Express Entry and Invitation to Apply

What is the Express Entry?

The Canadian government wanted to attract the best and smartest immigrants to Canada. By doing so, they created an immigration application system that would be revolutionary. They created a system called Express Entry. The Express Entry is an online system that deals with applications for permanent residency from certain programs from the economic side. This program operates by selecting immigrants based on skills that Canadian employers will need. In return, the immigrants that wish to have citizenship will become part of the Canadian family.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) uses this system to help faster process these applications and pick potential candidates with the skills to succeed in Canada. These candidates are to create a profile expressing their skills, work experience, and other attributes that would make them a valuable candidate in working in Canada. Individuals who meet certain eligibility criteria’s will have their profiles placed in the pool and will be ranked against the other candidates.

The government is working hard to ensure that this new application system is a success. It will help run the application process more smoothly and support Canadian employers in finding the best, most suitable candidate in the express entry pool. This will hopefully create success within Canadian workers and lead to economic growth for Canada.

How Can I Apply for the Express Entry?

There are two parts to apply for the Express Entry. The first is applying through online and the second is an invitation from citizenship and immigration Canada. To apply through online you would have to complete an online Express Entry profile where you will have to fill out information about your skills, work experience, language ability, education, and more. Once you have successfully completed the online profile and you meet the necessary requirements you will be placed on the database of other candidates and will be ranked accordingly. Now applying online does not guarantee that you will receive an invitation for permanent residency.

After completing your online profile you may be ranked among the top of your pool. If you do rank among the top Citizenship and Immigration Canada will send you an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada. To achieve high score in the ranking system you will need to have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer or a Provincial or Territorial Nomination.

What is a Valid Job Offer?

A valid job offer is not a requirement but can lead to higher points when being ranked as well as makes you a more suitable candidate. However, for the job offer to be considered valid and genuine, there are a number of different factors to be considered.

The Employer:

• Must be a Canadian employer who obtains a positive LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
• In case the candidate is already working in Canada as a Temporary Foreign Worker, the employer can provide a job offer letter for permanent employment.

The Job Offer:

• Must be supported by an LMIA as mentioned above;
• Be permanent, non-seasonal and full time;
• Be Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B on the Canadian National Occupational Classification list.

What is the Express Entry Eligibility Criteria?

Not everyone will be eligible for applying for the Express Entry, you must be under one of the following programs:

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

Once you meet the requirements of the above mentioned programs you need to register with Job Bank. Job Bank is a database that helps you connect with employers that are looking for workers with your skills. The job offer by the employer in Canada has to be supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The employers have to go through this process to ensure there is need for foreign workers. If you already have a job that is supported by an LMIA or provincial nomination, then there is no need to register with Job Bank.

What is Invitation to Apply?

As long as you are under one of those programs, your application may be put into the pool along with the others. If you are ranked high among the Express Entry pool, you may be selected and given an “invitation to apply.” An “Invitation to apply” is an offer to the candidate who is selected and invited to apply for immigration to Canada under one of the immigration programs. CIC aims to have these applications processed within 6 months of the application being submitted. Once you are issued an “invitation to apply,” you will have 60 days from the date it was issued to submit an application with all supporting documents.

It is highly recommended that you begin to collect these documents before waiting for the invitation because of the short period you have to apply for permanent residence. If you miss the deadline you are placed back into the Express Entry pool where you will have to wait again to be chosen during another invitation round. Collecting ahead of time also gives you the opportunity to take your time in gathering and completing correctly. Any false information given is seen as misrepresentation. Depending on the information and the serious of the false claim it can come with major penalties. One of those penalties could be a five-year ban from entering back into the Express Entry pool.

What Supporting Documents Do I Need to Include with my Application?

• Travel Documents and Passports
• Proof of Language Proficiency
• Work Experience in Canada, along with reference letters from past employers
• Birth Certificates
• Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
• Children’s Documents (if applicable)
• Police Certificates and Clearances
• Photos

After you have summited all the required documents to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, your permanent residence application could take up to six months to be approved. The six months begins when Citizenship and Immigration Canada confirms that you have submitted a full and complete application. Some cases could take longer than six months, but that is usually due to events that are beyond the control of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

What if you never receive an Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence?

Once you have been accepted into the Express Entry pool it is not a guarantee that you will receive an Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence. If you are in the top ranking applicants that apply then you will be chosen for this opportunity. If not, don’t worry your opportunity does not end there. If after a year of being in the Express Entry pool you still have not received an Invitation to Apply from either: A Canadian province, the Federal government or a Canadian employer but you still want to stay in the Express Entry pool all you have to do is create a new Express Entry file. If you are eligible still in one of the Economic Immigration Programs then all you are required to do is re-enter the pool again. It is important to remember that you can only re-enter the pool if you are still continuing to meet all of the requirements that are expected of you.

How long do you have to wait re-enter?

You will have 60 days to resubmit your updated Express Entry profile. This includes updating and validating any new or old information necessary and by doing so you will receive a new reference code.

How can you improve your score?

There are several ways in which might help for you to improve your score for the next round of invitations. Here are a few of the ways:

• Securing a job offer
• Take initiative and contact provinces/territories
• Promote yourself
• Improve your language score
• Improve your education or;
• Gain more work experience that is relevant to what you are applying for

What else can you do?

You should always ensure that your information on your profile is current and accurate. Having a representative take a look at it for you may be beneficial to your outcome. A representative knows exactly what is needed and what is not for your profile and we might just be able to catch what is holding you back from getting an Invitation to Apply.

Contact Akrami & Associates

If there is anything that you are unsure of or need assistance with your Express Entry profile, contact us and we will be more than willing to help and ensure that everything is done the right way for you. Immigration is our specialty and we look forward to helping you out with your needs and getting you the outcome that you deserve. Please feel free to call us at 416-477-2545 or call our toll free number at 1-877-820-7121

With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!