Express Entry Subcategories
Most provinces and territories may also recruit Express Entry applicants through Provincial Nominee Programs.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program is a Canadian immigration program that allows skilled workers to apply for permanent residence in Canada. To qualify, you must meet foreign work experience, language, and financial requirements. Successful applicants can live, work, and study anywhere in Canada and contribute to the Canadian economy.
Learn More about the Federal Skilled Worker Program
The Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Federal Skilled Trades (FST) Program is an immigration pathway for qualified skilled tradespeople to become permanent residents of Canada. To be eligible for this program, you must have the necessary skilled work experience, language skills, and financial resources. If you are accepted into the program, you will be able to live and work in any part of Canada and contribute to the country’s economy.
Learn More about the Federal Skilled Trades Program
The Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is a federal immigration program that allows foreign workers and international students with Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residence in Canada. To qualify, you must have recent work experience in Canada and meet certain language requirements.
Learn more about the Canadian Experience Class
Express Entry Primary Benefits
- You may obtain your permanent residence with a faster processing time
- Express Entry programs are steady and will remain available for the foreseeable future.
- You can enter the Express Entry pool anytime you want as long as you meet the minimum requirements
- Express Entry implements electronic systems from profiles to final PR submissions, so you can enjoy paper-free flexibility.
Express Entry Basic Requirements
Though there are program-specific requirements, you should ensure that you meet the minimum requirement of the following basic categories to be qualified to enter the Express Entry Pool:
- Skilled Work Experience: in the past 10 years, you must have at least 1 year of paid and continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in occupations under TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3.
- Language: you should meet the minimum English and/or French language requirement and possess an acceptable test result that is less than 2 years old.
- Education: if your specific program has a minimum education requirement, you must ensure that you have the completed foreign credentials and an educational credential assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing its equivalence to a Canadian post-secondary/secondary degree.
Express Entry Application Process
The first stage of your application process is to gather all your relevant documents and information. As long as you meet all of the minimum requirements, we can create and launch your Express Entry profile to enter the pool. Your Express Entry profile is valid for 12 months.
Once an ITA (Invitation to Apply) is received, we can prepare for the permanent residence application. Your invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only.
As soon as the eAPR (Electronic Application for Permanent Residence) is completed with all supporting documents, we will be able to submit the application online.
Express Entry Processing Times
We will submit your case as soon as we receive all supporting documents. The IRCC processing time for Express Entry applications varies.
Due to processing delays and staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous 6-month processing time cannot be guaranteed. However, Express Entry programs still enjoy relatively shorter processing durations as opposed to other types of applications.
You can find more information about IRCC processing times here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html
Extensions are possible if all requirements are continued to be met. For executives and managers, a maximum of 7 years of stay may be possible; a maximum of 5 years cannot be exceeded for specialized knowledge workers.