Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses Express Entry to manage and process applications received through three of Canada’s federal economic immigration programs for skilled workers.
Express Entry is a system for selecting skilled immigrants to Canada. It ranks all eligible candidates against one another and then invites the best ranking ones to apply for Canada PR.
Candidates are ranked in terms of factors such as their age, level of education, fluency in other languages and amount of previous work experience.
In contrast to the conventional immigration programs, Express Entry streamlines and accelerates the process of settling in Canada by reducing processing times. It is the fastest immigration program that has processing time of less than 6 months. Express Entry facilitates Canada immigration through three pathways:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): Program exclusively for skilled workers who possess foreign work experience.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): Express Entry pathway for skilled workers who have a valid work experience in a trade that requires license or certification.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): Eligibility to this program requires the applicants to have a prior valid work experience in Canada.
Basic Requirements for Express Entry Canada
To qualify entrering into the country as a skilled worker, you must meet certain requirements for express entry Canada:
- You must have at least one year, within the past 10 years, of continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) work in a skilled occupation.
- Demonstrate proficiency in English or French by achieving a score of CLB 7 in an approved language test.
- Completed a post-secondary education that is recognized by the Canadian immigration authorities
To be eligible for the Express Entry skilled worker program, your application must meet or exceed these requirements. However, meeting them does not guarantee that you will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada.
Candidates who are stronger overall will be selected for a position over those that only meet minimum requirements.
Basic Documentations Requirements for Express Entry Visa to Canada
You don’t need to upload documents when you submit an express entry profile, but you may be asked for some or all of the following:
- A current passport or other document required for travel.
o Venezuelan passport holders have the option to complete a more in-depth profile or application.
- Test results for language proficiency
- You may be required to submit proof of your Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes.
- Provincial nomination, if applicable
- Proof of funds
- Copies of your written job offer, proof of work experience and any trade certificates you have earned in Canada or equivalent to that.
Express Entry Eligibility Criteria
The Express Entry system uses a points-based assessment to evaluate potential candidates for immigration programs, which are:
– Federal Skilled Worker
– Federal Skilled Trades Worker
– Some Provincial Nominee Programs
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
It is the most popular pathway to Canada immigration. It’s aimed at those who have foreign work experience and are skilled workers.
The Federal Skilled Worker program uses the factors to determine eligibility: age, level of education, language skills (English and/or French), work experience, job offer and flexibility are the most important factors.
To qualify for this program, applicants must:
Work experience is required. At least 1 year of the work experience must have been continuous and in a position that involved similar duties.
A high school diploma is a minimum requirement; candidates must have advanced level of language proficiency.
Primary language (English or French): You must score at least CLB 7 in all abilities. Secondary language (English or French): You must score the equivalent of CLB 5 in each ability.
Be eligible for and have enough money to support yourself and your family members upon approval.
Federal Skilled Trades Worker Program (FSTP)
This immigration program is designed to attract certain skilled workers. To be eligible for this program, you must have worked full time in skilled trade occupations for at least two years within the previous five-year period.
In addition to the aforementioned requirements, you must: Have a full-time job offer for at least one year OR Possess a certificate of qualification in your occupation from Canada.
And you must have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 5 or higher and show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family members in Canada.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
If you have been working full time in Canada for at least 12 months (or part-time for an equivalent amount of time) within the past three years, then you may qualify to immigrate under the Canadian Experience Class. You must have worked for your employer with a work permit.
In order to qualify for a this program, you must meet the language requirements set by that occupation.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
Some provinces select candidates directly from the pool to fill jobs with particular skill requirements.
If you are chosen, a notification will appear on your profile. You must then apply for the job within a few days by sending all relevant information to the provincial government.
If you are nominated by the province to apply for permanent resident status, you receive 600 points on your profile and can then send an application for review by the federal government.
Canada consists of 10 provinces and 3 territories, each with its own PNP.
Conclusion
The Express Entry System in 2021 will continue to be a key priority for the Government of Canada. We anticipate that this system will continue to be an essential tool for employers, recruiters and professionals, as well as skilled immigrants seeking employment in the country.
