Express Entry to Canada Program

The Pilkington Immigration Law Firm works with skilled workers who wish to apply for permanent residence through express entry to Canada under the three programs. Below are summaries of each of the programs; our lawyers will go into all of the details with you about each of them and advise you on which program is a fit for you:

Skilled Worker Program:

This program is for skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to immigrate to Canada permanently. To be eligible, you must meet all of the minimum requirements for paid skilled work experience, language ability, and education. If the minimum requirements are met, the application is assessed based on age, education, work experience, whether you have a valid job offer, English and/or French skills, and how well you are likely to settle here. Requirements also include showing proof that you have enough money to settle in Canada unless you are currently able to legally work there or have a valid job offer from an employer there, and you must also consider it admissible to Canada.

Skilled Trades Program:

This program is for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. To be eligible, candidates must meet the required language levels for writing, reading, listening, and speaking, have at least 2 years of full-time paid work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before applying, meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification, have a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority. Requirements also include showing proof that you have enough money to settle in Canada unless you are currently able to legally work there or have a valid job offer from an employer there and are admissible to Canada.

Canadian Experience Class:

This program is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents. Candidates must meet the required language levels for writing, reading, listening, and speaking, have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada in the last 3 years before applying (there are a few different ways this may be calculated), and have gained work experience by working in Canada while under temporary resident status with authorization to work. You are not eligible for Canadian Experience Class entry if you are a refugee claimant in Canada, working without authorization, or working without work experience was gained without temporary resident status in Canada. There is no education requirement, but you must be admissible to live in Canada.

Based on your education, work experience, language scores, education in Canada, job offers, and family ties, we will create a profile submitted twice per month for the Express Entry Draw. Once you receive an invitation and apply for permanent residence, IRCC will send invitations to apply to the candidates with the highest scores in the pool. If they invite you to apply, you will have 60 days to submit your application for permanent residence. We can assist in preparing the express entry to Canada program application that applies to you, which is typically processed in six to eight months.

For additional information or to begin the process of applying for one of the express entry programs, give us a call today at (888) 712-9757, or fill out our online contact form to request an appointment.

The points are calculated as follows:

Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates

A. Core / human capital factors

B. Spouse or common-law partner factors

A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors=Maximum 500 points (with OR without a spouse or common-law partner)

C. Skill Transferability factors (Maximum 100 points)

Education

Foreign work experience

Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)

A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors=Maximum 600 points

D. Additional points

A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. Additional points=Grand total – Maximum 1,200 points

Points breakdown, section by section

CRS – A. Core / human capital factors

With a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 460 points total for all factors.

Without a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 500 points total for all factors.

Level of Education

Official languages proficiency - the first official language
Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking, and listening):

• Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability
• With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 128 points)
• Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 136 points)

Official languages proficiency - the second official language

Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking, and listening):

Canadian work experience

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital factors

With a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 460 points

Without a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 500 points

CRS – B. Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)

Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education    

Spouse's or common-law partner's official languages proficiency - the first official language

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking, and listening)

Spouse's Canadian work experience

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors=Maximum 500 points

CRS – C. Skill transferability factors (Maximum 100 points for this section)

Education

With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher) and post-secondary degree  Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9

Certificate of qualification (trade occupations) – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 5 or higher)

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors - Maximum 600 points

CRS – D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)

Additional points          Maximum 600 points

Subtotal: D. Additional points – Maximum 600 points

Grand total: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors + D. Additional points=Maximum 1,200 points