Canada PR Express Entry (EE) Programs: EE Stages and Process

Since January 2015, skilled foreign workers seeking to immigrate to Canada have been able to use the Express Entry system — Government of Canada’s electronic system for managing permanent resident applications filed under various economic immigration programs of the country. These programs include:

The Federal Skilled Worker Program,
The Federal Skilled Trades Program,
The Canadian Experience Class program, and
Many parts of the Provincial Nominee Program.

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This article provides a comprehensive introduction to Canada’s Express Entry system:

people who applied for Express Entry Programs

What Is a Canada Express Entry?
Canada PR via Express Entry
Do I Qualify for an Express Entry?
Express Entry Programs
Express Entry Stages
EE Application Process
EE Required Documents
How We Can Help?
FAQ

What is Canada Express Entry?

The etymology of the term “Express Entry” is very simple; under this system, processing time for applications has been significantly reduced compared to those for previous similar economic immigration programs. Currently, the processing time averages only 6 months; previously, applications could take several years to process.

The Express Entry system is used by the Government of Canada to centralize the intake of permanent residence applications under its various economic immigration programs. It is used to implement a single, coherent national immigration strategy by creating a common pool of approved candidates who are most likely to succeed in Canada. Without Express Entry, each immigration program could adopt differing qualification criteria and procedures, leading to inefficiency and confusion.

Express Entry is a management system, not an immigration program

Express Entry is not an immigration program in itself, but rather a way for IRCC to manage applications online. The term “Express Entry programs” refers to the various programs that use this system such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and part of the Provincial Nominee Program. To avoid confusion, this article will use the term Express Entry system when referring to Express Entry.

Canada PR via Express Entry

The Express Entry system manages applications for three economic immigration programs that lead to the Canadian Permanent Residency. Each of these EE program has its own eligibility criteria:

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is for skilled employees with foreign work experience in professional, managerial, or technical fields, who want to immigrate to Canada permanently.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for skilled tradespersons who wish to become permanent residents and are qualified in a skilled trade.
The Canadian Experience Class is designed for skilled employees who have previously worked in Canada and now wish to become permanent residents. This program is often used to transition from temporary resident status to permanent status.

In addition, the EE system is used by some Canadian provinces and territories to find candidates who meet their regional labour market needs under the Provincial Nominee Program.

Eligibility Requirements For an Express Entry

To apply as a skilled worker for any of the Express Entry immigration program, you must meet the set of basic requirements:

You must demonstrate good language skills in either English or French.

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec, which does not use EE and instead manages its immigration programs differently.

You must have at least 1 year of experience as a skilled worker.

However, you should also meet the specific requirements of the particular immigration program for which you apply.

What’s the Simplest Way to Apply for an Express Entry Program?

With tighter controls and important documents to keep track of, the easiest way to obtain an approval of your EE application is to work with an immigration services. HelloImmigration.com offers expert guidance throughout the entire application process. Contact us now if you need help filing for an Express Entry application for yourself or your family members.

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Express Entry Programs

As we say, the Express Entry system manages applications for three federal economic immigration programs. Below are the descriptions of these EE programs.

brief description of express entry (ee) programs

What is a Federal Skilled Worker Program?

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is the most popular pathway for Canadian Permanent Residency (PR). This program is suitable, if you are specialist in

A management job (such as restaurant managers, mine managers, or shore captains etc.);
A professional job (such as doctors, legislators, or architects etc.); or
A science job (such as biologists or chemists, etc.).

Requirements to Federal Skilled Worker Program

To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) you must:

1

Possess language proficiency in English or French and score at least 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark test (CLB) (Find minimum Express Entry IELTS, CELPIP, TEF Canada, and TCF Canada score in the equivalency charts).

2

Have graduated from a secondary or post-secondary institution in Canada or provide an Education Credential Assessment for immigration purposes to prove that his or her education is equivalent to the Canadian one.

3

Have skilled work experience totalling at least 1 year of continuous employment within the last 10 years (combination of part-time, full-time, or more than 1 job in his or her primary occupation).

4

Provide proof of funds to support him or her and any accompanying family members.

If the individual meets all of the above requirements, his or her application will be assessed based on the following factors and receive a point rating (between 0 to 100). Please note that this system is different from the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) which is used at the later stages.

If an applicant scores 67 points or higher, he or she is qualified for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Points are awarded based on 6 factors, including:

Language skills:
Education and training;
Work experience;
Age;
Arranged employment in Canada;
Adaptability.

