Express Entry

As Express Entry is an online-based application system for individuals who want Canada PR, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assess your applications if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. Here are the steps to be followed to create your online profile on the Express Entry system:

Step 1: Take a Language Proficiency Test

As part of the immigration process, all applicants need to prove their proficiency in at least one of Canada’s two official languages. Skilled immigration applicants must provide test results of a government-approved language test for their Express Entry profile.

Step 2: Education Credentials Assessment 

Foreign nationals who completed their education outside of Canada should have their post-secondary education assessed from an organization designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to ensure that the foreign education is equivalent to Canadian education. It is mandatory to obtain an educational credential assessment (ECA) for an individual if he is looking for Canada immigration under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. The education requirement is not mandatory for the candidates applying under the Federal Skilled Trade Program or the Canadian Experience Class.

But if the candidates are looking to claim points for their foreign education in the Express Entry pool, it is pertinent for them to obtain their educational credential assessment (ECA) irrespective of the program under which they are applying. A successful evaluation can significantly increase the chances of a candidate’s accomplishment. Hence, it is suggested that all candidates under Express Entry programs should acquire a credential assessment.

Step 3: Knowing your National Occupation Classification (NOC) code

For successful Canada immigration through programs listed under Express Entry, one must be able to show his/her work experience, and this work experience must meet the definition of an occupation that is included in the database of Canada’s National Occupation Classification. You can find you NOC code here.

Candidates with the following skill level can apply for Canada immigration under the Express Entry system:

Skill Type 0 (Management Jobs)

Skill Type A (Professional Jobs)

Skill Type B (Technical and Skilled Trades)

Step 4: Eligibility criteria for Canada immigration under the Express Entry system

IRCC website has an official tool which enables one to check their eligibility for the Express Entry system. You can check your eligibility before applying for Canada immigration under the Express Entry program.

You must qualify these criteria before you use the tool:

• Taken a language test
• Know your NOC skill type or skill level under which you would be applying.

Step 5: Building your profile for Express Entry

Once the online tool determines that you are eligible to apply for Canada immigration under Express Entry, you can start creating your Express Entry profile. A candidate must include the following information in the profile for Express Entry:

• Identity
• Contact details
• Detailed educational history
• Detailed job experience
• Language proficiency
• Age
• Chance of adaptability to Canada’s lifestyle
• Family history
• Details of a spouse or common-law partner
• List of dependants (if any)

For successful profile completion, the candidate must also have:

• Passport or travel document
• National Occupation Classification (NOC) code (The occupation must match as described in the database of Canada’s National Occupation Classification)
• Language test results
• Foreign educational credentials assessment results (if necessary)
• A copy of written employment offer from a Canadian employer (if the candidate has been offered employment in Canadian organization)
•  Proof of Provincial Nomination for Canada Permanent Residence (if the applicant has received a provincial nomination)
• Personal reference code from CIC’s eligibility verification tool. All the candidates will receive a code upon the successful use of the online tool.

To start building up your Express Entry profile here.

Step 6: Submitting your Express Entry profile

Once you have listed all the necessary information in your Express Entry profile, you are all set to submit it. After submitting the profile, the candidate will receive:

• An Express Entry profile number
• A job seeker validation code

Candidates would require these numbers for:

Registering for job Bank

They have received a nomination for Canada’s permanent residence from the provincial or territorial government.

The candidate’s Express Entry profile will be placed in the pool if it qualifies the requirements for one of the three economic immigration programs, may it be Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades or Canada Experience Class.

Note: Being listed in the Express Entry pool does not imply that a candidate is automatically invited to apply for Canada permanent residency. Once you enter the pool, each applicant gets a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. If your score meets the lowest score, which is set by IRCC during the periodic draw, you will receive an invitation to apply (ITA) to apply for Canada permanent residency.

Step 7: Registration with the Job Bank (if necessary)

This step is not mandatory for candidates applying for Canada immigration under the Express Entry system.

Step 8: Updating information (if required)

All applicants must keep their Express Entry profile up to date if:

• The nature of job changes
• They receive new language examination results
• They obtain a new educational degree
• There is any change in the family composition in terms of birth, death, marriage, divorce, or a child in the family is no longer a dependant.

