Canada’s Express Entry (EE) system is a selection process used by the Canadian government’s department of “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada” (IRCC) to select skilled immigrants to become permanent residents of Canada. In order to enter the pool, eligible candidates must meet the Express Entry Canada requirements by qualifying for one of the following Canadian immigration program.
Express Entry encompasses three Canadian immigration programs:
Some Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) also have an Express Entry component. If you receive a nomination from a provincial authority, you are able to include the respective approval on your Express Entry submission.
If you want to apply for the Express Entry program, start by creating a profile or speak to one of our Canadian immigration lawyers. You have 90 days to complete the online profile and upload the required documents. Your profile contains your personal information and skills that contribute to your score in the point-based Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The profile will help the IRCC determine if you meet Canada’s Express Entry requirements. If you’re eligible, you will then be accepted into a pool where you will be ranked according to your CRS score. You will then wait in the pool until you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
If you are eligible for Express Entry, your application can stay in the pool for up to 12 months depending on your CRS score and the government’s objective during the respective draws. If the IRCC invites you to apply, then you will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residency.
The IRCC aims to process your application for permanent residency within 6 months. If you do not receive an ITA within 12 months, then you can update your profile and you will need to re-enter the pool.