Known for its multiculturalism, Canada is one of the best immigration destinations globally. It has different types of immigration systems for immigrants. Whether you are a foreign worker, an international student, a job seeker, or self-employed who wish to immigrate to Canada, the country has several visa categories for immigration.
Express Entry is the most popular immigration system in Canada for economic immigrants. The Government of Canada launched this system in 2015 to fast-track the immigration process and reduce processing time for Canadian immigration.
A Newcomer gets an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in Canada and become a Canadian citizen with the help of this immigration system.
Canada Express Entry Immigration Programs
A potential aspirant who is willing to move to Canada can apply for an immigration visa through the following three economic programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Some of the streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are also aligned with the Express Entry. So, immigrants can apply through PNP Express Entry linked streams to get Canada PR and apply for citizenship.
Federal Skilled Worker Program
Immigration to Canada is a desire of aspirants who want to work in Canada and become permanent residents. The Federal Skilled Worker program is for those foreign workers who have work experience of a minimum of one year. If a skilled worker wants to become a permanent resident through FSW, he/she must fulfill the requirements regarding education, work experience, and language proficiency.
Please note: Candidates who do not have any work experience cannot apply through this program.
Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Federal Skilled Trades (FST) Program is for those immigrants who have a trade license. Generally, trade programs require physical and manual work, for instance, work in construction industries. Some of the popular occupations in this category are Carpenter, Plumber, Electrician, and many more.
Applicants can get a permanent resident visa through the FST Program. A foreign worker must have minimum work experience required and Canadian language skills in order to apply with the help of FST for permanent residence. The Canadian government wants immigrants with skilled trades with an eye to combat the labor shortages in these trades. So, experienced tradespersons who want to live in Canada can apply to this express entry program.
Canadian Experience Class
Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is one of the most popular categories of the Express Entry system. A foreign national who is a temporary resident of Canada and has Canadian work experience can apply for a permanent residence through this category. Once temporary residents get a permanent resident card, they can apply for Canadian citizenship.
How to apply for Express Entry Canada?
An interested candidate who wants to migrate to Canada can make an application for permanent residence through the above-mentioned economy class programs.
To be eligible for the Express Entry, a candidate must meet all the federal government’s requirements for the category he/she applies through. Once eligible, the candidate can submit his/her profile in the Express Entry pool. This profile acts as an Expression of Interest (EOI) shown by the candidate for permanent residency in Canada.
What is the Express Entry Pool?
The Canada Express Entry pool has profiles of a number of immigrants who compete for obtaining Canada PR. Express Entry is based on a point system. So, the selection criteria depend on the score obtained by a candidate on the basis of his/her profile.
List of Supporting Documents required to create Express Entry Profile
The required documents differ as per the immigration program through which a candidate is applying. However, there are some common documents that are necessary for each program.
Here is the list of supporting documents to get a Canada visa:
- Travel Document: A passport is a must and the most important document required to create an express entry profile for visa application.
- Language test: Candidate who wants to become a resident of Canada must show his/her language proficiency in either English or French through a language test.
- Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA): If a candidate has completed his/her education from a non-Canadian institution, his/her education will be evaluated by the Canadian standard. This report is known as ECA. It is mandatory to submit the ECA report if a candidate is applying through the FSW immigration program.
Please note: You do not need ECA if you want to apply to educational programs in Canada.
Latest immigration policy for Canada Express Entry system:
- The federal government has extended the age limit of dependent children to 22 years. Earlier it was 19 years only. It is a good move for families who want to stay in Canada.
- Good proficiency in the Canadian language will pave the way to becoming a permanent resident. A candidate needs to have a good Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score. Further, a candidate will get extra points for dual language ability. If he/she knows both English and French, extra points will be given. Also, an applicant needs to show language test results to the visa officer.
- As per the new rule, international students must have an IELTS score of six in each band in order to get admission to any Canadian institution.
- Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are now allowing high school graduates to participate in Express Entry and receive an invitation for permanent residency.
- An international student who wants to study in Canada must deposit tuition fees for at least two semesters to get the study permit visa approved.
- For the purpose of security, the biometric screening of immigrants has become imperative from 2019 onwards.
- Earlier, an applicant needed to have work experience of a minimum of 2 years to immigrate through economy class programs and become a permanent resident of Canada. Now, it has been reduced to one year only.
ImmigToronto, in association with a registered member of ICCRC, Jean Toews RCIC license number R507061, is always at your service to assist you on your way to living the Canadian dream. Our Canada visa experts will guide you at every step of your visa process. Please email us at [email protected] or call 1-833-789-1845 to know more.