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How does Express Entry work? Different programs under Express Entry, factors to consider and steps to follow in creating an Express Entry Profile.

Let’s dig deeper into the Express Entry Immigration Pathway, how this pathway works, the different programs under EE, and the steps involved in creating and submitting the Express Entry Profile:

What is the Express Entry Program, and how does it work?

Express Entry is by far one of the most popular Immigration pathways for individuals and families seeking to settle in Canada, especially if you are a Skilled worker. Skilled workers are employees who are considered to be working in an occupation at the National Occupation Classification (NOC) (TEER) category 0, 1, 2, or 3. (I will get into details of NOC and TEER in another article).

Express Entry is a points-based system (it is not a status) used to select candidates for permanent residency in Canada.

Candidates must be eligible for one of the three Federal Economic Immigration Programs to qualify for Express Entry:

    • Canadian Experience Class – for skilled worker candidates who have gained a minimum of 1 year of work experience in Canada within 3 years of applying for Express Entry.
    • Federal Skilled Worker Program – for candidates who obtain a minimum 1 year of work experience with the same NOC as primary occupation within the last 10 years in Canada or abroad.
    • Federal Skilled Trades Program – is for candidates with Skilled trade work experience or who are qualified in a skilled trade and must have a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification.
 

Apart from these three programs, there is another new pathway under the Express Entry that was launched last year, which is called Category-based Express Entry. Under Category-based Express Entry, candidates for a few selected categories as below are invited to apply for Express Entry after they meet the required eligibility:

    • French-language proficiency
    • Healthcare and social services occupations
    • Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations
    • Trade occupations
    • Agriculture and agri-food occupations
    • Education occupations.
 

To qualify for the category based EE the candidates must meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including being eligible for 1 of the 3 immigration programs it covers.

There are other eligibility factors that must also be met to qualify for EE. The profile is then submitted and enters a Pool where the candidate’s profile is assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on these factors, which are:

    • Age
    • Education – Foreign and Canadian Education
    • Work experience – Canadian and Foreign Work Experience
    • Language proficiency- English and French
    • Adaptability such as family ties, job offer etc.
    • Skills Transferability- Canadian Education and Canadian Work
 

NOTE: For language proficiency, Candidates must also take language tests, either English or French (e.g., IELTS, CELPIP, PTE for English and TCF or TEF for French), and for Education verification, they must have their educational credentials assessed through an approved organization (e.g., WES)

The maximum CRS score is 1,200 points, with most candidates having scores in the range of 300 to 500.

The higher the CRS score, the better the chances of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency (obviously based on the Express Entry Draws.)

Express Entry through PNP

If you qualify for one of the EE programs, you may also apply through Express Entry for the Provincial Nominee Program. If you’re nominated for the PNP by the province through any of their EE eligible streams, you’ll get 600 extra points so you can be invited to apply quickly.

Now what are Express Entry Draws and how often are these draws conducted by IRCC

An Express Entry draw is a process used by IRCC to select candidates from the Express Entry pool who can apply for permanent residency. During each draw, IRCC issues Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates who meet or exceed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score.

The CRS cut-off score can fluctuate from draw to draw and the draw results are based on factors like:

    • The number of ITAs issued (more ITAs usually means a lower cut-off score).
    • The number of new candidates entering the pool.
    • The specific program targeted in a draw.
 

I have seen IRCC holding Express Entry draws approximately every two weeks(this trend has changed, and now the draw frequency varies and is random). Draws may target all Express Entry program or can be program specific and limited to either CEC, FSTP, PNP and category based such as Health draw or French proficiency-based draws.

In cases where multiple candidates have the same CRS score, the tie-breaking rule is used, which means the candidate who created their profile earlier is selected.

After receiving an ITA, the candidates have 60 days to submit their application along with all required documents (e.g., police certificates, medical exams, proof of funds, etc.).

Once these documents are processed and verified successfully, IRCC will issue you a Confirmation of Permanent Residence.

Hypothetically, What Happens If You Don’t Get an ITA?

If your CRS score is below the cut-off in a draw, your profile remains in the Express Entry pool for up to 12 months. During that time, you can work to improve your CRS score by:

    • Retaking language tests to get a higher score
    • Gaining more work experience
    • Obtaining a higher education credential
    • Securing a provincial nomination, which adds 600 CRS points and almost guarantees an ITA.

Assess your eligibility criteria for Express Entry today!!

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