EXPRESS ENTRY OFFICIAL Q&A (4): APPLICATION SYSTEM
How will I use the Express Entry system?
First, you will express your interest in immigrating to Canada by creating an online Express Entry profile. You will give us information about your skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other details that contribute to success in Canada.
If you meet the criteria, you will be put into the Express Entry pool of candidates, which is a group of people that we can draw from to fill immigration spaces.
At the launch of Express Entry, you will need to create a Job Seeker Account with Job Bank if you do not already have a Canadian job offer or a provincial/territorial nomination. This will give you the opportunity to view jobs available with Canadian employers. It is important for Express Entry candidates to promote themselves to potential employers/recruiters and use private sector job boards and other resources to learn about jobs available in Canada.
Note: Candidates who create a Job Seeker Account with Job Bank between January 1 and January 25 will need to return to their Job Seeker Account after January 26 to create their profile. After January 26, candidates will be able to create their Job Seeker Account and profile without delay.
To qualify for the Express Entry pool, you must meet the criteria of at least ONE of three federal economic immigration programs:
Federal Skilled Worker Program,
Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
Canadian Experience Class.
Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) to meet local labour market needs.
You will be given a score by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Your score will be based on the information you gave in your Express Entry profile and will be used to determine your rank within the pool. Note that your score will change only when you update your profile information. How your score ranks will depend on the scores of other candidates in the pool and will change regularly as people are added and removed from the pool.
Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Candidates will be awarded points for:
a job offer;
a provincial/territorial nomination; and
skills and experience factors that contribute to success in Canada.
Note: Entry into the Express Entry pool does not guarantee you will get an ITA for permanent residence. Even if you receive an ITA, you still have to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).
If you get an ITA, you will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence in one of the immigration programs listed above. Your ITA will tell you which program you are eligible to apply for.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will process most applications (completed applications that include all the supporting documents needed) in six months or less.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
How will the Express Entry system benefit potential candidates?
Express Entry will offer many benefits, including:
faster processing times: we expect to process most applications %in six months or less, from the time we get a complete application for permanent residence to a final decision; and
an easier way to get a job offer from an eligible employer in Canada before you arrive in Canada: the Government of Canada’s enhanced Job Bank will let eligible employers in Canada and skilled foreign nationals connect with one another more easily, making economic integration faster once immigrants arrive in Canada.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
Do I need to hire an immigration consultant or lawyer?
No. You do not need to hire an immigration consultant or lawyer to use the Express Entry system or any other CIC immigration program, to complete an Express Entry profile, or to complete an application for permanent residence.
I am currently waiting for my application for permanent residence to be processed in the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Can I submit an Express Entry profile?
You may submit a new Express Entry profile, but it is not necessary. However, we will not refund any processing fees paid related to your original application. Your existing application will be processed based on the rules in place at the time you applied.
If you choose to create an Express Entry profile and are invited to apply, you will be required to submit a new application for permanent residence and the associated processing fees.
Is there a fee to submit an Express Entry profile?
There is no fee to submit an Express Entry profile. Language tests and Educational Credential Assessments (if you want to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, or if you completed your education outside Canada and want to get points toward your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score) are completed by third party organizations for a fee.
If you are invited to apply for permanent residence and submit an application, you will have to pay the current application processing fee. If you then decide to become a permanent resident, you will also have to pay the Right of Permanent Residence Fee for yourself and any dependants or family members if applicable.
When does a candidate’s profile expire?
Express Entry profiles will be valid for one year from the date a candidate submits a profile to CIC. If a candidate does not get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence after 12 months and they still want to come to Canada as a skilled immigrant, they will need to complete and submit a new profile. Candidates will have 60 days to resubmit their existing Express Entry profile through MyCIC. They will need to update and validate the information, and if they still meet minimum entry criteria, they will receive a new Express Entry Profile Number. If they do not resubmit their profile within 60 days, they will have to complete a new profile.
Do I need a job offer to get into the Express Entry pool?
If you meet the criteria of one of the economic immigration programs subject to Express Entry, you will be accepted into the Express Entry pool. A job offer supported by an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from an employer in Canada is a significant asset, but not a requirement.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
If I am in the Express Entry pool, could I be eligible for more than one program?
It is possible for you to get into the pool and be eligible for more than one immigration program. In that case, your profile would be tagged by the system to make sure it is considered for any relevant draws. If you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA), the system will tell you which immigration program you are being invited to apply to.
What is the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and how does it work?
The CRS is the new system we will use to assess and score Express Entry candidates. It has been created based on extensive research on the best predictors of economic success for newcomers to Canada.
The CRS will include factors such as:
skills;
work experience;
language ability;
education; and
other factors that we know help immigrants prosper once in Canada.
Using the information provided in the candidate’s profile, the CRS will set the candidate’s score and rank within the Express Entry pool at any given time. Note that a candidate’s rank will change regularly, while their score will only change when they update their profile information.
Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Candidates will be awarded points for:
a job offer;
a provincial/territorial nomination; and
skills and experience factors that contribute to success in Canada.
How does a candidate get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence?
Candidates in the pool will be issued an ITA for permanent residence when they:
have a job offer supported by an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from an employer in Canada; or
have a nomination from a province or territory that has an immigration nominee program; or
are one of the highest-ranked candidates who qualify for one of the three federal programs under Express Entry.
Note: An ITA does not guarantee a person will be approved for permanent residence. They still have to meet admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).
Do I need a job offer to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA)?
A qualifying job offer from an employer in Canada is a significant asset but not a requirement. Candidates can also obtain enough points to receive an ITA based on how high their score is on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) or if they get a provincial or territorial nomination. Provinces and territories will be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through their PNPs to meet local labour market needs.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
How long is an Invitation to Apply (ITA) valid for?
Candidates who get an ITA will have 60 days to submit a complete electronic application for permanent residence. Extensions will not be granted.
How will Express Entry result in faster processing times?
Under Express Entry, we will only accept applications from people we have invited to come to Canada. This will prevent the growth of backlogs by ensuring that only the candidates who are most likely to succeed economically – not simply the first to submit their application – are able to apply to immigrate to Canada.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) plans to process the majority of complete electronic applications (those that include all the required supporting documents) within six months or less.
Together, these will do away with multi-year waits for a final decision on permanent residence and result in faster processing times.
When does the six-month processing timeline begin and end?
The six months begins once Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) confirms that a person has submitted a complete electronic application for permanent residence through the online system. It ends when a final decision is made.
In some cases, processing can be delayed, such as when an applicant needs extra time to complete their medical assessments.
The six month processing time does not include time outside the control of CIC, for example, the time it takes for an employer to obtain an LMIA, or a potential candidate to receive a provincial/territorial nomination or to arrive in Canada and land as a permanent resident.
Note: The six month processing time is for permanent residence applications under the Express Entry system. Applications received before Express Entry will be processed based on the rules in place at the time the application was received.