Express Entry

The fastest and most popular pathway for newcomers seeking a new life in Canada. Interested Candidates are required to submit an online application to express their interest by creating Express Entry (EE) profile and, providing information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education, and some other details. After submitting the profile, candidates get a score to determine their place in the pool using the point-based system called Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

The CRS system considers skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other factors (e.g. having a sibling in Canada, Canadian education or a valid job offer in Canada, etc.) to award points. Highest ranking candidates from Express Entry pool are regularly invited to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence. Express Entry manages applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

Federal‌ ‌Skilled‌ Worker

Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications are assessed based on an applicant’s ability to become economically established upon immigration to Canada. This is Canada’s flagship immigration program for workers, allowing the country to welcome tens of thousands of newcomers every year. This is a key category of Express Entry (EE) program.

To qualify under this program, an applicant must:

• Have at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation (National Occupational Classification skill lever 0, A or B).
• Get a minimum level of CLB 7 or NCLC 7 for first official language in all 4 language areas (Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening). To get points for the second official language, you must meet the minimum level of CLB 5 or NCLC 5 in all 4 language areas.
• Have a Canadian educational or Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for a foreign education.
• In addition to fulfilling eligibility and points requirements, applicants must show that they have sufficient settlement funds to support themselves and their dependents after arrival in Canada. The settlement funds requirement is waived for foreign nationals who are currently working in Canada and/or those who have arranged employment in Canada.
  

Federal‌ ‌Skilled‌ ‌Trade‌ ‌

Skilled trades play a vital role in a knowledge-based economy and are essential to maintain Canada’s competitive position. The Government of Canada and immigration department developed Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) in 2013 to address the growing shortage of skilled trade workers in areas that were experiencing rapid growth due to the increasing strength of the economy. The economic immigration program was developed at the request of Canadian businesses and employers who were struggling to find enough skilled trade workers to help them complete their work on time.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

To qualify under this program, an applicant must:

• 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 the application.
• Have a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year up to two employers in Canada or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority.
• Get a minimum level of CLB 5 in Speaking & Listening and CLB 4 in Reading & Writing in official languages.
  
• Meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification.
  
• Be able to demonstrate the skills and experience and that they have performed the essential duties of the occupation.
  Canadian Experience Class.

Canadian Experience Class

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents. Having obtained work experience in Canada, these individuals have already settled into Canadian society and established important networks in their communities and their careers.

To qualify under this program, the applicant must:

• Have at least one year of skilled full-time or equivalent work experience in Canada, in the last 3 years before you apply.
• Get a minimum language level of CLB 7 for NOC 0 or A jobs and, CLB 5 for NOC B jobs.