Eligibility:

To be eligible for the Express Entry program, candidates must meet the minimum requirements for one of the three economic immigration programs mentioned above. This includes having a certain level of education, language proficiency, and work experience in a skilled occupation.

Candidates must also have their educational credentials assessed by a designated organization to determine if they meet Canadian standards. Additionally, candidates are required to obtain a minimum score of 67 points out of 100 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which is used to rank candidates against each other.

Application Process:

The first step in the Express Entry process is to create an online profile through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. The profile requires candidates to provide information about their education, language proficiency, work experience, and other relevant details.

Once the profile is complete, candidates are entered into a pool of potential applicants. Candidates are ranked against each other based on their CRS score, and those with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent residency.

Invitations to Apply (ITA):

The IRCC regularly conducts draws from the pool of candidates, inviting those with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residency. Candidates who receive an invitation to apply (ITA) have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residency.

Candidates who do not receive an ITA may remain in the pool for up to 12 months, after which they may need to create a new profile.

Points Calculation:

The CRS is a points-based system that ranks candidates against each other based on various factors. The maximum score a candidate can receive is 1,200 points, with 600 points being awarded for factors related to human capital (such as age, education, language proficiency, and work experience), and the remaining 600 points being awarded for factors related to skills transferability and additional factors.

The CRS score of a candidate is determined based on their profile information, and the points are updated automatically based on any changes made to the profile.

Express Entry Draws:

The IRCC conducts regular draws from the pool of candidates, typically every two weeks. The number of candidates invited to apply varies from draw to draw, depending on the needs of the Canadian labour market and the number of applications being processed.

Candidates who are invited to apply for permanent residency must demonstrate that they meet the requirements for their chosen economic immigration program.

Conclusion:

The Express Entry process is a competitive system that is designed to select the most qualified and skilled candidates for economic immigration to Canada. It is a points-based system that ranks candidates against each other, with the highest-ranked candidates receiving invitations to apply for permanent residency. The system is efficient, transparent, and designed to help facilitate the process of selecting and admitting skilled workers to Canada.