It is important to note that Express Entry is not an immigration program itself. However, it is an online system that is created to manage Canada’s immigration application intakes and provide a clear pathway to permanent residency. An eligible EE prospective candidate has a right to register an EE Profile (subject to meeting the program requirements). This EE profile is eligible for 12 months, which provides an opportunity for a candidate to obtain an Invitation to Apply for the Canadian Federal Government or Letter of Invitation from an interested Canadian province. Upon the receipt of the Invitation to Apply (ITA), a candidate is welcomed to submit an ePR for the processing.
Even though the system itself might look very straight-forward, the application process, inclusive of the EE profile registration and ePR submission should be treated very seriously in order to avoid PR refusal, misrepresentation argumentation and CRS score recalculation. There are a few steps we should take before we even consider this PR pathway for our clients:
The Federal Skilled Worker Program, an EE stream in which applicants can submit their application for permanent residency through the Express Entry system. This program is for skilled workers with foreign work experience who wish to immigrate to Canada permanently.
The program has minimum requirements for skilled work experience, language ability and education. Applicants must first meet all the minimum requirements in order to be considered eligible.
Selection Factors
Applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Program are assessed based on:
Your skilled work experience must be:
The most important factor that should be noted within the Federal Skilled Worker Program is that the applicant MUST pass the mark of 67 out of 100 eligibility points in order to qualify for the EE profile registration.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program, an EE stream in which applicants can submit their application for permanent residency through the Express Entry system. This program is for skilled workers that possess qualified skilled work experience in the following NOC groups:
Applicants must meet the required language level for each language ability:
Language.
Abilities
Minimum level
English
Speaking and listening
CLB 5
English
Reading and writing
CLB 4
French
Speaking and listening
NCLC 5
French
Reading and writing
NCLC 4
OR
The Canadian Experience Class is a stream in which applicants can submit their application for permanent residency through the Express Entry system. This program is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience and who want to immigrate to Canada permanently.
Applicants must meet or surpass a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 (“initial intermediate”) or 7 (“adequate intermediate proficiency”), depending on the level of the job
NOC skill type or level | Minimum level for all four language abilities (English) | Minimum level for all four language abilities (French) |
NOC 0 or A | CLB 7 | NCLC 7 |
NOC B | CLB 5 | NCLC 5 |