The profile for the Express Entry system remains valid for a year. The Express Entry profile would be invalid in a year if:

• The candidate no longer meets the mentioned criteria for Express Entry or skilled immigration program.
• The candidate has received the Canada permanent residence invitation.

NOTE: Candidates who decline an invitation to apply for permanent residence, will see their profiles become valid again.

The profile in the Express Entry system remains valid even if the applicant updates the details on the profile.

Interested candidates feel free to contact our licensed Canada immigration consultants at Elaar Immigration, who would help you in all steps of your immigration journey.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, it is essential to maintain social distancing and be home, be safe with your family and loved ones. It is also a time to strategize and plan for the future. The time that you would rarely get once you are back to your day to day routine. If you aspire to immigrate to Canada, you can use this time productively on these three points for improving your application for Express Entry for being a permanent resident of Canada.

Let us see how one can improve their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score along with increasing the odds of acquiring an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and by supporting the application for being the permanent resident of Canada.

Working on the factor of language proficiency  

Your proficiency in English or French language is one of the best paths for improving your CRS score. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, every centre for language testing is locked, you can still practise as much as you can till the centres are open for conducting the tests. During this time of social distancing, you can give tests at home by referring to YouTube videos, enormous material on the internet, and reading and listening to the content in English/French. It is a great time to learn a new language that would increase your CRS score for Express Entry to immigrate to Canada.

The Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accepts the following language tests exams to calculate the CRS score if you are planning to be a permanent resident of Canada –

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
• Test d’évaluation du français (TEF)

To know more about these language proficiency test, you may visit IELTS vs CELPIP which test is right better for you Canada immigration

Elaar Immigration helps its clients by guiding them for mentioning the cut-off for each section for the stated language tests. It would help one to prepare thoroughly for the exam to increase their score in the Express Entry online profile.

Reference Letters from Employers

After the issue of Invitation to Apply (ITA) by IRCC, it is mandatory to submit a PR application within 60 days provided by immigration Canada. One of the most critical components of skilled worker application is the work experience documents, which is the basis of PR eligibility apart from other factors. Reference letters are not the same and straightforward as compared to the recommendation letters. Reference letters for Express Entry application should focus on being specific and should prove that the work done by the applicant can be considered as skilled labour. Preferably, you must be able to submit the reference letters for a minimum of six years in the last ten years of work, which would be considered as skilled labour.

For building up the perfect and best reference letter for being a permanent resident of Canada, you must include – 

1. Your official employment title
2. The dates of your employment
3. Your salary details
4. Your average working hours for every week 
5. A list which includes details regarding your job duties

One must start building up the reference letters before you receive the ITA. It is better to keep reference letters ready for submitting them to the IRCC when they ask for it.

List of additional documents

One should be crystal clear with the document checklist required by IRCC for permanent residency application, and it’s important to start collecting even before making the Express Entry profile. The list is pretty exhaustive, but one must list down the needed papers and go through the list before creating your Express Entry profile.

1. The expiry date on your passport and also the one who is applying with you, is not expiring soon. It should be valid at least for 12-18 months. If not, you can apply for the renewal of your passport.
2. Your identity documents such as birth certificate should mention your birth time and birthplace along with any one of your parent name.
3. If you have shown that you have your relative in Canada, you would need supporting documents that would clarify the eligibility. For instance, if you indicate that you have your brother in Canada, you would need to submit their birth certificate and a document that would prove that you have at least one common parent. Along with this, you need to provide the certificate which confirms their status in the nation and residential proof, which would clarify that he is living in Canada.

Are you ready to get started?

For starting the Canadian Immigration process, you must have a clear picture of the eligibility criteria for the immigration program to which you are applying. The first step is to check your eligibility for one of the federal economic immigration programs, i.e. Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class. Once you find yourself eligible for one of these programs, check your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The expert immigration consultants at Elaar immigration can help you assess your eligibility and also calculate your CRS, which gives you a clear image of where you stand in the race. This score is attached to your profile on the IRCC website in the Federal Express Entry pool. The immigration consultants at Elaar immigration can guide you throughout the process to help you become Canada PR. To improve your CRS, please visit express entry to Canada on how to improve your CRS score.