Entire Immigration Process Explained…from A to Z!

“HOW DOES THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CHOOSE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS?”

There are Immigration selection factors that dictate your qualifications based on your specific profile. For each selection factor there are amount of points that one can be awarded.

A.  In order to be eligible for the “Express Entry” pool, an applicant is required to attain:

1.   At least 1 year of full-time or equivalent part-time, paid work experience within the past 10 years OR qualify for Arranged Employment in Canada (a full time, permanent job offer from a Canadian employer)

AND

2.  Pass the minimum language threshold via the English and / or French language tests

AND

3.  At least 67 points out of 100 based on the Immigration selection factors.

Once an applicant meets the minimum 67 points of the selection factors, he/she is able to be added to the Express Entry pool (initially eligible) and is one step closer to receiving the “Invitation to Apply” by the Canadian government.

“HOW DO I KNOW HOW MANY POINTS I HAVE?”

Your Immigration case is based on the following selection factors:

• Age — awarded up to 12 points at the time of applying
• Education — awarded up to 25 points max.
• Language Skills — awarded up to 28 points max; 24 points first language & 4 points for second language.
  • NOTE:  It is only necessary to provide the language test result(s) when you have been invited to apply and are submitting your supporting documents.  It is not necessary for when you are creating your Express Entry online profile.
• Work Experience — awarded 15 points max. with at least 1 year of paid skilled work experience within the last 10 years at the time of applying.
• Arranged Employment in Canada (if applicable) — awarded up to 10 max. if you have arranged employment in Canada that meets certain requirements.
• Adaptability (if applicable) — awarded up to 10 points max. factoring your adaptability to move to Canada (previous study or full-time work experience in Canada, employment offer in Canada, relative living in Canada

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU:

When you completed our application form providing us with information about your specific life situation — we factored your application form based on the criteria mentioned above.

If all of this sounds confusing, not to worry. You will know how many points you have based on what our formal evaluation of your situation indicates.  If you haven’t gone through your formal evaluation of your case please click here.

B.  Second and final step in order to be Invited to Apply:

After applicants meet the minimum entry criteria of any one of the Federal economic programs – they are ranked according to the “Comprehensive Ranking System” (CRS) following criteria:

• core human capital factors
• skill transferability factors
• proof of English and/or French ability.
• accompanying spouse / partner factors (if applicable)
• factors relating to a provincial nomination (if applicable)
• qualifying offer of arranged employment (if applicable)
• previous study in Canada (if applicable)
• having a sibling in Canada (if applicable)

Invitations to Apply are issued on a priority basis when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) performs a draw, based on the Immigration selection factors and “Comprehensive Ranking System” (CRS).

*It is important to understand, that at this stage – an invitation to apply ought not to be confused with the mere initial eligibility to enter the Express entry pool nor is it to be confused with a job offer from a Canadian employer or a provincial nomination certificate.  The Invitation to Apply is an automatic letter invitation issued to eligible Express Entry candidates through their online profiles for application towards a permanent resident visa.

Finally, the government of Canada issues Invitations to Apply to certain candidates in the Express Entry pool according to their ranking by publishing a minimum “Comprehensive Ranking System” (CRS) cut-off score at the time of the draw and notifying those candidates who have been invited to apply for permanent residence.

At this stage, you have already been invited to apply by the Immigration authorities and can now submit your documents.  As soon as they formally invite you to apply, you have a maximum of 90 days to apply and submit all of your supporting documents, along with the government processing fees – to the Immigration authorities – specifically the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The following are the generic documents to provide when invited to apply for “Express Entry”:

• Valid passport
• Birth certificate
• Language test results (Test d’€™Evaluation de Francais (TEF) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  • NOTE:  It is only necessary to provide the language test results when you have been invited to apply and are submitting your supporting documents.  It is not necessary for when you are creating your Express Entry online profile.
• Documentation attesting to work experience
• Police clearance certificate(s)
• Upfront medical receipt
• Photographs of principal applicant and family members

It is important to note, that depending on the program under which a candidate was issued an Invitation to Apply and the information provided in his or her Express Entry profile, the following documentation may be required:

HOW TO KNOW:  The above supporting documents is dependant on which exact Immigration program is best suited for you. To know exactly which Immigration program is for you and which supporting documents are necessary for your specific case, please click here to go through your formal evaluation of your Immigration case.

*Because of this limited time period, candidates are encouraged to begin collecting these documents and ensuring they are in good order before an Invitation to Apply for Canadian permanent residence is issued. If a candidate misses the 90-day deadline, and is not able to submit the supporting documents and the government processing fees — the Invitation to Apply for permanent residence that was issued to him or her is no longer valid and he or she will have to re-enter the Express Entry pool.  There will be no extension.

Once all portions of the document checklist are uploaded and complete, applicants are given the option to submit an application. The option to submit is not available until after all fields are accounted for. An Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) will be automatically issued once the file is submitted.  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will review the application and determine whether or not it is both complete and eligible. IRCC aims to complete this process within 6 months of the applicant having submitted his or her application.