apply for permanent residence within 12 months of submitting an express entry profile, they have to submit a new EE profile.
Express Entry System Benefits
Find below the key benefits of applying for a Canadian PR visa through the federal Express Entry Immigration System of Canada:
- Fastest way to apply for and get Canadian Permanent Residence (PR) VISA
- Easy-going point-based immigration system
- No compulsory job offer is required to apply
- You can get points for Spouse’s credentials
- No charge for creating an Express Entry profile
- Merit-based selection
- Liberty to create profile again, if not received the ITA within 12 months
FAQs Express Entry
Who launched the Express Entry System and when?
The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched the federal Express Entry System on January 1, 2015.
What is the Express Entry System for Canada Immigration?
The Express Entry System is the point-based immigration system Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that aims to make the selection process of immigrants under the Economic Immigration Program of Canada, faster, smoother, and better. As part of the EE process, interested candidates, create the profile and submit online EOI (Expression of Interest) in the System. The IRCC chooses and accepts the candidates in the Express Entry pool, based on their CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score and subsequently, issue the invitations to selected candidates for Permanent Residency in Canada. The Express Entry System also aims to choose the right candidates to meet the labour market requirements in Canada.
What does express Entry Profile mean?
The Express Entry Profile is the profile applicants create online on EE System for Canada Immigration, mentioning their demographic and other key details, i.e. Qualification, Experience, Age, Language Proficiency, Skills, etc.
What is the CRS score?
The CRS i.e. The Comprehensive Ranking System is the internal ranking system of IRCC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) to choose the best candidates to the Express Entry pool to invite them for Canadian PR. The CRS score of an applicant is the score he achieves is based on his EE Profile details, i.e. Age, Qualification, Experience, Language ability, skills etc.
What is the processing time of the Express Entry PR applications?
The immigration process is subject to various aspects of the candidate’s document and candidature verification. The IRCC claims to process the six months processing time of the received Canadian PR application. This processing time starts after IRCC confirms the candidate’s submission of the complete online PR application and it ends when any decision is taken on the application.
What is the minimum points requirement to apply for Canada PR through Express Entry?
To apply for a Skilled PR visa through Express Entry FSW Category, you need to score minimum 67 points out of 100 based on some key factors, such as, age, education, work experience, language skills, etc.
Which are the main immigration categories of the Express Entry System?
The Express Entry system of Canada chooses the right candidates for Canada Immigration for the following programs: • Federal Skilled Workers Program • Federal Skilled Trades Programs • Canadian Experienced Class Programs A part of the PNP (Provincial Nominee Program) Program
What is the Express Entry Pool?
The Express Entry pool is the pool made for candidates who are found eligible for any of Canada’s Economic Immigration programs, i.e. Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class Program, or a part of PNP (Provincial Nominee Program). The Federal Government, State Governments, and Employers have the right to select eligible candidates from the Express Entry Pool for Canada Immigration. The candidates selected from the pool get the invitation to apply for a PR visa in Canada.
Is there an expiry date of the Express Entry profile?
An Express Entry Profile is valid for 12 months (1 Year). Hence, if your profile is not selected in 12 months, you would need to re-submit your existing profile by verifying all the requisite details you mentioned earlier.
Also, read-
IELTS is now offering a One Skill Retake option for applicants
Latest draws of Ontario’s Express Entry- HCP Stream invited 2,835 candidates
Saskatchewan holds country-based SINP draws- Invites most, i.e. 431 candidates from India
New Express Entry All-program draw held on 15 August- IRCC invited 4,300 candidates
