Hey folks, big news for anyone eyeing Canada as their new home sweet home! Canada’s rolling out the red carpet for 110,770 new faces this year through its Express Entry system. And guess what? The welcome mat is getting even more prominent, with plans to bump those numbers to 117,500 in 2025 and 2026. So, if you’re dreaming of maple syrup and moose and saying “eh” at the end of your sentences, you might want to give the whole Express Entry thing a closer look to see if you can snag your spot.
So, What’s the Express Entry All About?
In a nutshell, Express Entry is Canada’s way of sorting through folks who want to move there, focusing on three main paths based on what you can do:
-The Federal Skilled Workers Program (for the career-oriented crowd);
-The Canadian Experience Class (for those who’ve already dipped their toes into Canadian life);
-The Federal Skilled Trades Program (for the hands-on experts).
Once you toss your hat into the Express Entry ring and fit into one of these categories, you get a score based on your job skills, language chops, education, and work experience. If your score’s high enough when they do regular draws, you could get an invitation to apply for permanent residency. They’ve even got these new unique draws for folks with specific job experiences or language skills, making it easier for some to get the nod.
The Quick Lowdown on Eligibility:
Federal Skilled Workers Program: Aimed at skilled folks, you’ll need to rack up at least 67 points on their scoring system based on your skills and experience. Plus, it would help if you had at least a year of full-time work in a qualified job, could chat in English or French pretty well, and have enough dough to support yourself and your family.
Canadian Experience Class: This one’s for the folks who’ve already been working or studying in Canada. Having at least a year of Canadian work experience in a skilled job, good language skills and plans to live outside Quebec would be best. There’s no need to worry about showing you’ve got funds to settle here.
Federal Skilled Trades Program: For the skilled tradespeople, you need two years of work experience in your trade, meet the job requirements, have a job offer or a qualification from a Canadian province or territory, and have basic language skills. Plus, you should be able to prove you can do the job and have some money saved up unless you’re already working in Canada.
Some More Detailed Info
Remember, Express Entry manages applications for three primary economic immigration initiatives in Canada. These are:
-The Skilled Workers Initiative;
-The Domestic Experience Scheme and
-The Skilled Trades Program.
Eligible applicants for these schemes can join the Express Entry pool. They receive a ranking via the Comprehensive Ranking System, influenced by factors like employment history, linguistic proficiency, academic achievements, and marital status. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada organization conducts periodic selections, inviting top-scoring individuals to apply for permanent residency. Specific draws targeting professionals with sought-after skills or linguistic capabilities have also been initiated.
Upon an invitation and subsequent application submission, individuals must clear all required evaluations and adhere to the stated criteria. Success results in permanent residency, enabling them to settle, work, and study in Canada indefinitely.
