What is express entry
A lot of people wonder if they’re eligible to apply for the Express Entry System. If they are, what it takes to apply, and how long it takes. Now, in order to apply through the Express Entry online system. You actually have to meet the qualifications in one of four different immigration programs.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program
- The Canadian Experience Class
- Provincial Nominee programs
The best way to describe the Express Entry System is more of an online file management system used by the Canadian Government for anyone who is applying for permanent residency under one of those four immigration programs.
If you don’t actually meet the minimum criteria of one of those four immigration programs, then you cannot apply through the Express Entry System.
Once you do submit an application through the Express Entry System. You are then placed in what’s called the express entry pool. This is where all the candidates who are applying to one of those four immigration programs, submit their application, and they’re each then assigned what’s called a comprehensive ranking system score.
This score is out of 1200 points.
And this is the score that the government will use when they’re actually selecting people for permanent residency. So again it might be possible for someone to submit an application through the Express Entry System. But if their comprehensive ranking system score is too low, they may never be selected from the express entry pool or proceed with a permanent residency application. So it’s very important, before you submit an application, that you understand what your comprehensive ranking system score is and what the realities of being selected are.
Once you are in the express entry pool, and you’ve been assigned your comprehensive ranking system score. The government will do what’s called a draw. These occur on average every two weeks, they can fluctuate, what the government does is they go into the express entry pool and they select a certain number of candidates based on score alone.
So what they will do depending on the week, say it’s 2500 people for this week. They will go into the Express Entry System, and pick the top 2500 people based on score alone.
If there is a tie for instance maybe there’s 2585 People with a similar score. Those that submitted their application first would be picked before those who submitted them later.
Invitation to Apply
If you are selected by Express Entry you then get what’s called an invitation to apply.
Only once you’ve received the invitation to apply can you actually submit your application for permanent residency. Once you receive that invitation. You’ll then be given 90 days to submit your full application to the Canadian government, and if it is approved, you would then be eligible to enter Canada to activate your permanent residency.
