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What is Canada Express Entry?
Canada Express Entry is one of the popular immigration systems devised to make the process easy for working skills-oriented workers wishing to immigrate to Canada. The program started its applications in January 2015 for three major programs that come under economic immigration: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This system allows intending immigrants to present an online profile containing data about their skills, work experience, language ability, education, etc. Based on all this data, the applicants are accorded a CRS score; it ranks them in the Express Entry pool.
The Canadian government invites candidates with higher CRS scores to apply for permanent residence in scheduled draws. The draws are usually held every other week and invite a determined number of candidates based on their scores. Candidates can also improve their chances of receiving an ITA by working through enhancing their profiles, such as higher language test scores, Canadian work experience, or even getting a job offer from a Canadian employer. This is the selection for those immigrants who are most likely to succeed in the Canadian labor market, and therefore, it is a very important doorway for skilled immigrants.
After receiving an ITA, a candidate is given 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application. Applications submitted through Express Entry are generally processed within six months; this makes it one of the fastest routes for immigrating to Canada. The candidate must produce various documents, including evidence of work experience, educational credentials, and medical and police clearance certificates. Overall, the Canada Express Entry system offers a fast and efficient means of initiating a new life in Canada for skilled workers, adding to the country’s economy and society.
Canada Express Entry Draw Types
The different kinds of draws conducted to select candidates for permanent residency under the Canada Express Entry system are crucial in the management of highly incoming skilled immigrants and in ensuring that the labor market needs of Canada are met. There are mainly three types of Express Entry draws:
1. General Draws
The general draws are the most general type of draw under the Express Entry system. All three federal immigration programs the FSWP, FSTP and CEC are invited to apply candidates with draws. The Canadian government at the time of the draws ranks all applicants into its Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and candidates with CRS scores that meet or exceed the minimum designated by the government for each draw are issued ITAs for Canada permanent residency. General draws are normally conducted every two weeks, but the frequency may be reviewed based on the immigration targets and priorities set by the state.
2. Program-Specific Draws
The Canadian government often conducts program-specific draws besides general draws. In this situation, the draws focus on candidates from one of the three programs under the Express Entry system. For example, a category-based draw can focus only on the Federal Skilled Worker Program, inviting applicants with the skills needed and past work experience in demand in Canada. Such program-specific draws help the government regulate immigration levels and ensure that specific labor market needs are provided to the local job market, thus ensuring that employers in key industries have access to skilled workers who can meet their requirements.
3. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Draws
Some of the Express Entry draws are associated with the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Provinces and territories of Canada may nominate immigration candidates for permanent residence based on labor market needs unique to their region. If a province nominates, it will boost the CRS score by 600 points, which makes this candidate highly probable to eventually receive an ITA in a future general or program-specific round. Draws for PNP occur simultaneously with regular draws for Express Entry. This means that candidates who have received a nomination from provinces have a better chance at gaining permanent residence.
4. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Draws
The Canadian Experience Class is another class under the Express Entry framework dealing with applicants who already have gained work experience in Canada. Sometimes, the government holds CEC-specific draws in search of only those candidates who will qualify to be part of this program based on its eligibility criteria. Such draws are highly beneficial to international students and temporary foreign workers who have thus acquired skills and experience in the Canadian labor market. The CEC draws might occur separately from general draws, targeting applicants with low CRS scores, thus granting further permanent residency.
Eligibility and Requirements for Canada Express Entry
To successfully apply using the Canada Express Entry system, applicants are expected to meet certain eligibility criteria and requirements depending on the immigration program they are applying for. General requirements of eligibility for the three main programs under Express Entry include the FSWP, FSTP and the CEC.
1. Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
To apply for FSWP, applicants need to meet all the requirements listed below:
- Work Experience: The applicant must have had full-time or equivalency part-time work experience in NOC 0, A, or B levels of employment, lasting continuously for one year out of ten years before applying.
- English and/or French Language Proficiency: He has to take an assessment language test administered by a third-party language test provider, recognized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The candidate should have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7.
- Education: The candidate has to have a secondary school diploma or equivalent from another country. All qualifications issued outside of Canada have to be evaluated by a designated organization to the standard of Canada.
- Funds: Applicants should prove to have sufficient funds to sustain themselves and his or her members of family upon their admission into Canada, being conditions subject to that he or she will not be working for a Canadian employer having issued a job offer.
- Admissible: Applicants must be admissible to Canada. In this sense, they should not have any convictions for which a term of imprisonment may still be imposed and/or medical grounds for inadmissibility under the Act.
2. Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
The entry requirements into the FSTP are as follows:
- Work Experience: The candidate must have experienced a minimum of two years of full-time work experience within the skilled trades, which has happened within five years.
- Job Offer or Certification: A candidate must either have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer for a skilled trade position or a certificate of qualification in one’s trade from a Canadian authority.
- Language Proficiency: The candidate should prove his English or French language proficiency where it is certified by any language test from a recognized organization. In this regard, he has a minimum requirement of CLB 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing.
- Education: The FSTP requires no education requirements; however, a secondary school diploma can be helpful for it.
- Admissibility: For those wishing to seek admission to Canada, they must have the same status as the admissibility requirements under the FSWP.
3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Candidate Qualifications for the CEC
The candidate needs to fulfill the following qualifications to be eligible for the CEC:
- Work Experience: Candidate must have at least one year of full-time work experience or the equivalent part-time experience in Canada. The skilled occupation under which a candidate is being sponsored must be categorized into NOC 0, A, or B. This type of experience must be acquired in the last three years.
- Language Proficiency: Applicants must be able to provide proof of proficiency in either English or French using an accepted language test. For NOC 0 and A jobs, the minimum scores are CLB 7, whereas for NOC B jobs the minimum score is CLB 5.
- Admissibility: Applicants need to be admissible to Canada. In this regard, they are not different than FSWP and FSTP applicants.
Additional Requirements
Aside from meeting the eligibility unique to the specific program, applicants within the Express Entry system must meet all requirements.
- Create a profile in Express Entry: These applicants must create a profile on the IRCC website specifying their work experience, education details, language ability, and other personal details.
- Get a CRS Score: For each applicant, the IRCC provides a CRS score depending on factors like age, educational qualification, work experience, and language ability. A higher CRS score will boost the chances of getting an ITA in regular draws.
- Supporting papers to be submitted: After he or she is invited to apply for registration under the Canada Express Entry program, he or she has to submit certificates of work experience proof, educational qualifications, language test, and medical clearance certificates, and police clearance certificates in some cases.
Canada Express Entry is one of the most important entry immigration channels for skilled workers to go to Canada. Once you get to know about all the various types of draws, the requirements to be eligible, and the procedures to apply for it, you are ready to get a strong hold of becoming a permanent resident of Canada. Canada has been attracting more skilled immigrants, who contribute positively to the growth of both its economy and its diversification, having an efficient system in place. The Express Entry program allows the country to invite immigrants through general draws, program-specific draws, or through the Provincial Nominee Program.