Express Entry is an application process for the skilled experienced immigrants, who wish to settle down in Canada as permanent residents (PR).

Once an application is submitted in the Express Entry pool, the government decides if the applicant is eligible for PR based on the comprehensive ranking system (CRS) score. The CRS score is calculated based on the applicant’s age, education, work experience, language skills, etc.

The Canadian Government selects the applicants with highest CRS scores from the Express Entry pool, approximately every two weeks. These selected applicants are then sent an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. After submitting the completed application, the applicant can expect to receive the permanent residence status within six months and then move to Canada.

This process is categorized into three economic programs: –

FEDERAL SKILLED WORKER

Federal Skilled Worker(FSW) program is for those applicants who have work experience in one of the eligible job titles under National occupation list(NOC). Applicants need at least 67 points (CRS Score) to be eligible to apply under this category. Points are assigned based on the candidate’s education, work experience, English/French language skills, and other factors.

ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA:

  • Must have one year of continuous paid full-time or equivalent part-time work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation classified under the  National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B;
  • Must provide proof of basic language proficiency from a designated language testing organization in English or French with results equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 across all abilities (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). The test results must not be more than two years old on the day applicant applies for permanent residence.
  • Must have a Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) or foreign education credential with Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report.

FEDERAL SKILLED TRADE

The Federal Skilled Trade(FST) program is part of a major effort by federal and provincial governments to welcomed more skilled trades workers to Canada to address labour shortages in trades occupations. There are 43 Targeted occupations referred to as skilled trades that are eligible under this program. Under Express Entry, successful FST program applicants are usually able to obtain their permanent residence within six months.

ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA:

  • Must have a valid job offer of continuous, paid, full-time employment (at least 30 hours a week) in Canada for at least one year OR a certificate of qualification from a provincial or territorial body. A certificate of qualification proves that a foreign national is qualified to work in a skilled trade occupation in Canada;
  • Must provide proof of basic language proficiency from a designated language testing organization, with results equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, CLB 4 for reading and writing;
  • Must have obtained 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work) in the skilled trade in the five years before applying.

CANADIAN EXPERIENCE CLASS

Canada experience class (CEC) program is designed to encourage more foreign workers and international students to build their future in Canada.

ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA:

  • Must have paid full-time or equivalent part-time work experience of at least 12 months (or 1,560 hours) in Canada, in the last 3 years in a skilled occupation classified under the  National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B. Note that self-employment or the experience gained while studying (full-time student) doesn’t count under CEC.
  • Must provide proof of basic language proficiency from a designated language testing organization in English or French with results equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 across all abilities (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). The test results must not be more than two years old on the day applicant applies for permanent residence.
  • Must plan to live or work outside of the province of Quebec.