For any skilled working professional in Canada, looking for permanent residentship in 2019, there is good news. The Canadian Government recently conducted their 2019 Express Entry Draw where they issued 3,350 invites to candidates for applying or Canadian permanent residence.
Now, if you’ve no clue whatsoever on what is Express Entry and what the process entails, you might just miss out on a chance to acquire permanent residentship altogether. So, to understand the process better, it is best to know the A-Z of Express entry program Canada, to help you understand whether you qualify for the program or not. Also, in most cases, what candidates do is dependent solely on the services of their immigration lawyer. However, in such sceneries knowledge is power; therefore, to work in harmony alongside your attorney, this blog will discuss every nook and cranny of Express Entry Program starting with the basics.
What is the Canadian Express Entry Program?
The Canadian Express entry is a system started by the Canadian government to select applications for Canadian Permanent Residentship via specified economic immigration programs. This procedure invites candidates to apply for a green card based on the probability of their economic success in Canada. This was first introduced back in 2015 and helped numerous potential candidates acquire permanent residentship in Canada with the assistance of their immigration lawyer Toronto.
This system flaunts quicker processing time, quality applications and picks applicants from numerous working fields and sections.
How Does the Express Entry Program Work?
Mainly a three-step migration procedure; the first step involves interested applicants submitting their express entry forms online. At this point, it is best to consult a few Toronto immigration lawyers to ensure the application is error free. One thing that you need to keep in mind is that Canadian immigration process is stringent. A single mistake in an application form can lead to the nullification of your application.
Moving on, after the form is submitted it’ll be reviewed by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), that’ll check whether your application meets the eligibility criteria. After, your form is accepted; it’ll be entered into a pool of other eligible applications. Now, if your application matches the needs of the government, you’ll be offered and (ITA) “invitation to apply” for permanent residentship.
In layman terms, you’ll need to prepare for the application in the following ways:
- Find out your eligibility by answering a few queries of the Express entry program. You can also consult your selected immigration Toronto lawyer, to understand your eligibility or simply read the Express Entry requirements of each available program.
- Get the right documentation, for example, the language test results and other detailed information that is required for eligibility.
- To get eligibility on the Express Entry program, you need to have a good score. Thus, review your score and then if it fits the eligibility submit your application.
- Lastly, hope to acquire the ITA) “invitation to apply, that’ll be the stepping stone for you to acquire permanent residentship.
Moving on, each candidate is required to go pick a specified Express Entry Programs. These are mainly as follows:
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Skilled Worker Program
This federal skilled worker program is for the people who are selected to move to Canada owing to their skills and expertiseImini become eligible for this program you must have a job offer, a means to prove that you’ve adequate finance to support you and your family. Additionally, you must be eligible for working in Canada; along with possessing a 1 year of full-time work expertise while meeting standards of a language level in French and English you can stand eligible.
The last criteria involve having post-secondary certificate degree, diploma and plans to reside outside Quebec province.
Now, under this, the type of work expertise needed needs to be Skill Type 0, Skill Level A or Skill Level B as determined by the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC). Unless you have a permanent job offer to showcase, you need to ensure that you’ve work experience for the past 10 years, which are paid and full-time.
Coming to the eligibility criteria for FSW Point System:
- Education
- Fluency in English or French
- Age and Work Experience
- Whether you’ve arranged employment options in Canada
- Adaptability
So, once your profile matches that of express entry, consult your Canada immigration lawyer and file an application as per required.
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The Skilled Trades Program
Based on their qualification on a specified skilled trade the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) allows migrants the door to permanent citizenship. The eligibility criteria for this involve:
- Having a minimum of 2 years fulltime work expertise in a specified skilled trade.
- Meeting Minimum level language criteria for English and French.
- Possessing a certificate of qualification in a specified skilled trade as issued by your province or territory.
- In possession of a full-time employment for the past year.
- Must have work expertise that falls under skill level B under the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).
Once you meet the above criterions go, and apply to the FSTP, Express Entry program and if you’re lucky, your profile will be shifted to the pool of other eligible candidates.
