Canada Immigration
EXPRESS ENTRY PROGRAMME
Implemented in January 2015, the Canadian Express Entry program is Canada’s new system for managing immigration applications for several of the country’s economic immigrant programs including Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades. People interested in immigrating to Canada to live and work on a full-time basis, who meet the criteria for at least one of these immigration programs, can formally express their interest in becoming a permanent resident of Canada by creating an Express Entry profile. Once added to the Express Entry pool, candidates will be scored according to the program’s point-based Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and this score will determine the candidate’s rank within the pool. People with the highest scores will then be invited to apply to immigrate to Canada as permanent residents.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) invites the highest ranking candidates from the Express Entry pool to apply for expedited Canadian immigration on a frequent basis via official “rounds of invitations”. In order to be selected in one of these Express Entry draws and issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA), an applicant must rank near the top of the pool of potential candidates according to the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System. The program’s CRS will assess the details of a candidate’s Express Entry profile and rank them according to major predictors of economic success, factoring in their education, skills, work experience, language abilities, and a variety of other elements that are known to help migrants flourish in Canada. Provinces and territories, as well as eligible employers in Canada, can also directly recruit potential immigrants from the Express Entry pool, and candidates who receive an eligible job offer or an enhanced provincial nomination are awarded a significant number of points giving their Express Entry score a major boost.
To ensure you have the best possible chance of being selected for immigration to Canada, you can retain the services of a Canadian immigration lawyer who can help you take the necessary steps before and during your application to maximize your chances of success.
Why express entry:
The fastest way to move to Canada as a permanent resident is via the new Express Entry system. The immigration management program is completed entirely online, and makes the Canadian immigration process extremely efficient for qualified candidates from across the world. Most Canada PR applications submitted under Express Entry will be processed in six months or less.
How it works:
In order for Canada to assess a potential immigrant’s eligibility for Express Entry, the program requires that applicants create an online profile containing all their credentials. Once an Express Entry profile has been created for the candidate and he or she has been accepted in the program, the potential immigrant’s profile will be put into a pool with other candidates and potential employers and provincial nominee programs can then compare the different applications. If an eligible employer or Canada PNP chooses a candidate from the Express Entry pool, he or she will then receive 600 CRS points for the enhanced provincial nomination or up to 200 points for the qualifying job offer. There are then official Express Entry draws where top candidates are given an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian residency.
In order to participate in the Canadian Express Entry immigration system, you must satisfy all the Express Entry criteria including the requirements of one or more of Canada’s economic immigration programs. If you do not meet the Express Entry requirements, you will not be accepted into the system’s pool of candidates.
Express Entry Canada Provinces (PNP PROGRAMME)
Each province and territory in Canada, with the exception of Quebec, has their own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) which nominates individuals interested in settling in that particular province for fast-tracked immigration. Each Canadian Provincial Nominee Program has its own criteria, guidelines, as well as province specific “streams” which are individual immigration programs targeting precise demographics of skilled workers, students, and business professionals. This allows each province and territory to attract new immigrants that have the precise skills, work experience, and knowledge required to meet the local labour market needs of their distinct economy.
For detailed information about each of the Canada Provincial Nominee Programs, please visit the province specific immigration pages listed below. If you would like to immigrate to Canada and are open to living in more than one region of the country, our knowledgeable immigration professional can help you determine which province(s) will be most likely to nominate you under their PNP given your education, skill set, and past work experience. The fastest and easiest way to apply for a PNP nomination is through the Canada Express Entry system.
- Canada Provincial Nominee Program List
- British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program
- Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program
- Saskatchewan Immigration Nominee Program
- Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
- New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program
- Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program
- Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program
- Newfoundland Provincial Nominee Program
Canada PR applications are processed significantly faster when submitted through Express Entry.
Traditional applications to become a permanent resident of Canada can take as long as 24 months to be processed. Under Canada Express Entry, however, a Canadian permanent residency application is almost always processed by CIC staff in six months or less.