Express Entry: A Step-by-Step Explanation on How It Will Work

Canada’s new Express Entry (EE) program is expected to bring more opportunities for skilled immigrants, as well as more possibilities for Canadian employers, and that too with fast visa processing. Under the new program, federal government, governments of provinces and territories, as well as employers will have a direct participation in deciding the economic immigration to Canada. The visa processing time under EE will be 6 months, which previously took around 12 to 14 months. Additionally, the process will no longer follow a first-in-first-out approach, but will select the best candidates.

The Express Entry program will primarily work in two steps. In first step, applicants will create an online profile, mentioning their details. In second step, they will be sent an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency in Canada. However, lots of crucial activities are involved in these two steps. So, let’s break down these steps into more detailed steps.

Express Entry Online Profile

• Applicants will submit their EE profile online with self-declared skills based on approved assessments.
• They will be assessed on factors such as education, work experience, language ability and other factors that lead to a successful life in Canada. The assessment will be in the form of points in accordance of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). 
• Applicants meeting eligibility criteria of one of the federal economic immigration programs (mentioned below) will be entered into the EE pool.

               o  Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
               o  Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
               o  Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
               o  Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)*

• At this stage, applicants will be prompted to promote themselves on Canadian Job Bank to signal their presence to employers.

 * Candidates under PNP need not necessarily apply under the Express Entry program; however, it will expedite their visa processing, as mentioned above.
 
Invitation to Apply

• The employers will have the choice to recruit candidates either directly from the Job Bank or after they have been selected through CRS assessment.
• Once an applicant is recruited, he will be immediately sent an ITA to apply for permanent residency (PR) in Canada under one of the above mentioned federal economic immigration programs within a time frame of 60 days. Failure to do so will result in candidate falling back to the EE pool. 
• Applicants applying for a permanent residency visa in Canada will have to provide document proofs of all the information they have provided in their EE profile.

 The Canada Express Entry program will certainly make the whole recruitment and immigration process much more efficient. It will make the process more transparent by involving province/territory governments, and employers in recruiting foreign skilled workers. This will also make it easier for employers to choose the candidates they find most suitable for the job they have to offer. And apart from making the immigration fast, it will also make it more efficient; since the most suitable candidates will be given the chance to have permanent residence in Canada.