All documents to support information related to the eligibility criteria must be submitted to an Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada office.

Pre-selection criteria for Federal Skilled Worker Program

Factor

Max Points

Explanation

1

Language Skills

28

Up to 24 points for skills in the first official language (English or French): maximum 6 points for each area (Speaking, Listening, Writing, and Reading) based on applicant’s CLB results;

At most 4 points for skills in a second official language if an applicant has a score of at least CLB 5 in each area of the second language.

2

Education and Training

25

The number of points awarded is determined by the level of education and field of study.

3

Work experience

15

More years of experience as a skilled worker earn more points, up to a maximum of 15.

4

Age

12

This category is applicable to persons 18 to 47 years old. The older an applicant is, the lower the score he or she will get.

5

Arranged employment in Canada

10

An applicant can score points if he or she has a job offer for at least 1 year of employment from a Canadian employer. To get 10 points, one of four situations must apply.

6

Adaptability

10

An applicant can earn up to 10 points by combining specific elements that demonstrate prior connection with Canada.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

This program is suitable for you if you are a specialist in:

Industrial, electrical and construction trades;
Maintenance and equipment operation trades;
Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production; or
Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators.

Or you work as a

Chef and cook; or
Butcher and baker.

Meet the required language requirements (obtain at least CLB 5 for speaking and listening, and at least CLB 4 for reading and writing);
Have at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the past 5 years;
Possess a valid job offer of full-time employment for a period of at least 1 year or have received a certificate of qualification in a skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority;
Have sufficient funds to start life in Canada (currently set at CAN$12,960 plus CAN$3,492 for each dependent).

Canadian Experience Class

This EE immigration program is the most common way of transition from temporary resident status to permanent resident status in Canada. The largest number of people immigrate to Canada under this program. It is also used as a final step for students who work on temporary visas to obtain a permanent residency in Canada.

To apply for the Canadian Experience Class, you must:

Have work experience of at least 1 year in Canada in the last 3 years (may be a combination of full-time or part-time work);
Gained the above work experience in Canada under temporary resident status;
Demonstrate good language skills in English or French (obtain at least CLB 7 if working at managerial or professional jobs, and at least CLB 5 if working at technical jobs and skilled trades).

persons getting canada permanent resincy via express entry

Express Entry for the Provincial Nominee Program

The Express Entry system is also used by some provinces and territories to find candidates who meet their regional labour market needs. They can nominate potential candidates to Express Entry under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). If you are nominated under PNP, you automatically get 600 additional points in your EE Comprehensive Ranking System score. This bump is usually sufficient to put you ahead of most other applicants in the EE pool.

Express Entry Stages

There are two Express Entry stages. During these stages your economic potential of skilled workers will be assessed.

First Stage

During the first stage, an applicant creates an online Express Entry profile. To ensure a higher chance of success, consider using our services to help you complete the required form. You must provide the following information in this form to complete your profile:

Language test results;
Proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes (only for applicants for the FSWP);
Proof of funds; and
Proof of work experience.

After this, the system assesses whether you are eligible for any of the three federal programs described above. If you meet all requirements, you are placed in the Express Entry pool and are assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on the profile information. You can find more information on how the Comprehensive Ranking System works and how the CRS score is calculated in our article.

Second Stage

Periodically, Canadian government conducts Express Entry Draws. Note that you may find information about the “IRCC or Express Entry Draw” on various websites, but there is no mention of this term on the official government website because the Canadian legislation uses the more precise term “Rounds of Invitations.” EE draw is just another name for a round of invitations. You are welcome to learn more about the Express Entry Draws and the its latest result in our article.

During this draw, you may be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. If you receive an ITA, you have 90 days to submit your second stage application for permanent residency in one of the EE immigration programs.

What is an Invitation to Apply (ITA)?

An ITA is an auto-generated letter issued to Express Entry candidates via their online EE account. The ITA confirms that an applicant may now proceed with filling his or her application for permanent residency under one of the EE immigration programs.

The ITA invites the candidate to apply under a specific class among the Express Entry immigration programs or under the Provincial Nominee Program if an applicant has received a provincial nomination. The ITA is issued to a group of candidates with the highest score in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Express Entry Application Process

Here you may find the step-by-step guide for application process at the second stage:

You have 90 days after receiving their ITA to accept it and submit a complete application, along with all the necessary documents. Note that if you miss the 90-day deadline, your ITA will expire and you will have to re-enter the EE pool by repeating all steps from the first stage.

