Are you a professional looking to move to work overseas?
You’re not alone. Many people dream of living and working in the land of maple syrup and moose. And why not? Canada is known for its friendly people, stunning natural beauty, and high quality of life.
we look at how to move to Canada using the Canada Express Entry program.
What is the Canada Express Entry Program?
This is Canada’s most popular pathway for immigration for all economic-class immigrants or skilled individuals moving to Canada to work and live. The program allows economic immigrants to apply for a Permanent Residency Visa (PR) through the Express Entry System.
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What are the features of the Canada Express Entry Program?
The Canada Express Entry Program is a unique and fast-track immigration program that:-
- uses points to identify and select the best-skilled workers for Canada.
- Express entry points are allocated for diverse factors such as experience, language proficiency, skills, and others.
- Selected beneficiaries are offered an ITA – Invitation to Apply for a Canada PR Visa that grants one the right to move with their family to live and work in Canada and obtain Canadian Permanent Residency.
Your chances of receiving the ITA (invitation to apply) for a Canada PR Visa increase as you score more points. Normally, PR visa applications through this program are processed within six to 12 months.
The key features of the program are:
- The program is online, with no intake caps, and accepts applications year-round..
- Applies to only Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades, and Federal Skilled Worker Programs.
- Applicants are required to submit an EOI – Expression of Interest through a job category i.e. 0, A, and B Skill Levels.
- Applicants create a profile and are placed in an applicant pool where they are evaluated based on their points score.
- Employers and Provinces in Canada have access to this pool and may recruit or identify talents that meet their requirements.
- Candidates in the pool with the highest points are offered an ITA for PR Visa.
- The number of ITAs offered is determined by the Yearly Immigration Level.
How does the Canada Express Entry program work?
So how does it work? It’s actually pretty simple. First, you’ll need to create an online profile through the Express Entry system. This will allow you to enter your personal information, language proficiency, education, and work experience. Based on this information, you’ll be given a score using a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
We have three steps in the application process for a Canada PR Visa through the Express Entry Program:
Step 1: Complete your Profile
Fill out a digital Express Entry form and furnish crucial documents on education, experience, and other personal documents.
Step 2: Express Entry Pool
Applications are added to a pool, and candidates are assigned a Job Seeker Validation Code and Express Entry Profile Number, from which they develop their resumes in the Canada Job Bank.
Step 3: Invitation to Apply
A Canada Immigration Draw is held every two weeks, which provides the minimum cut-off points. Upon obtaining the Express Entry points, the candidates are selected by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and invited to Apply.
How do I apply for a Canada PR visa online?
The last step is furnishing the mandatory documents of the application to receive the status of permanent resident in Canada. Shortlisted candidates are given 60 days for submitting the complete application and documents, and failure to comply results in the cancellation of the ITA – Invite to Apply.
Express Entry accepts applications for the following visa categories:
- Federal Skilled Trade Program
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Canadian Experience Class Program
Moreover, the provinces and Territories in Canada also offer ITA to skilled immigrants in the Express Entry Pool through the Provincial Nominee Programs. Upon entering the pool, every applicant is assigned a score through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) out of 1200. The allocation of scores is based on diverse factors, including education, work experience, age, adaptability, language, and employment offer.
Applicants with the highest scores are periodically offered an ITA, upon which they get 60 days to submit a complete PR Visa application. Besides, candidates can also seek jobs in Canada by creating a Job Bank Account after the creation of a profile in Express Entry. They can continue with the process of searching for jobs through the Job Bank even after arriving in Canada.
Discover your Express Entry and Canadian immigration options by taking our free online assessment
What is Canada’s Skilled Occupation List?
The one factor apart from your CRS score that has a tremendous influence on your Canada PR Visa application is the Skilled Occupation List. IRCC identifies the occupations in demand in the Canadian labor market and classes these jobs under the NOC, – National Occupational Classification. The jobs are divided into groups based on the duties of the job and the work done by the job holder.