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The Canadian Experience Class
Skilled workers in Canada, who already have work expertise and are looking to gain permanent residentship in Canada, should apply for this program. The eligibility requirements include:
- Possessing at least one year of full time work expertise in Canada.
- Possessing a legal status while studying or working in Canada.
- Applying for CEC within 3 years of acquiring your skilled work expertise.
- Meeting the minimum qualifications required for language proficiency in French and English.
- Planning to reside outside the Quebec province.
Apart from this, a candidate must qualify under Skill Type 0 that is managerial occupation; skill type A that is professional occupations; and Skill type B that is under technical occupations and skilled trades as determined by the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC)
After this, Candidates who have applied to the various programs are shortlisted via the Canadian Comprehensive Ranking System.
Digging Deeper:
Canadian Comprehensive Ranking System
For candidates that are offered the “invitation to apply” (ITA), they are ranked based on the Canadian Comprehensive Ranking System. This CRS is a score out of 1,200 that level federal commercial candidates against one another. This score is basically a cut off that determines the probability of economic success of a candidate in Canada.
To become eligible for this CRS, candidates need to have the following eligibility under any of the following:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Trades Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Class
Now, certain participants achieve nominations via Express Entry-associated (PNP) Provincial Nominee Program These participants obtain 600 additional CRS points as well as an invitation to apply at a succeeding inducement from the pools of candidates. Moving on, other ways of obtaining excess points is language frequency. For example, a couple can earn almost 270 points if they are proficient in French and English.
Similarly, a single commuter can also achieve up-to 260 points if h/she is fluent in the aforementioned languages. This is why most immigration lawyers Canada advice participants to opt for learning French and English to improve their CRS score.
Now, moving on other factors to improve CRS score involves:
- Work expertise and skills that incur up to 500 points.
- Skills transferability inclusive of work expertise and education, when combined with better chance of employment opportunities and high wage ratio, incurs up to 100 points.
Going forward,
Tips to Improve CRS Ranking Score
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Canadian Siblings
If you already have a sibling or two residing in Canada under permanent residentship, then you’re CRS score will improve by 15 points. The relationship can either be adopted, via marriage or through blood.
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Language
As mentioned above, language is an important ranking factor that needs consideration to improve CRS up till 260 points. Now, every candidate will get extra points for reading, listening, speaking and writing. However, for those that achieved the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) will incur extra points based on skills transferability factors in association with non-Canadian Work expertise and level of education.
Also, consider working on your French fluency, as since, June 2017 IRCC, will award up to 30 additional pointers to those that have reached an advanced level of CLB 7. So, to improve your points for French fluency, most immigration lawyers Toronto advice participants to opt for the Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada) or the Test d’évaluation du français (TEF).
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Education
This pointer is mostly for Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) candidates, and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). These Candidates do not have to showcase a Canadian credential or Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) once they get entry into the pool. The reason being, these members are leaving behind 200 unclaimed CRS pointers. This is because education itself incurs 150 points while the additional work expertise invites 50 more points.
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Provincial Nominee Programs
You already know that entering the Provincial Nominee Programs will incur you 600 points. Now, IRCC is progressively giving added apportionments to the provinces for the PNPs option. In turn, the provinces are depending on the Express Entry to welcome few newcomers who are entering their premises via this application.
Previously over the years, provinces utilized express entry in unique dynamic ways. For example, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan offered PNP streams for candidates coming from a wide range of occupations; Alberta and Manitoba have completely new and revised Express Entry-aligned streams; Ontario mostly, focused on specified occupation groups namely Information Technology (IT) sector, while the British Columbia uses its specific system for inviting candidates.
Work
In case you have 3 years of work expertise in Canada, but presently are working elsewhere. You are more or less in safe waters. This work might not entail points under the human capital factors, but it will still be accepted under the skills transferability combinations.
Now, if you’re working in Canada under a work permit you should focus well on remaining in employment. The reason is this awards more pointers and this work expertise is rewarded annually with points up to 5 years.
Moving on, now that you’ve established the tips to improve your CRS score, time to discuss the Express Entry draw statistics for March 20, 2019
Read on:
The latest score for the CRS that took place on March saw a cut-of threshold of 452 points that showcased a slight decrease of draw points from March 6th which was 454. Now, the March 20th draw ended up with a tiebreaker which means that applicants with 452 CRS have the maximum chances of incurring ITA.
