How to Apply for Express Entry Canada – Apply for Canada PR Visa

One of the pathways used by Canada to bring in skilled foreign immigrants as permanent residents is Express Entry. It has three (3) sub-programs including.

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) ,
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) , and
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

However, a common misunderstanding concerning Express Entry is that the identity of a Canadian immigration program is implied by the title. The term “Express Entry” only refers to the online pathway used to consolidate the applications for skilled workers from three different programs.

Now let’s delve a little more into each of the Express Entry procedures, i.e. how one can apply for a Canada PR visa via the Express Entry pathway.

Step 1: Check your Eligibility

You must first check whether you are eligible for one of the three (3) skilled worker immigration programs mentioned above, i.e.

• Federal Skilled Worker Program,
• Federal Skilled Trades Program, or
• Canadian Experience Class.

Every sub-program of Express Entry has its own eligibility criteria, and the eligibility will be based upon factors including Age, Education, Language Proficiency, Experience (in and outside Canada), Connections in Canada, & Valid job offer from a Canadian employer. This step is similar to that of any other immigration procedure in Canada.

To get the education considered, it is mandatory to get the education evaluated (as per the Canadian education standards) by one of the seven (7) Education Credential Assessment (ECA) authorities.

Also, one should have a valid language exam for one or both, officially accepted languages of Canada i.e. English and French. Requirements for minimum language scores vary with the program.

Step 2: Submitting online profile into the Express Entry pool

Once you finalize the program you wish to continue with and meet the eligibility, the next step is to submit an online profile into the pool. In this stage, it is mandatory to state every single detail of the past 10 years including experience, and earned education.

The Canadian government offers a list of all the documents you could require throughout this process for both your IRCC profile and your final electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR), which we will cover later

After the submission of the profile, you will receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, based on the factors submitted into the profile. This CRS Score plays a crucial role, as this will be used to rank skilled workers into the pool.

Step 3: Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

The IRCC will determine whether to offer you an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in Canada after receiving your profile, based on the CRS score.

The Express Entry draws take place typically in every two weeks, inviting skilled workers, to apply for Canadian permanent residency, based on their CRS Score and the program in which the profile is submitted.

Upon receiving the invitation, you will have 60 calendar days to file your application for permanent residency.

Step 4: Complete your electronic application for permanent residence and submit it to IRCC

You have 60 days to complete and submit your permanent residency application, so make sure you have any necessary paperwork on hand.

A birth certificate, evidence of finances, and a medical check-up are a few examples of the kinds of documents you can need. As Peerless Immigration Services, we make sure that this paper should be completed while you are waiting for the Invitation to Apply so that we do not spend time post receiving the invite arranging documents.

In addition to the employment, education, travel, and funds-related documents, it is also mandatory for you to provide proof of medical exam, and the police clearance certificate from your home country and every other country where you lived for more than 6 months.

Once all the details along with the documents are entered into the application, you have to pay the requisite application processing fees to IRCC and wait for the completion of processing of the application.

If case if any additional documents or information is required by IRCC you will get notified by IRCC via email.

Step 5: Attend to the IRCC’s ultimate conclusion

Now that your application for permanent residency has been submitted, the waiting game has officially begun.

According to the Canadian government, “most complete applications with all accompanying documentation” will be handled in six months or fewer. 80% of Express Entry applications must be processed within six months, according to Canada’s service requirement.