Canada Express Entry system is a popular pathway for immigration to Canada. The Express Entry system, introduced by the Canadian government in January 2015 allows potential skilled immigrants to settle and work in Canada. Every year, Canada processes thousands of immigration applications through the Express Entry system. Today it is the main driver of economic immigration to Canada. As per the new Immigration Levels Plan of Canada for 2019-2021, more number of permanent residents will be admitted to Canada through Express Entry.

Canada selects eligible candidates capable of contributing towards the growth of its economy through Express Entry system by assessing the applications on the basis of a number of human capital factors such as work experience, education, language proficiency, etc. The eligible candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the regular Express Entry draws. For those who wish to settle in Canada, Express Entry offers a faster way to make their dream come true as the applications are processed in a matter of months.

Canada Express Entry system: How does it work?

In order to apply for permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry, a candidate must prove himself/herself eligible under one of the following federal economic immigration programs managed under the Express Entry:

The Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC)

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC)

Most of the Provincial Nominee Programs have streams or categories aligned to the Express Entry. But the candidates must be eligible under one of the three economic immigration programs said above.

The first step in applying for permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry is submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI). After assessing the Expression of Interest profile, each candidate is awarded a score based on the comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). It is a score out of 1200 and is used to rank Express Entry candidates for permanent residence in Canada. It aims to assess the candidate’s ability to become economically successful in Canada on the basis of a number of factors such as work experience, education, language skills, job offer etc.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regularly conduct Express Entry draws (usually every two weeks) and candidates having more than a certain CRS score are invited to apply for permanent residence. The invited candidates can submit a complete application along with supporting documents within 60 days.

Who can apply for permanent residence under Express Entry?

In order to be eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Express Entry system, a candidate must be a graduate with at least three years of relevant work experience. There is no age restriction to make applications. But applicants above 45 years won’t get any points for age in the CRS. The applicants must prove their linguistic ability through recognized language tests. Though Express Entry does not have any eligible occupation list or caps, a candidate must have skilled work experience in a National Occupational Code (NOC) 0, A or B job, to be eligible under the system.

Benefits of the Express Entry system

Faster processing of applications:

 Through the Express Entry system, one can obtain a Canada PR visa within just six months or less. The time period starts from the date of submitting the application. Before the introduction of the Express Entry system, when the application system was paper-based, there were a lot of obstacles that often delayed the processing. Documents used to get lost or misplaced in transition. The wait times for physical mail to arrive also used to delay the application processing.

Electronic system:

Under the Express Entry system, the whole processing of applications is done through an electronic system. It means no possibility for discrimination. Candidates are selected purely on the basis of their CRS scores.

Reduced CRS score requirements:

In the coming few years, Canada is planning to welcome more immigrants to the country. As a result, the IRCC may reduce the minimum CRS score required to be selected in the Express Entry draws. The required score is expected to go down further in the coming years as Canada planning to bring thousands more skilled immigrants to the country.

The federal system of immigration:

As Canada Express Entry is a federal system of immigration, those who receive an invitation to apply can directly apply for Canada permanent residence under the program. And once you get Canada Express Entry visa, you can settle anywhere in Canada. Moreover, it is not necessary for you to be proficient in French in order to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry.

Canada PR benefits:

Permanent residence in Canada comes with a lot of benefits. First of all, it gives you the freedom to live and work anywhere in Canada and bring your family to Canada. You get to enjoy social benefits such as free public education for children and healthcare facilities. While being a permanent resident in Canada, you need not pay tax on the income you earn outside Canada. Moreover, you enjoy pension benefits and retirement benefits when you become a permanent resident.

After a few years of becoming a permanent resident, you can apply for Canadian citizenship. It will give you the right to vote and even run for an office in Canada. A Canadian passport is one of the most powerful passports in the world and its holders can travel to almost 185 countries and territories without a visa.

Express Entry system: Benefits for employers

Express Entry helps Canadian employers respond to labor shortage when they are unable to fill the vacancies with Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Under the Express Entry system, employers have a direct role in recruiting skilled workers. The employers can conduct job matching with the existing express entry profiles and can offer employment to the express entry candidates. An employer can support a temporary worker’s application for permanent residence by giving him a job offer. However, the employer has to meet Labour Impact Assessment(LMIA) requirements.

Canada Express Entry system is a faster and simpler pathway to make your Canadian dream come true. If you wish to migrate to Canada through Express Entry, we can provide you the best support and guidance to ensure maximum success for your application. What keeps us apart from other Canada visa consultants, Kerala, is the fact that we are a group of Immigration lawyers with years of experience and in-depth knowledge in Canada immigration laws. Want to know more? Contact us now!