Express Entry Explained - What it is and how it works

What is Express Entry

Express Entry is the process that is used to apply for Permanent Residence (PR) in Canada. It is an online system that was launched in 2015 to fast track applications for immigration. As the name suggests, the process is indeed “express”. Earlier, it would take a couple of years to get your permanent residency but Express Entry aims to process most of the applications within 6 months.

This process allows skilled potential immigrants to create their profile and apply for immigration through an online platform. No more pen and paper! Don’t we all hate it when we have to refill a paper form just because we made a typo? You can enter your details, make changes as well as review the forms and documents prior to submission, through this online platform, managed exclusively by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada – the federal body that regulates immigration.

Express Entry programs

Based on your qualification and experience, there are 3 different streams under Express Entry:

Federal Skilled Worker (for people with foreign work experience, such as a salesperson or a software developer)
Federal Skilled Tradesperson (for people qualified in a skilled trade, such as a carpenter or an electrician)
Canadian Experience Class (for people with Canadian work experience, for example someone who is already working in Canada on a work permit)

Read more about these Express Entry programs to know which one you qualify for.

How does Express Entry work

You will need to create a free online Express Entry profile where you will answer questions about your age, education, work experience, marital status, and so on. Out of these parameters, your profile will be scored on largely four of them. These are your age, your language skills (English or French), your education, and your work experience. There are a few more parameters that you would be scored on, but more on that later.

Each of these four parameters will give you points that build your CRS Score. You get maximum points on age until 29, after which you lose points with every extra year. The higher your education level is, the more points you get. For example, someone with a Master’s degree will score better than someone with a Bachelor’s. You will also get points on your years of work experience, the more you have the better it is. Finally, you will also receive points on your language skills. The better your English/French is, the more points you will score.

If you are able to score enough points, you will be formally invited to apply and IRCC will officially begin processing your application. Usually, within 6 months you will know if your application is approved.

How do people get selected under this program

When you create your profile under Express Entry, you enter a pool with thousands of other interested applicants with different CRS scores. Anyone can enter that pool, irrespective of their score. Since the government wants to choose the best of the lot to become future Canadians, it will pick the top ranked applicants based on their score.

IRCC conducts a draw every week or two to pick these top scoring applicants. In every draw, they decide how many applicants they are selecting and what is the minimum score for that draw. If your score exceeds the score of that round, you will get invited to apply for permanent residence. Remember, you are not getting selected to become a permanent resident at this stage. You are instead being invited to apply for permanent residence, which we believe is the most important step in the entire process. If you reach this step, you are most likely going to become a permanent resident in a few months.

If your score is below the threshold for that draw, you will continue to remain in the pool and be considered for all upcoming draws for 12 months. After that, your profile will expire and you will have to create a new one.

How do I know if I will get a high enough score to qualify

You can find out your approximate score even before you create your Express Entry profile by using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) tool. You can enter information that applies to you and it will spit out a score based on that information. At this stage, you may not know your language scores or how your degree compares with Canadian equivalency (you will need to write a language test and get your degrees assessed for Canadian equivalency to find out the exact scores). So, try playing around with these numbers to see what’s the best score you can get and what’s the more likely score for you.

Once you have an approximate range of scores, compare them with the cut off scores in the latest Express Entry draws. That will give you an idea if you will qualify easily or if you will need to try something else to improve your score. The cut off scores keep changing with time and there is no guarantee whether they will go up or down in the next few months.

What if I don’t think I will get a good enough score

There are some things that you can’t change, for example, you can’t reduce your age to get a better score (another reason why we need a time machine!). But, there are some others that you have more control over. For example, you can try improving your language scores if you don’t get them right the first time. If you don’t have enough work experience, wait for some more time to build your work experience. Maybe you are married or planning to get married and your spouse is able to score more points. Make him/her the primary applicant and you will get added as a dependent applicant. We have covered this topic in detail here.