Express Entry Visa In Canada
The Express Entry Visa In Canada is the most popular type of visa in Canada and one with the highest chance of acceptance. To get this, you will need to score points through the Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker program for being either highly educated, fluent in English or French, or have a valuable trade.You know that Express Entry is the fastest way to immigrate to Canada. But what you might not know is that it can be used to sponsor family members including parents, grandparents and partners. In this article we’ll be looking at the best ways to use Express Entry in combination with sponsorship applications. We’ll also be looking at some tips and tricks on how you can maximize your chance of success.
Everyone who wants to live and work in Canada should complete an online Express Entry profile. This is part of the new system that is being used to manage applications. Applicants can then submit their profile as part of a pool of candidates overseen by government officials.
Express Entry Visa In Canada
Canada Express Entry Guide
Express Entry is the fastest and most popular pathway to permanent residence for immigrants seeking a new life in Canada.
Canada welcomes around 110,000 skilled workers through the Express Entry system each year.FIND OUT IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER THE EXPRESS ENTRY POOL
Express Entry Overview
- What is Express Entry?
- How can I apply for Express Entry?
- Who is eligible for Express Entry?
- What are the requirements for Express Entry?
- How much does Express Entry cost?
- Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?
- How long does Express Entry take?
Express Entry Points and Eligibility
- How are Express Entry points are calculated?
- Will the CRS score cut-off go down?
- How can I increase my CRS score?
- What is the ideal Express Entry candidate?
- What is the difference between Express Entry eligibility points and CRS score?
- Is there a minimum score for Express Entry?
- How are my language points calculated?
- How does my IELTS score affect my CRS score?
- Does my spouse need to take the IELTS exam?
- Why is my Express Entry score zero?
- What CRS score is required for Canadian PR?
- Why is the CRS cut-off so high?
- CRS score trend
- Is 438/459/467/462 a good CRS score?
- CRS score history
- How to calculate your CRS score
Submitting an Express Entry Profile
- What is an Express Entry profile?
- How to create an Express Entry profile
- What language results are required for Express Entry?
- Which ECA report do I need for Express Entry?
- How will a job offer affect my Express Entry profile?
- How do I find my NOC code?
- Why am I ineligible to submit an Express Entry profile?
- How can I check the status of my Express Entry profile?
- How long is an Express Entry profile valid?
Submitting a permanent residence application under Express Entry
- What is an Invitation to Apply?
- What happens if I receive an Invitation to Apply?
- How to obtain an Express Entry police certificate
- What work experience proof is required for Express Entry?
- How to obtain a medical certificate for Express Entry
- How to demonstrate proof of settlement funds for Express Entry
Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs
- What’s better: PNP or Express Entry?
- Can I apply for Express Entry and PNP at the same time?
- How does a Provincial Nominee Program affect my Express Entry profile?
- Provincial Nominee Programs that use the Express Entry system
FAQs
- Will Express Entry close?
- Is Express Entry the same as permanent residency?
- What is an Express Entry draw?
- When are Express Entry draws?
- What is the Express Entry tie-breaking rule?
- What is an Express Entry profile number?
- Why is the Express Entry login not working?
- Can I apply Express Entry without work experience?
- Express Entry news
- Why is my Express Entry application taking so long?
- What is the maximum age for Express Entry?
- Can I apply to Express Entry twice?
- How to fix mistakes in your Express Entry Profile
- Free online Express Entry assessment
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an online system used by the Canadian government to organize and process applications for skilled workers who wish to immigrate to Canada and acquire Canadian permanent residence status. The system manages three main federal economic programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
How can I apply for Express Entry?
Applying to Express Entry is a two-step process. The first step is to submit your profile which requires the following documents:
- Language test results
- Educational credential assessment report
- A passport or travel document
After you submit your profile and you receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence, you will need to provide a more substantial application that includes reference letters, additional identity documents, police clearance certificates, and results of a medical examination.
Who is eligible for Express Entry?
Individuals with university or college degrees, skilled work experience and moderate proficiency in English and/or French are ideal Express Entry candidates.
In order to submit a profile through the Express Entry system, candidates must also meet the eligibility requirements for one of the three federal programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
The easiest way to find out if your eligible is to use our free online assessment tool.
What are the requirements for Express Entry?
In general, to be eligible to apply to Express Entry as a skilled worker, you must:
- Have at least one year, in the last 10 years of continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in a skilled occupation
- Be able to demonstrate on an approved language test a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) seven in either English or French
- Completed post-secondary education that is assessed against Canadian standards with an Education Credential Assessment
These are the minimum requirements to apply to Canada’s Express Entry system as a skilled worker. Meeting these requirements doesn’t mean you will receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Candidates with stronger profiles will always be selected over candidates that simply meet the minimum requirement.
How much does Express Entry cost?
The cost of immigrating to Canada through Express Entry is about $2,300 CAD for a single applicant, or about $4,500 CAD for a couple. The breakdown of costs include,
- Language tests: Average cost – $300
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): Average cost – $200
- Biometrics: $85/person
- Government fees: $1,325/adult & $225/child
- Medical examination fees: average cost – $450/adult & $250/child
- Police clearance certificates: average cost – $100/country
No government fees are required to submit your initial Express Entry profile. The fees are only requested when you are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. In addition to the government processing fees, you may also need to pay provincial immigration fees if you apply through a PNP.
