What is the Express Entry Program?
Under the 2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan, The government of Canada is targeting the arrival of 91,800 immigrants through the Express Entry program in 2020, 91,150 immigrants in 2021, and 91,150 immigrants in 2022.
Implemented in January 2015, the express entry Canadian immigration program is for skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to immigrate to Canada permanently and take part in the Canadian economy. It is the fastest and most popular pathway for newcomers seeking a new life in Canada. Skilled workers are those with managerial jobs, professional jobs or technical jobs and skilled trades.
Approximately every two weeks, the Canadian government invites the most competitive Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent resident status.
Who are the ideal immigrants for the Express Entry Program?
Candidates who are ideal for Express Entry eligibility purposes are those with university or college degrees, with skilled work experience and moderate proficiency in English and/or French.
What are the minimum requirements for the Express Entry?
The express entry program has minimum requirements for: skilled work experience, language ability and education. You must meet all the minimum requirements to be eligible.
Your skilled work experience must be paid work (have been paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count) in the same type of job as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation), it must be within the last 10 years and it must be at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week)—you can meet these in different ways.
Work experience gained while you were studying may count towards your minimum requirements if the work was paid by wages or commissions, was continuous (no gaps in employment), and meets all the other requirements of the Program.
You must show that while working in your primary occupation, you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.
One of the main immigration law challenges for this program is proving that an applicant has sufficient funds for them and their family to settle in Canada unless the applicant is currently able to legally work in Canada and has a valid job offer from an employer in Canada. Thankfully however, the threshold of funds is not too high. For example, the minimum threshold for a family of 7 members is around $34,000 CAD.
For Couples seeking permanent residence in Canada:
Each spouse can create their own Express Entry profile and include their partner in the profile. You can wait to see who receives an invitation to apply first. Each applicant can either include their spouse as an accompanying spouse or non-accompanying. However, a person cannot create two separate profiles for themself, one with their partner accompanying and one with their partner non-accompanying. Although it is recommended that you always disclose your marriage or common-law relationship on your application, your partner does not need to accompany you to Canada.
Further information can be found on the official Canadian government’s website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/federal-skilled-workers.html
Don’t do it alone. Let a Canadian immigration lawyer assist you.
Canadian immigration law issues can be complex and overwhelming. An immigration lawyer helps you navigate any challenges that may arise, foresee obstacles in Canadian immigration law and overcome them ahead of time.
If you need legal advice, or legal representation for this application, click below to book an appointment with Rana Charif, a highly qualified and licensed Canadian immigration lawyer in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. When it comes to immigration law, details is what makes the difference.
