What is the Express Entry Program?

The Express Entry system allows foreign skilled workers to apply for permanent residence in Canada. The categories of applications that fall within the Express Entry include: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Category, Federal Skilled Trades Category, and Provincial Nominee Programs. In order to apply under these categories, qualified foreign applicants must first register an expression of interest with the Express Entry then wait to see if they are invited to apply for permanent residence.

How long does the Express Entry process take?

Once the Express Entry application has been submitted, processing times can take about one year, depending on the workload and priorities of the immigration authorities. Those who wish to remain working in Canada while the application is being processed may be able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).

What is the minimum score required to qualify for the Express Entry program?

Previous rounds of invitations (express entry draws), and the score needed to get an ITA can be viewed here. The score required to receive an ITA depends on the number of people in the pool, the qualifications of those people, and the number of invitations being given out. For example, in the September 14, 2021 round of invitations, 2000 invitations were issued for the Canadian Experience Class. The lowest ranking candidate invited had a CRS score of 462. In the January 5, 2022 round of invitations, 392 invitations were issued for the Provincial Nominee Program. The lowest ranking candidate invited had a CRS score of 808. There may be several ways for you to improve your score. You can even improve your score while waiting in the pool and updating your profile with your new information.

Federal Skilled
Trades Class

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What is the Federal Skilled Trades Class?

As one of the immigration programs covered under the Express Entry program, the Federal Skilled Trades Class is aimed at foreign skilled trades persons in the Industrial, electrical and construction trades and the maintenance and equipment operation trades.

Requirements for The Federal Skilled Trades Class

Applicants under the Skilled Trades category must have at least two years of full time work experience in their trade within the past five years. They must also have either a certificate of qualification, a job offer in Canada in their trade, or be working in Canada in their trade. Applicants must also show proof of adequate language proficiency in either English or French.

Certificate of Qualification

In Canada, the certificate of qualification which applies in the Federal Skilled Trades Program is issued by the specific regulatory body that governs trades in the province or territory. Provinces and territories are in charge of education and training of skilled traders. They are the ones who place rules and guidelines as to standards and conditions that will be used to assess or recognize foreign credentials for specific trades.

Therefore, the regulatory body will assess your training, trade experience and skills in order to determine if you are eligible to be certified.

In some cases, you will be required to write an exam before being given the certificate of qualification. This means you will have to travel to the province in order to write the exam to be certified. In some cases, you will be required to look for an employer in Canada who will offer you training and work experience before you can take the exam.

Find Out If You Qualify

The Law Office of Matthew Jeffery has years of experience assisting clients with Express Entry applications. Fill out our FREE Express Entry Calculator to see if you are qualified to apply under the Express Entry program.

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The Comprehensive Ranking System

To effectively rank immigration candidates, the government created a merit-based points system that assigns a score to all candidates in the Express Entry pool. This point system is known as CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System). The score assigned to the candidates is referred to as the CRS score and these are the factors in the CRS scoring:

Education

Applicants are awarded points based on their highest level of education, ranging from 5 points for a secondary school credential to 25 points for a Ph.D. If your formal education was conducted outside of Canada, you will also need to submit a Canadian equivalency assessment report from an approved agency.

Language Proficiency

Applicants under the Skilled Worker category must prove their language proficiency in English and/or French in order to obtain these points. This requires you to provide the results of an approved language test as part of your application. You will be tested and separately scored on your speaking, reading, writing, and listening abilities.

Work Experience

Skilled Worker applicants receive additional points for each year that they have worked, for up to six years. The work experience must be in what is considered a skilled job, and must be equivalent to full-time experience. You can check whether your work experience is considered a skilled job in the NOC listing.

Employment

If the Skilled Worker applicant is in Canada with a work permit that was obtained on the basis of a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and the applicant’s employer is willing to employ them on a permanent basis, then the applicant will obtain points for having arranged employment in Canada. If the applicant is not working in Canada but has an offer of employment based on an LMIA, then points will also be awarded.

Age

Applicants between the ages of 18 and 35 receive the full amount of points allowed for this category. Applicants lose one point per year that they are above the age of 35. For example, if you are 40 years old, you will have 5 points deducted from your age score.

Adaptability

Applicants can also receive additional points for adaptability. These points are awarded for things like having arranged employment, work or study experience in Canada by the applicant or their spouse, or having a close relative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada.

We Can Help You Get Permanent Residence

Here's how we can help you with your Express Entry application:

Formulate a strategy based on your particular circumstances.
Collect and review supporting documentation to sufficiently establish your qualifications.
Provide expert legal submissions in support of your application.
Prepare you for any requested interviews.
Communicate with the immigration authorities on your behalf to ensure you don’t miss anything, which could lead to significant delays.

The Law Office of Matthew Jeffery has years of experience assisting clients with Express Entry applications. If you are qualified and would like assistance in applying for Express Entry, or have received an ITA and would like assistance submitting an application for permanent residence, please contact us for further information. You can also complete our FREE Express Entry Calculator to see if you are qualified to apply under the Express Entry.

Calculate CRS Score

One common scenario that leads to Express Entry refusal is when you fail to provide your work experience properly. Your application may also be refused if you do not attach the right supporting documents. You may also face a refusal if the immigration officer is unsure about certain elements in your application such as your job duties.

Another scenario is when you have inconsistencies or mistakes such as adding a work experience that you had not included 5 years ago in previous applications. Immigration officers check the slightest details so you must ensure that there are no inconsistencies. Lack of proper supporting documentation can also lead to refusal. The Immigration Law Firm of Matthew Jeffery has years of experience in skilled workers cases with high success rate and we can assist you with your application.

Success Stories

Loved working with this firm for my Express entry permanent residency application. Crystal was extremely professional, understanding, and helpful. With her help, we were able to swiftly apply and obtain my PR approval. Thank you for the great work!

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Jasmin DC

Had a great experience working with Mr. Jeffery. Got help with LMIA, work permit, express entry and permanent resident applications. Everything was done in the most professional and fast way. Got answers to all the questions, all paperwork was done in very organized manner, met all the deadlines. Strongly recommend the office, they're doing great job.

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Kirill N

Matthew Jeffery and his team were instrumental in assisting me with my Express Entry application and then with my Permanent Residency Application. From the moment I met with them in their Toronto office until the time my Permanent Residency Application was approved everything was done smoothly and well within the timeframes. Matthew and his staff were always available and kept me updated on my application progress. I would highly recommend Matthew Jeffery as a competent, professional and caring Immigration Lawyer for all of your Canadian Immigration needs!

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Brett P