Express Entry (EE) is an online system that manages and selects skilled workers to immigrate to Canada under three different programs: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class. It works by calculating candidates points in their profile, the calculation is based on age, language proficiency (English and/or French), education level, professional experience inside and outside of Canada, time of active profile on EE, etc. The provinces can also select candidates in the pool of Express Entry and send them an invitation.
Usually twice a month, the government sends out invitations to apply (ITA) to the candidates with the highest scores. Each draw is accompanied by a list of instructions, including the number of available spots and the program that approved you. Also, aside from the regular draws, they have a few special calls throughout the year for FST, which has a lower cut-off. Upon receiving an invitation letter, the applicant must mail all of the documents that proves the veracity of their information on Express Entry, so that they can receive their Permanent Residency (PR). The EE is valid for all provinces except Quebec.
For all three programs, the candidate will need to prove that neither the applicant or any family member have a criminal record or any medical inadmissibility, also to be eligible you need to prove sufficient income to support you and your family in Canada, unless you have a valid job offer and work permit. The Proof of Funds in calculated according to LICO.
You do not need to meet the funds requirements for Canadian Experience Class.
Puzzle Tip: After receiving the ITA, you have up to 60 days to send all of your documents and prove the information given on Express Entry.
Did You Know? You can get extra points in your profile if you have a sibling who is a Citizen of Canada, or that is living as a Permanent Resident here. Also, receiving a provincial nomination will give you another 600 points!
Puzzle Tip: Your profile on the program is only valid for a year. If you do not receive an ITA, you will have to make a new Express Entry profile. At Puzzle, eligible customers receive 1-year of file maintenance at no additional cost!
Did you Know? If you’ve reached level 7 or higher in all four language abilities in French (reading, writing, speaking and listening), even if it is your second designated language, you can get extra points added to your profile.
Puzzle Tip: Studying in a post-secondary institution can add another 15 or 30 points to your profile, depending on the duration of your program (1 to 2 years, or more than 3 years respectively), we work with many educational institutions in Canada and can help you achieve your goal.
Did you Know? For the job offer to be valid in the Express Entry profile, it must be validated with a LMIA.
It’s important to highlight that when applying for Permanent Residence, all necessary documents and information must be double-checked with extra caution. Any dubious information can bar you from applying for five years.
Learn more by scheduling an appointment with our Regulated Immigration Consultant today!
If you have one year of full-time (30h per week or equivalent, for example two years working part-time) authorized work experience in Canada in NOC 0, A or B, in the last three years prior to applying you might be eligible for Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Meaning, foreigners working under an LMIA or OWP, like post-graduates (PGWP), can apply for permanent residence via CEC after one year of work experience in Canada. It is also required to prove the minimum required proficiency level in either English or French, education and admissibility.
Did you Know? Work experience in Quebec counts toward CEC, but you can’t apply for this program if you intend on living there.
Puzzle Tip:Time working as a student, or self-employed, doesn’t count towards CEC. Also, anytime over 30 hours a week doesn’t count towards the program.
If you want more information about the Canadian Experience Class, you can find it in the government website, click here.
This program is specialized for foreign skilled professionals that lives in or outside Canada and intend to move permanently to any province in Canada, excluding Quebec. The FSW has a minimum requirements for applications, such as having at least 67 out of 100 points, have a minimum of CLB 7 for English or French, one year of continuous paid professional work experience in a NOC 0, A or B position (or equivalent in part time) in the last ten years, and the equivalent of a secondary Canadian education. After reaching the minimum requirements, the candidate for permanent residence will be in a pool with other candidates, and usually needs more points to be invited then just high school and CLB 7. There are other criteria that can help you boost your points, during a consultation with our immigrtaion consultant that will be discussed. The FSW is one of the most common, and most competed ways of entering Canada as a Permanent Resident, however, it may not necessarily be the most adequate to your profile.
