Express Entry (For Skilled Workers)

Express Entry (For Skilled Workers)

Foreign skilled workers are eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residence under Canada’s Express Entry system. This is the fastest method to obtain permanent residence in Canada. Some applicants have obtained permanent residence within 4 months of submitting an Express Entry application.

How Does it Work

Applicants in the Express Entry pool are ranked against one another using a Comprehensive Ranking System. The highest-ranking candidates receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

After meeting the eligibility criteria applicants need to submit an online profile known as an Expression of interest (EOI), under one of 3 federal Canada immigration programs to the Express Entry Pool. There is a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in this system Candidates’ profiles are ranked against each other. The highest-ranked candidates will be considered for an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The federal government aims to process complete PR applications in only 6 months.

Who is Eligible?

1. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Must have Canadian work experience
• Work experience must have been gained in the 3 years before you apply
• Work experience falls under the management, professional or technical jobs listed in Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, which classifies all jobs that exist in the Canadian labor market. The IRCC uses NOC codes to evaluate an immigration applicant’s work experience
• Applicants must meet required language levels
• Applicants must reside outside of Quebec

2. Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)
• Canadian work experience is not required
• Must have relevant foreign work experience which falls under the management, professional or technical jobs listed in Canada’s NOC system
• Must meet a minimum points requirement based on factors such as work experience, language ability, and education
• At least one year of continuous full-time skilled work experience completed within the previous 10 years
• Obtain a minimum of 67 out of 100 points on the FSW scale. The scale is based on age, education, work experience, whether you have a valid job offer, English and/or French language skills and adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle in Canada)
• Applicants must meet required language and education levels
• You must prove that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada unless you already have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada
• Applicants must reside outside of Quebec

3. Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)
• For skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade
• Must have a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification have at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply
• Must have a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority
• Skilled trade work, as classified in the NOC, includes: industrial, electrical and construction trades, maintenance and equipment operation trades, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators, chefs and cooks, butchers and bakers