For purposes of Canadian immigration, the chief categories of jobs are:
“0” Skill type: This category includes management jobs like:
- Mine Managers
- Restaurant Managers
- Shore Captains
- Dentists
- Doctors
- Architects
- Plumbers
- Chefs
- Electricians
- Long-haul truck drivers
- Industrial butchers
- Food and Beverage servers
- Cleaning staff
- Fruit pickers
- Oil field workers
“A” Skill Level: This category of jobs normally requires a university Degree:
“B” Skill Level: This category of jobs normally requires apprentice Training or College Diploma:
“C” Skill Level: This category of jobs normally requires Job specific training and a high school education:
“D” Skill Level: This category of labor jobs normally requires OJT – On-the-job-training:
Canadian Immigration Express Entry Programs make use of the NOC to determine if a type of work experience or job fulfills their eligibility requirements. Jobs having NOC Skill Type B, A, or 0 are considered skilled by the Express Entry programs.
Read More:- Canada Express Entry Latest Draw 2023
How does the Canada Express Entry Points Calculator work?
The Canada Express Entry Points Calculator offers a broad idea regarding the points to be scored by a candidate for qualifying to immigrate to Canada. The points are awarded through a CRS calculator based on many factors like language skills, work experience, educational qualifications, age, etc. IRCC regularly conducts fortnightly draws for selecting candidates with maximum CRS scores. The chosen candidates are offered an ITA by IRCC for further application and processing of their PRvisaa.
To calculate your CRS score, click here
How to check your eligibility for Canada Express Entry?
You are required to answer several questions for assessing your eligibility to work in Canada as a skilled worker and settle permanently. There are 3 programs under this system, as already stated, and every program has distinct qualification requirements to be fulfilled. You will be asked queries based on the following:
- Age
- Work experience
- Education or Skills level
- Language capability
- Approved job offer
You will be informed regarding the streams appropriate for you based on your answers. You must ensure not to furnish any misleading or false information about your profile in this process.
Candidates who are successful in qualifying through the Express Entry criteria are provided comprehensive directives on the further steps to be taken. This ranges from completing a digital profile to furnishing essential information. Profiles of candidates fulfilling the requirements are admitted to a pool of applicants for processing PR visas and are given an invitation to apply through ITAs.
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How to get an ITA for a PR visa?
The Government of Canada an Express Entry draw once fortnight. In each draw, they provide a minimum CRS cut-off score, which is the lowest-ranked candidate’s CRS score that received an ITA for a PR visa to Canada. Candidates who receive an invitation to apply have 60 days to complete and file the official online application for a PR visa.
The selection of the candidates is based on their ranking under the CRS – Comprehensive Ranking System), which is based on points. The Immigration Department of Canada has been regularly conducting Express Entry draws and offering maximum immigration opportunities to eligible applicants. It is now an established tradition for the IRCC to hold a minimum of 2 draws every month under the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
The Government of Canada aims to invite over 1,6 million new migrants from across the world i2021. This year is thus going to witness an amazing increase in ITAs offered across all the economic immigration pathways of Canada. Express Entry draws will offer the maximum number of ITAs to overseas talents.
As regards the technical aspects of the Express Entry draw, it adopts a system based on points for selecting the best available candidates suitable for the labor market in Canada. You must secure a high score in CRS to get selected based on your various credentials like education, work experience, age, proficiency in the language, and others. To put it simply, the higher your CRS score, the quicker your chances of receiving an ITA under Express Entry.
How to enhance your CRS Points to obtain an ITA?
You need not feel anxious and dejected if you score fewer points under Canada Express Entry as there are several pathways to enhance your CRS points. A few of these are:
Improve your IELTS score
Demonstrating proficiency in the language is one of the major steps in your immigration process to Canada. Furnishing reports of IELTS scores or similar approved language tests are vital for all Canadian economic immigration streams. Thus, if your scores are less on the first attempt, you can once again take the test while obtaining professional assistance. It will surely offer a direct boost to your CRS points.