Did you Know? The passing score to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) sits between 450 and 460 points lately, but in May 17 of 2017 the ITA was as low as 415 points. The system used to rank the individuals on the EE pool is called Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
If you want more information about the Federal Skilled Work program, you can find it in the government website, click here.
The FSW is specifically for candidates that works in fields such as maintenance, industrial, butchers, bakers, chefs, etc. To apply, the professional must reach the minimum level on CLB/NCLC, have at least two full years of professional experience or equivalent, as well as a valid job offer, for at least a full year, or a certificate of skilled trade issued by a public canadian authority.
Did You Know? In the FSW program, work experience can only count if you are certified to work in the region/province where you acquired your work experience.
Know more about the different programs and our services. Schedule an appointment and learn about the path that’ll take you faster to Canada!
If you want more information about the Federal Skilled Trades program, you can find it in the government website, click here.
(Marriage, children of up to 22 years old, parents and grandparents)
Family Class is a immigration programs offered by the Canadian government that allows other members of the family to immigrate to Canada with your “sponsorship”.
If you are over 18 years of age and is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident living in Canada, you may be able to sponsor your spouse, child (if they are under 22 years of age and are not married), parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada. Also, if your child has dependents, you may be able to sponsor them as well. For your family member to be sponsored, they will need to be eligible, and it will be required to see an authorized doctor, provide biometrics, and others requirements depending on each situation.
There are many requirements that have to be met in order to sponsor your family member, and it will depend on who you are sponsoring. For example, if you are sponsoring your wife or child, you will not need to prove income, but if the child you are sponsoring has a dependent child of their own, you must have the income required as per LICO ( low income cut-off table) which is the table that establishes how much income you will need to have according to the size of your family. The same applies to sponsor parents and grandparents, but the LICO in this situation will be different.
It’s worth remembering that your visa’s approval depends on the immigration officer, so it is important to make sure that all of the necessary documents for the application are provided, as well as all of the information up to date.
Know more about the process and our services. Schedule an appointment here.
Canadian citizenship comes with various benefits that permanent residents don’t get to enjoy. Not only you get a definitive status in Canada, versus the PR card that needs to be renovated every five years, Canadian citizens can vote, work in any field including political offices, live however long outside the country without immigratory consequences and have a Canadian passport. Canada recognizes dual citizenship, so you won’t have to give up on your status in your country of origin (as long as it also recognizes double citizenship).
What are the prerequisites for applying for citizenship?
Being a Permanent Resident (your PR card can be expired at the time of application);
Have lived and being physically present in Canada for at least 3 of the last 5 years before applying;
Have paid income taxes properly for at least 3 of the last 5 years before applying;
Individuals between 18 and 54 on the date of application need to obtain a CLB of 4 or higher in English or French and prove their proficiency for the citizenship officers during the process;
For individuals younger than 54, it will also be necessary to correctly answer 15 out of 20 questions in a questionnaire about Canadian history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols.
It is important to emphasize that complying with all these prerequisites is not enough to apply to Canadian citizenship. In addition to them, you have to make sure that you are not prohibited by the Citizenship Act, that is, you may not fit into certain legal situations, such as having committed a crime of fraud, or an indictable offence. Check out the complete list here or contact Puzzle to discuss your options..
Puzzle Tip: If you have lived as a temporary resident in Canada for the last five years before applying, you can count up to one year of this time towards citizenship, the calculation is, for every two days lived in Canada you will count one. For example, if you have lived as an international student for two years without leaving the country, you could use one year of that time for the application. Applying with extra time beyond 1,095 days minimum is greatly encouraged, as it might avoid problems with the calculation.
Did You Know? The average processing time for citizenship is 12 months, but some people receive it before that. For the majority of applicants, the process involves an in-person interview and undertaking a written test.
Beyond the privilege of carrying a Canadian passport, getting a citizenship means definitively becoming a part of that country, sharing a bigger sense of duties and rights with other canadians. Puzzle Canada helps you in every step of the way, schedule an appointment today!
