What You Need to Know About Express Entry

The Canadian government launched Express Entry in January 2015 to help match skilled entrants to labour market demands. Today, Express Entry manages applications for the Federal Skilled Workers Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canada Experience Class.

Express Entry is a point-based system that assesses candidates based on age, education, work experience, language ability and other factors. High-ranking candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is Canada's national system for managing applications to the federal economic immigration programs. These include the Skilled Worker Program, the Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.

The system uses a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assess candidates and rank them against one another in the pool. Those who have higher CRS scores are more likely to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

CRS points are awarded based on your age, education, work experience, language ability, and Canadian connections. They are also influenced by your employment status, which means you may have to prove that you have enough income to support yourself and your family while in Canada.

What is the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)?

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a points-based system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to assess and rank candidates' applications for Canadian permanent residence. CRS combines age, education and language skills to determine your profile’s CRS score.

You can improve your CRS by gaining a high level of official language proficiency in the languages that Canada accepts. You can also up your game by completing a post-secondary degree.

Additional factors can also increase your CRS score, such as being nominated by a provincial government, receiving a job offer or earning a diploma in Canada. However, these can only add up to 600 points.

Your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score is based on a combination of human capital characteristics that include your age, level of education, English and French language skills, work experience and other factors. Increasing your score strategically is the best way to improve your chances of immigrating to Canada through Express Entry and PNP programs.

What is the Expression of Interest (EOI) system?

The Expression of Interest (EOI) system is an important step in the immigration process. It allows you to register your interest in a particular program before you submit a full application.

To register an EOI, you must first create a profile on the OINP e-Filing portal. This information is used to assess your socio-economic profile and qualifications against other applicants in the OINP EOI pool.

After completing your profile, you will be assigned a point score, which is based on the criteria in the OINP points grid. The province then selects the highest-ranking candidates and invites them to apply for a provincial nomination.

How do I become eligible for Express Entry?

If you’re interested in becoming a permanent resident in Canada through Express Entry, you must first meet the minimum criteria for the program you want to apply for. These include the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

The first step to become eligible for Express Entry is creating an electronic profile. This profile contains personal details about your age, nationality, education and work experience.

You can also provide proof of language proficiency in French or English, as well as your family ties to Canada. This will help Canada identify your eligibility for Express Entry and determine which candidates to invite in a draw.

You can improve your score by gaining more Canadian work experience, obtaining a higher IELTS score or taking additional post-secondary programs. For example, a one-year post-secondary certificate could be worth up to 120 points.

How do I know if my profile is ineligible?

Sometimes, it may be difficult to know if your profile is ineligible. There are cases where people may not have enough work experience to qualify, or they can’t meet the minimum settlement funds requirements.

However, there are a few ways to determine if your profile is ineligible. One way is to check whether you have enough work experience to qualify for the CEC, FSW, FST or PNP program.

Another way is to check whether your job falls under National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes. These are divided by skill type and level, so you can quickly check whether your occupation is eligible for Express Entry.

It’s also worth remembering that if you have an accompanying spouse, they could be eligible to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry. This would give them an additional 50 or 200 points on their CRS score depending on the NOC skill level of their job.