EXPRESS ENTRY

Canada’s Express Entry system is the new selection process for Immigration to Canada, designed to select skilled workers for immigration to Canada, faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Implemented in January 2015, the Express Entry program is a new system that ensures that Canada will be able to meet its current and future labor market needs while securing long-term economic growth.

It is important to understand that Express Entry is not an immigration system, rather it is a system used by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

• - The Federal Skilled Worker Class
• - The Federal Skilled Trades Class
• - The Canadian Experience Class

Outstanding Candidates

Qualified candidates now stand a better chance of being selected and invited to apply for work in Canada. In addition to that, this new streamlined system means that processing times are greatly reduced, opening up further opportunities for applicants.

How does Express Entry work?

The program is an electronic process which involves both the federal and provincial government, as well as Canadian employers.

Applicants can register electronically under Express Entry by providing the following information:

• - Skills
• - Work Experience
• - Education
• - Language Abilities (English and French)
• - Age
• - Spouse Education and Language

Selection Criteria

The Canadian Government will then select candidates based on their credentials and invite them to apply under the Federal Immigration Programs such as the Federal Skilled Workers Class or the Federal Skilled Trades Class.

The most exciting aspect about Express Entry is that Canadian employers will have access to the Express Entry pool of potential applicants. This offers the opportunity for employers to recruit and offer jobs to candidates that have the necessary skills or qualifications that they are looking for. If a candidate receives a job offer from a Canadian employer, they will then be invited to apply for Permanent Residency based on the pre-arranged offer of employment.

Comprehensive Ranking System

The candidates in the Express Entry pool are ranked according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), whereby candidates are ranked according to the following factors:

• - Core human capital factors
• - Accompanying spouse or common-law partner factors
• - Skill transferability factors and,
• - Factors relating to a provincial nomination or a qualifying offer of arranged employment

The Comprehensive Ranking System has a total of 1,200 points available. The Canadian government selects candidates from the Express Entry pool according to their CRS scores.

The highest ranking candidates and those with valid job offers or provincial nominations are subsequently invited to apply for a Canadian permanent residency. These candidates will then have a maximum of 90 days to submit a complete application, and the applications will be processed within 6 months.

The different Canadian Provinces will also be able to select and recruit candidates registered under Express Entry in order to meet their local labor market needs through their Provincial Nominee Programs.