Immigrate to Canada with the Express Entry System

What is the Express Entry Program for Immigrating to Canada?

Canada’s Express Entry (EE) system is a selection process used by the Canadian government’s department of “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada” (IRCC) to select skilled immigrants to become permanent residents of Canada. In order to enter the pool, eligible candidates must meet the Express Entry Canada requirements by qualifying for one of the following Canadian immigration programs.

Express Entry encompasses three Canadian immigration programs:
• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

Some Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) also have an Express Entry component. If you receive a nomination from a provincial authority, you are able to include the respective approval on your Express Entry submission.

How to Apply for Express Entry to Canada?

If you want to apply for the Express Entry program, start by creating a profile or speak to one of our Canadian immigration lawyers. You have 90 days to complete the online profile and upload the required documents. Your profile contains your personal information and skills that contribute to your score in the point-based Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

The profile will help the IRCC determine if you meet Canada’s Express Entry requirements. If you’re eligible, you will then be accepted into a pool where you will be ranked according to your CRS score. You will then wait in the pool until you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.

Express Entry Points

The CRS gives you a score based on the information in your profile, including:

• skills
• education
• language ability
• work experience
• other factors

You can increase your points for Express Entry with:

• Canadian degrees, diplomas or certificates
• A valid job offer
• A nomination from a province or territory 

Express Entry Processing Time

If you are eligible for Express Entry, your application can stay in the pool for up to 12 months depending on your CRS score and the government’s objective during the respective draws. If the IRCC invites you to apply, then you will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residency.

The IRCC aims to process your application for permanent residency within 6 months. If you do not receive an ITA within 12 months, then you can update your profile and you will need to re-enter the pool.

Express Entry Refusal

These are some of the top reasons for why an ITA may be denied:

1. Not meeting the requirements
2. Failure to understand what the government is looking for
3. Errors within the submission
4. Failure to optimize points within regulations
   

How Can I Avoid a Canadian Immigration Refusal?

You can avoid a Canadian immigration refusal best by working with an experienced immigration lawyer who can help eliminate errors and optimize your profile. Applying for an Express Entry visa is a complicated and competitive process that becomes quite timely—especially if you have to re-submit your application.

By working with My Visa Source on your Canada Express Entry Visa, we will start by ensuring your profile is completed honestly and accurately, with all the required paperwork uploaded within the 90-day deadline.  

Other Express Entry Questions That Our Licensed Immigration Professionals Can Answer

Not every question can be answered on a web page and your situation is unique. You may have more questions pertaining to your specific circumstances that are not listed here. Let us help you.

• Do I qualify for Express Entry?
• How many points do I need to be selected for an ITA?
• Will I know how many CRS points I have before the draw?
• Do I need a job offer to apply for Express Entry?
• What is an authorized job offer?
• How many points will I get with my job offer?
• What are the six selection factors?
• What is the point breakdown for core human capital factors?
• Do I need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)?
• Once I am in the pool, can I change my information on my profile?
• What happens if I have a birthday before I submit my permanent residence application?
• If I get a PNP nomination do I need to move to that specific province/territory?
• Should I apply to the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Express Entry first? How does FSW funnel into EE?
• Should I apply to the Federal Skilled Trades Program or the Express Entry first? How does FSTP funnel into EE?
• Should I apply to the Canadian Experience Class Program or the Express Entry first? How does CEC funnel into EE?
• How do Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) work together?
• What are some misconceptions about the Express Entry program?