
Express Entry is a popular immigration program especially crafted for skilled workers. There are three categories included in Express Entry.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): This stream is for skilled workers with prior Canadian work experience in the last three years.
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW): Skilled workers with foreign work experience are eligible to apply under this program.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program: This program is for skilled workers who are qualified and eligible in a skilled trade with a valid trade certificate or license.
If you are eligible under any of the above Express Entry categories, you will follow the steps discussed in this article below.
- Find out if you are eligible.
In this initial phase, you will fill an online form that will help you assess your eligibility to immigrate as a skilled worker. This form will ask you:
-The province you aim to settle in
-Language proficiency
-work experience
-NOC code of your primary occupation.
Once you have completed and submitted the form, the assessment tool will verify if you are eligible for immigrating to Canada through Express Entry. If found eligible, a personal reference code will be assigned to you. It will look like PU2109810145. This reference code will be valid for 2 months.
- Create an Express Entry profile.

Once you are eligible, the eligibility assessment tool will allow you to create and fill an Express Entry profile. The personal reference code allotted to you at the first step will be required during creating your Express Entry profile. You can create your profile either through a GCKey or a Sign-in Partner.
- Fill your Express Entry Profile.
After creating your profile, supply all the information, such as language test results, employment experience, academic degrees, NOC code of your primary occupation, etc. You must complete your Express Entry profile within 60 days. As per the details provided in your EE profile, the most suitable program will be assigned to you. This profile will remain valid for one year. Providing your language test results is mandatory to create your Express Entry profile.
- Enter the Express Entry Pool.
After completing and submitting your profile, you will enter an Express Entry pool. In this pool, your profile will be given a score by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) calculator. The CRS points calculator awards points out of 1200 and scores your profile on factors such as age, education, work experience, adaptability, etc. While in the pool, you can change your CRS score till the time the round of invitations or the Express Entry draws are held or till your profile expires. The validity of the profile is 12 months.
- Express Entry Draws and the ITAs.
Express entry draws are held almost every two weeks. If your CRS score is higher than the applicant with the lowest score, you will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). In case your CRS score is lower than the cut off, you can keep improving it while being in the Express Entry pool and prepare for future rounds of invitation till the time your profile is valid. The profile can remain in the pool for 12 months or 1 year.
- Receive an ITA and Apply for PR.
Once you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), apply to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for PR within 60 days. Fill out the Permanent Resident application form and attach all the required documents to verify and substantiate your claims made while getting a score in the CRS calculator. Make sure you provide every document mentioned in the documentation checklist. If your documents are not in English or French, make sure they are translated by a certified and legal translator.
- Pay your fees.
Once all the paperwork is submitted and uploaded, you will be required to pay the fees.
The Express Entry fee is :
- $850 – processing fee per individual.
- $515 – Right of PR fee (although convenient, this is not mandatory and can be paid later)
- $85 – Biometric fee per person.
- Review and approval.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will assess your application and contact you through your Express Entry online account. They would then ask for your biometrics, and any further and supplementary information. It is mandatory to submit biometrics within 30 days.
- Receive CoPR or Canada PR visa.
Once your application is approved, the IRCC will mail you
- CoPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence), or
- Canada PR visa
The CoPR document will be valid for 1 year or 12 months.
- Receive your Canada PR card.
Congratulations on receiving your PR visa! Before you arrive, do not forget to install ArriveCan and provide all the requested information to the app. Once you land in Canada, you will be asked for a postal address to which the IRCC will post your Canada PR card. In case you are unable to provide an address at the time of landing, you will have a window of 180 days to give a valid postal address. After 180 days you will have to apply for a fresh PR card and pay a processing fee of $50.
The highlight of Canada Immigration through Express Entry is that if you provide all the paperwork promptly and on time, it would take merely 7 months to process your application and at most a year to provide you with a Canada PR. Getting a Canada PR through Express Entry is a very straightforward process if you receive legal guidance that assists you with a high CRS score; suggests you the most appropriate time to take language proficiency tests; prepares all your documents well on time; suggests legal substitutes in case any paper is missing; and helps you decide a valid NOC code that will affect your profile in the best possible way.
Feel free to read more articles on our website to inspire yourself and get better answer to your question Why Immigrate to Canada.
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