Alternatively, you can decline an ITA. Such candidates will have their profiles placed back in the EE pool to be considered during later Rounds of Invitations, but there is no guarantee that you will receive an ITA again. However, if you choose to re-enter the pool, declining an invitation will not affect whether or not you are invited to apply later.

Documents Required for Express Entry Application

To apply for any of the EE immigration program in Canada, IRCC requires clear copies of each of the following documents:

- Valid passport;
- Birth certificate;
- Documentation that proves your skilled work experience;
- Valid language test results (Note that IRCC accepts only IELTS, CELPIP, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada language tests);
- Police certificate indicating that you do not have a criminal record;
- Results of medical exams.

Note that all documents must be in English or French or translated into English or French.

Do you qualify for Express Entry to Canada?

The Express Entry system is the most suitable pathway for skilled immigrants. It uses the Comprehensive Ranking System to award a score to a candidate’s profile in order to rank the candidate in comparison to other applicants in the Express Entry pool.

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help immigrating to canada via express entry

How We Can Help?

The importance of providing clear, complete, and accurate information throughout the whole process of applying for immigration can not be overstated. First, you should fill out the Express Entry online profile form in hopes of getting an ITA. Second, you must prepare a set of documents necessary to apply for permanent residence under one of the EE programs. You have only 90 days to complete the application, so it’s best to start collecting documents in advance.

Our well-experienced team can be your guide and advisor in your quest for Canadian permanent residence. We will help you to prepare necessary documents and assessments, as well as help you prepare applications for both stages. We can also assist you in registering with the Job Bank to increase your chance of receiving a job offer that can dramatically increase your CRS score. In any case, we hope this article has given you a good overview of the Express Entry system. If you still have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

An applicant must pay the following fees for Express Entry immigration.

FEES	CAN $
Processing fee	825
Right of permanent residence fee	500
Biometric fee	85

If an applicant includes his or her spouse or common-law partner in the application, the applicant must pay double these fees. CAN $225 must be paid for each dependent child included in the application. You will also need to pay the biometric fee for any child included in the application who is aged 14 to 19; however, biometric fees are capped at CAN $170 per family.

The wait during the first stage depends largely on the applicant. You have 60 days to complete the Express Entry profile form and submit it to the IRCC. Your total CRS score will be automatically calculated within a day after you submit your full application.

A candidate placed into the Express Entry pool then simply has to wait until an Invitation to Apply is issued during a round of invitations. This wait depends on your CRS score and can vary from as little as one week to several months.

After you receive an ITA, the second stage includes:

Filling out the application form, which must be completed within 90 days of receiving the ITA.
Processing time of your second stage application is approximately 6 months.

Note that processing times will vary based on:

The accuracy and quality of the information in the application;
Whether or not the application is complete;
How easily IRCC can verify the applicant’s information;
How long the applicant takes to respond to any clarifications or concerns that are raised by IRCC;
Other factors.

No, they are not. Applicants can bring family members with them to Canada if the family members are processed for permanent residence as dependents of the applicant. Dependents may include:

your spouse or common-law partner;
your dependent child;
your spouse or common-law partner’s dependent child; and
a dependent child of a dependent child.

If there are other family members who will come along, the applicant is known as the principal applicant. The principal applicant must claim the family members he or she wants to bring to Canada on the Express Entry profile form. If the principal applicant is approved for immigration by IRCC, all family members indicated in the application will also become permanent residents of Canada. A spouse or common-law partner may also apply separately, if that suits the couple.

After submitting the EE profile, a candidate can register with the Job Bank if he or she does not already have a Canadian job offer or a provincial nomination. The Job Bank is a database that can help match an applicant with employers looking for workers with relevant skills.

A person may create a Job Match account with Job Bank, which is an online tool. To do this, a candidate needs a Job Seeker validation code (received automatically after submitting the Express Entry profile) and Express Entry profile number. Applicants can also use ordinary private-sector job boards to promote themselves and signal to employees that they are in the EE pool. Note that most private boards require fees. Please contact us if you need assistance with this task.

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Canada PR Express Entry (EE) Programs: EE Stages and Process

What is Canada Express Entry?

Express Entry is a management system, not an immigration program

Canada PR via Express Entry

Eligibility Requirements For an Express Entry

You must demonstrate good language skills in either English or French.

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec, which does not use EE and instead manages its immigration programs differently.

You must have at least 1 year of experience as a skilled worker.

What’s the Simplest Way to Apply for an Express Entry Program?

Express Entry Programs

What is a Federal Skilled Worker Program?

Requirements to Federal Skilled Worker Program