Are your eyes and heart set on migrating to Canada in 2022? Are you looking for a way to live and work in Canada permanently? If you are, then have you tried Canada’s Express Entry? In this guide, “Express Entry 2022: Step-by-Step Guide”, I’ll be walking you through everything you need to know about it and also guide you with steps on how to successfully apply for an Express Entry in 2022.

Canada is the second most sought-after country in the world by immigrants. A lot of immigrants try to migrate to Canada yearly. Still, not everyone is fortunate enough to get an invitation for a PR (Permanent Residency) Visa. In this guide, we’ll look at another option, Canada’s Express Entry.

Canada’s Express Entry is one of the most popular and fastest ways for immigrants to acquire a permanent residence and start a new life in Canada. Canada welcomes around 110,000 skilled workers yearly via the Express Entry system.

However, before we dive into the “Express Entry 2022: Step-by-Step Guide,” let’s have a deeper understanding of what the Express Entry is, who is eligible, and its requirements.

What is Express Entry?

The Express Entry system is an application system used by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) to manage and also process applications received via three of Canada’s federal economic programs for skilled workers.

The three main federal economic programs include:

  • Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
  • Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
  • Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Canada’s Express Entry system is an excellent opportunity for immigrants who want a PR Visa but can’t get it; however, acquiring one isn’t easy. The Express Entry is a competitive Immigration system that ranks all the eligible candidates against each other. After the candidates are ranked, invites are sent to the best-ranking candidates to apply for Canadian permanent resident status.

The candidates are ranked against each other based on their age, language proficiency, education, work experience, and other factors. However, the good news is that with the Express Entry system, you and your family can settle in Canada and become permanent residents in a few months.

Who is eligible for Express Entry?

Before you proceed with the “Express Entry 2022: Step-by-Step Guide”, it’s important first to pause and check your Express Entry Eligibility.

The Express Entry process works based on two different point systems: the 67-point calculator, also known as the eligibility point calculator, and the Comprehensive Ranking System, which is mainly used to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool based on the points scored by the applicant.

Both point systems used in Express Entry qualify aspiring immigrants based on age, work experience, educational qualification, language proficiency, arranged employment, and adaptability.

The Express Entry system permits applications mainly from the 3 Visa categories outlined below:

  • Federal Skilled Worker Program
  • Federal Skilled Trades Program
  • Canadian Experience Class Program

What requirements and documents are needed for Express Entry?

Generally, for you to be eligible to apply as a skilled worker via the Express Entry system, you must:

  • Have at least one year, in the last ten years of continuous full-time, or the equivalent part-time work experience in a skilled occupation
  • Be able to provide an approved language test; a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark if seven in either English or French
  • Have completed post-secondary education that’s assessed against Canadian standards using Education Credential Assessment
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The above requirements are the minimum requirements for anyone to apply as a skilled worker via Canada’s Express Entry system. However, you should note that meeting those requirements doesn’t necessarily equate to a Canadian permanent residence. People with more robust profiles will always be selected over candidates who just passed the minimum requirements.

On the other hand, the documents needed for the Express Entry depend on two stages:

  • Profile submission stage
  • Permanent Residency application stage

For the profile submission stage, you’ll need:

  • Passport
  • Results of an approved Language test
  • Report of Educational Credential Assessment
  • Provincial Nomination (if accepted)
  • Employment offer (if received)

For the permanent residence application submission stage, you’ll need:

  • Proof of funds
  • Medical examination report
  • Police clearance certificate

Proof of funds

Proof of funds is required because it shows the government whether or not you have enough finance to facilitate your move to and stay in Canada. The programs that require Proof of funds include:

  • Federal Skilled Trades Program
  • Federal Skilled Worker Program
  • Experience Class Program

Hence, you can see that regardless of the program you choose, you’ll have a show proof of funds to acquire permanent residency. If Proof of funds is not required, then you must write a letter stating the reason for not including it.

The reason could be:

  • You received a valid job offer
  • You were invited to apply under the Canadian Experience Class

What is the accepted Proof of funds?

The accepted Proof of funds include:

  • Money in a joint account (i.e., if you are migrating with your spouse)
  • Bonds
  • Debentures
  • Banker’s drafts
  • Official letters from any financial institution
  • Cash
  • Treasury bills
  • Money orders
  • Traveller’s cheque

Letters that’ll be accepted must have:

  • The letterhead of the named financial institution
  • Their contact details
  • Your name
  • All account numbers (if more than one)
  • The date of opening each account
  • The present balance in each of your accounts
  • The average balance calculated for the past six months
  • The list of any outstanding debts like loans

The following will not be counted as Proof of funds:

  • Borrowed money
  • Valuation of real properties

Express Entry 2022: Step-by-Step Guide

Now you know what Express Entry is, who is eligible, and its requirements. Let’s hop into the Express Entry 2022: Step-by-Step Guide.

Step 1: Determine the eligibility

Potential candidates who want to migrate to Canada must be eligible under one of the following programs:

  • The Federal Skilled Worker Class Program
  • The Canadian Experience Class Program
  • The Federal Skilled Trades Class Program

A portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) can be aligned with the Express Entry. However, the candidates must still be eligible under one of the three major federal programs before entering the EE pool.