Take a French (TEF) Language Test
If you can work on a French language test that can drastically improve your CRS ranking by 72 points in the Express Entry pool.
Upgrade your education
- If you have done your Bachelors’s Degree and scored fewer points in the express entry pool then you can look forward to pursuing your post-graduation, diploma of 1 year, or a master’s degree of 2 years.
- A Master’s degree in comparison to a bachelor’s degree increases 40 extra points in the express entry pool, wherein Post Graduation Diploma of 1 year can help increase 33 extra points in comparison to a bachelor’s degree.
- A Ph.D. degree can increase 15 extra points on top of a Master’s Degree.
Spousal Factors
Candidates in Express Entry who are not single must include their Spouse or Common-law partner while creating their profile. Single applicants are eligible for claiming a maximum of 1200 points under CRS. However, applicants including the spouse are eligible to obtain a maximum of 40 extra points for the skills of the spouse. It is thus advisable to make your spouse the primary applicant and claim extra points if your spouse’s credentials are stronger than yours.
Education Level
A maximum of 10 points can be claimed by your spouse for their education. Nevertheless, you must get an assessment of their credentials from World Education Services to prove the value of their education in Canada. Education corresponding to a master’s degree or higher in Canada will incur the maximum number of points for your spouse.
Job Offer
- An LMIA Labour Market Impact Assessment approved arranged employment can increase your CRS scores by 50 to 200 Point In Express Entry Program.
- These points depend on your NOC code skill level A, O, B, or your NOC Code Skill level “OO” to Obtain 50 or 200 points in the express entry program.
- Skill Level A, O, and B increase by 50 points, and skill level “OO” increases by 200 points
So getting a job offer from Canada can be a really important part to obtain permanent residence in Canada you can search for jobs through The job bank portal accessible under the express entry program.
How LearnAbroad Can Help You?
LearnAbroad has helped many individuals and families to successfully immigrate to Canada using the Federal Express Entry Program. Our qualified and experienced Immigration Experts are equipped with the proficiency to accurately assess your case and advise the most suitable course of action for best serving your needs.
True & Transparent
The CRS takes into account a variety of factors, including your age, education, language skills, and work experience. The higher your score, the more likely you are to be invited to apply for permanent residence.
But getting a high CRS score isn’t the only way to increase your chances of being invited to apply. You can also increase your chances by having a job offer from a Canadian employer or by being nominated by a Canadian province or territory.
Once you’ve created your profile and received your CRS score, you’ll be placed in a pool of candidates. The government of Canada will then periodically hold “draws,” in which they invite the highest-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence.
ACTUAL CASE STUDY
So what does this process look like in the real world? Let’s take a look at Michael Karanja’s experience.
Mike is a software developer from Kenya who always dreamed of living in Canada. He heard about the Express Entry program and decided to give it a shot. He created an online profile and was pleasantly surprised to receive a CRS score of 462.
A few months later, Mike received an invitation to apply for permanent residence. He gathered all the required documents, including his passport, birth certificate, and police clearance certificate, and submitted his application.
A few months after that, Mike received the exciting news that his application had been approved. He was now able to move to Canada and start his new life.
But Mike’s journey didn’t end there. Like many newcomers to Canada, he faced some challenges as he adjusted to his new home. He had to find a place to live, make new friends, and navigate the complex world of Canadian bureaucracy.
But with hard work and determination, Mike was able to overcome these challenges and thrive in his new home. Today, he’s a proud Canadian citizen, and he can’t imagine living anywhere else.
So if you’re thinking of moving to Canada, don’t let the process intimidate you. With the Express Entry program, it’s easier than ever to make your dream a reality. Just create a profile, score high on the CRS, and be patient. With a little bit of luck, you could be on your way to the Great White North in no time.
And who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be telling your own story of how you made the move to Canada. Just remember to pack your winter coat.”
LearnAbroad has accumulated a treasure of goodwill and exhaustive experience over the last 5 years in this dynamic immigration industry and has constantly facilitated a wide range of aspiring immigrants to achieve their overseas goals.