Among these, however as most candidates have 452 points, priority will mainly be given to candidates that submitted their profile before February 7, 2019, at 09:59:25. Till now the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have levied out 21,200 invitations. However, 2019 is likely to be a big year for Express Entry and speculations by immigration lawyers claim that this year the cut-off for the CRS will decrease as the year goes by.
Over the years the government saw several changes in the Express Entry Programs. Since 2018, the government of Canada was determined to accept over 256,000 applicants over the next span of years. Moreover, in 2018 Canada updated its Canada Immigration Levels Plan for 2019-2021, that was determined to increase the number of applicants acknowledged via the Federal Skilled Trades Class, Canadian Experience Class & Federal Skilled Worker Class.
Apart from these, via Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) the country is looking to accept 200,000 and more permanent residents.
Moving Ahead,
When Again Will the Next Express Entry Draw Take Place?
Currently, it is hard to speculate when exactly the next Express Entry draws will take place. However, as witnessed in previous records, the IRCC tends to conduct draws every two weeks. Now, most of these draws tend to take place on Wednesdays.
However, at certain times, these draws can take place on any respective days of the week. Furthermore, sometimes the gap between two respective draws can differ; sometimes it’s short while at times it is longer.
Now, let’s quickly take a glance at the,
Express Entry draw list: 2018
- The Maximum CRS points cutoff for 2018 Express Entry draw was 439 for all programs and 288 for the FSTC.
- The minimum CRS points cutoffs for EE election bordered around 456 for all programs, and 902 for PNP’s.
Express Entry draw list: 2019
- Highest CRS point’s cutoff for all programs is 438.
- The lowest CRS points cutoff for all programs is 457.
Moving on, Date, and number of invitations to apply issued as per the minimum CRS points requirements given below:
- 20 March – Draw 113 – with 3,350 invitations – 452 CRS cut-off
- 6 March – Draw 112 – with 3,350 invitations – 454 CRS cut-off
- 20 February – Draw 111 – with 3,350 invitations – 457 CRS cut-off
- 30 January – Draw 110 – with 3,350 invitations – 438 CRS cut-off
- 23 January – Draw 109 – with 3,900 invitations – 443 CRS cut-off
- 9 January – Draw 108 – with 3,900 invitations – 449 CRS cut-off
Moving on, now that you understand in detail about the Express Entry Program Canada, it’s best to seek up the assistance of immigration Consultant Canada.
The Reasons are as Follows:
- As you’re well aware of the Canadian immigration procedure is complex and stringent. There are numerous latent rules and regulations that need to be taken into account when framing an application. Say you’re framing out forms for express entry now that you’ve considerable knowledge of the former. Yet, a single mistake in the form can lead to its turn down. This is why an immigration attorney can aid you out and help frame a foolproof application form.
- When compared to filling out forms and applying for migration on your own, the chance of success doubles up when a professional is involved. Thus, a migration consultant can help ensure at least, no flaws are visible in your application procedure.
- Deadlines are vital when it comes to Canada migration. A missed deadline is also a failed application. Thus, hiring a migration attorney is necessary. Your attorney will ensure that all documents are accumulated before deadlines and submitted in sequence. This will help accentuate your application and enable you for ITA.
On this note, check out the steps to hire an immigration lawyer in Canada.
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Go for WOM ( Word of Mouth)
When you have less time on your hands, then it can be difficult to go through business directories and website credentials for hiring a Toronto immigration lawyer. Therefore, in such cases trust word of mouth; if you’ve a relative or friend who consulted an attorney and found his/her services impeccable go for that particular attorney for your immigration situation.
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Ask the Right Questions
Whether its word of mouth or a result of online research, find a reputed lawyer by asking the following questions:
- How long have you practiced immigration law?
- Have you dealt with cases like mine before?
- What are the chances of success?
- What are the potential fees? Are they hourly or per session?
- Do you practice any other field of law?
Now, once you find the right answers, you have your migration attorney. So, hurry find out your eligibility and enroll for Express Entry 2019 Program now.