You should also be aware that unless you are applying under the Canadian Experience Class program or have a valid arranged employment offer, you will need to demonstrate you have sufficient funds to support your resettlement in Canada. These settlement funds are not fees paid to the government but you must have access to them to be approved for a permanent residence visa. The amounts per family size are mentioned in the table below:
| Number of Family Members | Funds Required |
|---|---|
| 1 | $13,310 |
| 2 | $16,570 |
| 3 | $20,371 |
| 4 | $24,733 |
| 5 | $28,052 |
| 6 | $31,638 |
| 7 | $35,224 |
| For each additional family member | $3,586 |
| Required amount as of June 9, 2022 |
Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?
You do not require a job offer for Express Entry. The vast majority of candidates selected for Express Entry do not have a formal Canadian job offer.
If you do have a valid Canadian job offer, this can add up to 200 points to your CRS score.
How long does Express Entry take?
Express Entry can take as little as six months to process, from submission of the Express Entry profile to the issuance of a permanent resident visa. However, not all cases will proceed this quickly. Your Express Entry profile will remain active in the pool of candidates for 12 months if you do not receive an invitation to apply. If after 12 months you have not received an invitation, you are welcome to resubmit your profile and remain in the pool. To break it down further:
- Your profile will remain valid for 12 months in the Express Entry pool
- Upon issuance of the ITA, you will have 60 days to provide the requested full application of documents
- Once the immigration authorities receive your complete application, your permanent resident visa, IRCC may process your application in about six months
How are Express Entry points are calculated?
When people refer to Canada’s “Express Entry points”, they are usually referring to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Canada uses the CRS score to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool using a series of factors, including:
- Age;
- Level of education;
- Proficiency in French or English;
- Foreign and Canadian work experience;
- Spouse factors; and
- Connections to Canada
For an estimate of your CRS score, use our CRS calculator tool.
Will the CRS score go down?
It is impossible to predict how the CRS score will fluctuate in the future. No lawyer or consultant can predict this, nor can they guarantee that a person will successfully receive permanent residence through the Express Entry system.
Further, with more and more provinces selecting profiles from the Express Entry pool, a candidate’s CRS score is losing its importance. Instead, Provincial Nominee Programs look for candidates that can fill local labour market or demographic gaps. This means that candidates with in-demand skills or work experience can still succeed in the Express Entry pool, even with a low CRS score.
The Canadian government has also hinted at moving to occupation-based Express Entry draws, which could make the CRS score obsolete.
There are several options for increasing a person’s chances in Canada’s Express Entry pool. To learn more about your eligibility for Express Entry or PNP, complete our free online assessment form.
How can I increase my CRS score?
1. RETAKE THE IELTS
Improving your IELTS score is the number one way to increase your points. On their own, good IELTS results can get you up to 160 points.
But if you have good IELTS and post-secondary education can get you an additional 50 points. Good IELTS and at least three years of work experience can get you another 50 points.
You need to score at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 to be eligible for Express Entry under the Federal Skilled Worker program, which is at least 6.0 on each language ability on the IELTS. But if you can score CLB 9 in all language abilities, you could be looking at up to 260 Express Entry points for just your language ability.
You can also take the IELTS as many times as you want to. You can even update your Express Entry profile with new IELTS test results after you submit your profile to the pool.
Canadim provides all of our Express Entry clients access to free online IELTS tutorials to help prepare to take the test. There are a lot of free or paid materials available online to help you prepare.
Immigration Tip: Register to take your IELTS early. That way, if you don’t do as well as you hoped, you have time to retake them before you submit your profile. You can always update your profile, but if you wait until after you’re in the pool to improve your score, you could be missing out on draws.
2. WORK EXPERIENCE
Since Express Entry manages applications to economic immigration streams, your work experience is a big part of calculating your Express Entry points.
That said, it’s not very easy to accumulate more years of work experience just to improve your Express Entry points.
Immigration Tip: If you’re not eligible for Express Entry, or if you are eligible but don’t have a competitive score, consider coming to Canada first as a student or temporary worker. Canadian experience can open up a lot more Canadian immigration options.
A lot of candidates don’t leverage the work experience that they do have as much as possible, though. Express Entry uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) matrix to assign points to all occupations. Choosing the right NOC code is one of the simplest ways to increase your score.
You’ll need to prove that whatever NOC codes you claim in your work experience are accurate if you receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence, so you should not misrepresent your experience.
That said, it’s worth it to spend some time finding exactly which NOC codes accurately reflect your career history while getting you as many Express Entry points as possible.
The NOC matrix can be confusing to sort through, so consulting an expert to figure out which NOC codes you can claim can be very helpful.
3. SPOUSAL POINTS
It may not apply to some candidates, but if you have a spouse or common-law partner, you may be missing out on some points you can claim.
There are three possibilities here, and it’s worth looking into them all.
First, your spouse or partner may get you more points. By retaking a language test, or getting an educational credential assessment (ECA) for any post-secondary education they have, your spouse or partner could increase your Express Entry points.
Second, you may actually have a higher score as a single applicant. Since your score changes depending on whether you have an accompanying spouse or partner, you could increase your score by listing them as non-accompanying. If you receive permanent residence, you can still sponsor them to join you in Canada, but it does mean a period of separation.
Third, your spouse may actually be a stronger applicant. You should definitely run through the exercise of trying to calculate how many points your spouse would get if they were the principal applicant, with or without you accompanying them.
Immigration Tip: If you and your spouse or partner are both strong candidates, you can each submit a profile to the Express Entry pool and list each other as accompanying. That way you double your chances of success!
If you’ve done as well as possible on language tests, claimed as many points as possible for your work experience, maximized your spousal points, and still don’t