The eligibility requirement varies for each of the Express Entry programs, and all candidates or applications must have at least one year of skilled work experience and a certain level of proficiency in an approved language test (either English or French).

Additionally, Canada screens all Express Entry applicants for medical issues and criminal records that could make an individual inadmissible.

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Step 2: Create an Express Entry Profile

All eligible candidates must submit an Express Entry profile to the pool of candidates. The Express Entry profile plays the role of Expression of Interest (EOI). The eligible candidates will automatically receive a score based on their profile, and their score will be ranked against other candidates in the pool.

The ranking score is based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which has a total of 1200 points. Candidates can improve their rankings by taking steps to improve their CRS scores (we’ll talk more about the CRS later in the guide). While improving your CRS scores, you should bear in mind that the better your CRS score, the higher your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

The Express Entry draws to use the CRS score as a cut-off point. The CRS is designed to project an individual’s likelihood of being economically successful in Canada. It’s used to rank different individuals based on their educational history, career, language skills, and if they have already received a provincial nomination or a qualifying job offer in Canada, amongst other factors.

Candidates with valid job offers from a Canadian employer or who have received a provincial nomination will be awarded more points.

Step 3: Create a job bank profile (this is optional)

Candidates or applicants who don’t have a job offer can register in Canada Job Bank, a free public resource that Canadian employers use to identify and select workers with the skills they need. This step was mandatory in the past but became voluntary or optional in June 2017.

Step 4: Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) carries out Express Entry draws at regular intervals—it’s usually done every two weeks. In the draws, applicants with a certain rank are invited by the IRCC to apply for a Canadian permanent residence. However, if a candidate or applicant is not selected or invited for 12 months, their profile will expire, and they’ll have to submit a new profile.

Step 5: Improve your CRS score

Applicants in the Express Entry pool who are yet to be selected or invited to apply for a permanent residence can improve their Express Entry profile by improving their CRS score.

You can improve your score by submitting new and updated information. The information you can resubmit includes but is not limited to language scores, adding additional work experience, educational credentials assessment, and obtaining a provincial nomination or a qualifying job offer.

Step 6: Submit your application for permanent residence

After receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA), you’ll be given a 60-day window to complete and submit your application for permanent residence. You’ll be required to provide extensive personal information and all the supporting documentation needed in your application. The entire application is online.

Once you have successfully submitted your application within the 60 days deadline, you’ll have to wait for a final decision. Note that it might take a while before your application will be processed, as 80% of Express Entry applicants are usually processed in 6 months or less.

Finally, once your application gets approved, you’ll receive authorization to activate your permanent resident status in Canada.

How much does Express Entry cost?

In total, it’ll cost you about $2,300 CAD for a single applicant and $4,500 for a couple to migrate to Canada via the Express Entry system.

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The breakdown of the cost include:

  • Language tests: Average cost = $300
  • Biometrics: $85 per person
  • Medical examination fees: Average cost = $450 per adult and $250 per child
  • Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): Average cost = $200
  • Government fees: $1,325 per adult and $225 per child
  • Police clearance certificates: Average cost = $100 per country

Note that government fees are not required when submitting the initial Express Entry profile. The fees are only required after you have been invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. You’ll also have to pay the provincial immigration fees if you apply via PNP.

As part of the cost, there’s proof of funds. Although the minimum amounts required here won’t be paid to anyone, it will be needed to approve a permanent residence visa.

Required amount per family size

Number of Family MembersFunds Required
1$13,310
2$16,570
3$20,371
4$24,733
5$28,052
6$31,638
7$35,224
For each additional family member$3,586

 

Will I need a job for Express Entry?

No, you don’t need a job offer to be successful in immigrating to Canada via Express Entry. Having a job offer doesn’t necessarily equate to a successful application. However, what it does for you is increase your CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score. If you receive a job offer that’s eligible in the Express Entry, you’ll be given 50 or 200 additional CRS points.

How long does Express Entry take?

The Express Entry system was designed to serve as a fast way for immigrants to migrate to Canada. Eligible applicants or candidates who receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) soon after joining the Express Entry pool, quickly complete and submit their application; for those applicants, the entire process could take about six months or less.

While some people could get invited soon after joining the pool, others may only receive an ITA months later or may not receive one, possibly because of their CRS score and the CRS cut-off thresholds in the EE draws.

What’s the minimum score needed to qualify for the Express Entry?

The minimum score needed for Express Entry differs based on the different programs. For example, no minimum score is required for Federal Skilled Trade or Canadian Experience Class, while a minimum of 67 out of 100 is needed to be eligible for the Express Entry program for those entering the pool via the Federal Skilled Worker Class.

How are the Express Entry points calculated?

When people mention “Express Entry points,” they are referring to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Canada uses the CRS score to rank the candidates or applicants in the Express Entry pool.

Some of the factors considered when generating a candidate’s score include:

  • Age
  • Language proficiency in English or French
  • Connections to Canada
  • Level of education
  • Foreign and Canadian work experience

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