Express Entry Profile

Express Entry is considered the most popular and fastest route for immigration to Canada. It is a points-based system that sorts and ranks your application relative to other applicants and gives you a Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) score based on the information that you provide. Express Entry covers three programs under its system – Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) that focuses on foreign workers with foreign or Canadian work experience, Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) that targets people qualified in a skilled trade, and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program that aims at people with specific Canadian work experience.

The first step in this whole process is to find out if you are eligible to apply under any of these three programs managed by Express Entry. If you are eligible, you need to create and submit an online profile that will go into the applicant pool where it will be ranked on their skills, education, and experience. Read the detailed information for each program to find eligibility requirements. There are two ways to find out if you are eligible:

• Use the Come to Canada tool on the Canadian immigration website to find out your eligibility in 10 to 15 minutes. You will be asked various questions about your age, family, education, work experience and based on the information you put in, you will be given details about the programs you are eligible for. At the end of the questionnaire, you will be given a personal reference number, like JM1234567890, that can be used to move your information from the tool to your Express Entry profile. If you are eligible, the tool will send you forward to creating a new secure account.

• Register a new secure account on the Canadian immigration website. Under “Start an Application”, select the “Apply to come to Canada” option. Select “Express Entry” under “I do not have a personal reference code” section. Answer the questions and submit information asked for. If you are eligible, you can enter your personal details to create your profile.

If you are married or have a common-law partner, one of you must be the principal applicant. This is the person who will create the Express Entry profile and list his/her spouse or partner. The principal applicant also will be the person who is most likely to meet eligibility requirements and earn the maximum points in the Express Entry program. If you are applying under FSWP, the principal applicant will be the one who earns the most points in the selection factors.

When you submit your profile, it may happen that you are eligible for more than one programs under Express Entry. In that case, the system will consider first for CEC, then the FSWP, and last for the FSTP. You cannot choose which program you prefer to be invited to apply for. The system automatically sorts out your profile based on the details you provide.

Once you have started creating your online profile, you have 60 days to complete your details and submit your profile. If you cannot do so, you will have to start again. If you don’t have all of your information available, you can save your details and exit anytime. Your profile will remain active in the Express Entry pool for an year. After that, you will need to create a new profile and submit your details again. Always remember that creating an online profile or entering the pool doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed permanent residence (PR) for Canada. You can apply for PR only if you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

When creating your online profile for Express Entry, it is important that you keep the required documentation at hand. This is because you will need to fill in information from those documents when asked by the system. Also, if you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR), you will only have 60 days to submit your complete application. Now, you will need more than 60 days to get some of that documentation so it is a good thing if you plan it in advance and get your documents arranged. Remember, early bird catches the worm!

 So, come, let’s take a look at what documentation is needed to apply for Express Entry:

• Passport or travel documents

• Language test results

• Proof of education in Canada or an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for immigration purposes if you are applying through FSWP or you want to get points for the education you got outside Canada

• Provincial nomination (if you have one)

• Written job offer from an employer in Canada (if you have one)

• Proof of work experience

• Certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory (if you have one)

• Proof of funds for settlement

The list of documents needed to apply for PR differs slightly. Once you have received an ITA, you will need to upload documents listed above along with additional documents that include:

• Police certificates

• Proof of funds

• Birth certificate, if you are declaring dependent children

• Use of a Representative form, if you have hired a representative

• common-law union form, if you have declared your marital status as “common-law”

• marriage certificate, if you have declared your marital status as “married”

• divorce certificate and legal separation agreement, if you’ve declared your marital status as “divorced”

• death certificate, if you’ve declared your marital status as “widowed”

• adoption certificate, when a dependent child is listed as “adopted”
  

Another document that is considered mandatory to apply for PR through Express Entry is an immigration medical exam (IME) from a panel physician appointed by IRCC. Your family members must also have a medical exam, even if they aren’t coming with you. This medical exam is done to make sure that your health is not a danger to Canada’s public health or safety. As per latest guidelines from Canadian immigration authorities issued on 1st October, 2023, you don’t have to get an upfront medical exam before you submit your application for PR through Express Entry. You can upload a blank document when submitting the online profile and wait for further instructions on when to get your medical exam.

Other documents may also be needed depending on eligibility requirements for programs. These need to be submitted only if they are included in your personalized document checklist. If you don’t submit these documents, it does not mean that your application will be refused or rejected. These documents are only used to check if you meet necessary conditions to apply for a particular program. These documents may include:

• proof of relationship to a relative in Canada.

• digital photos to confirm your identity.

• details about other name to confirm aliases.

• authority to release personal information to a designated individual form.

• any other documents that are relevant to your application.

You must make sure that the details in your profile stays up-to-date at all times. Anytime there is any change in your situation, you will need to update those changes in your profile. These changes can be something like starting a new career, getting or losing a job offer, getting married or divorced, having or adopting a child etc. Always, provide true and clear details in your application. If it is found that you have provided false or incomplete details, the Canadian immigration authorities can refuse your application or even find you inadmissible. You can be barred for five years from applying to immigrate to Canada for any reason.

In some situations, it is also possible for your profile to become ineligible even if you were found to be eligible initially. Mostly, it will happen if your work experience no longer meets the program requirements. For example, some programs need you to have the work experience in the last three years before you apply but you have crossed that time limit and become ineligible. You can also become ineligible if you change your primary occupation. Sometimes, your documentation, like language tests or ECA results, needed for the application expires or you now do not have funds needed for settlement. In these cases, it is always a good idea to create a new profile or update your old profile immediately.

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Disclaimer:

The content available on this page is for informational purpose only. For professional advice, please book an appointment with our licensed immigration consultants through our website.

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