Canada is keeping up with its record setting trend for the year. In the
Express Entry draw held on 23 January, 3,900 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence were issued to applicants. Applicants who scored at least a 443 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) were given an ITA this draw.
Express Entry Explained
The Express Entry (EE) system was first created to reduce the processing times for those who want to immigrate to Canada for work. The country is in desperate need of skilled workers due to an increasing elderly population who are leaving the workforce for retirement. In order to combat this issue, Canada has created more immigration programs th recent years and boosted their immigration goals to 1.3 million immigrants by the year 2021. The EE system manages applicants who apply through three of the country’s federal programs, namely the:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Trades Program; and the
- Canadian Experience Class
Where to Begin?
To start your application, you need to begin by creating an
Online Express Entry Profile. When you do, you will be required to answer questions about your age, qualifications, work experience, job, language skills and other factors. Based on the answers you give, you will be given a Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS score. This system is used to determine your rank in the Express Entry pool. The highest you can score through the CRS is 1,200 points. Those who get high enough scores are given something called an Invitation to Apply, which lets applicants apply for permanent residency. Once you get an ITA, you have 60 days to apply before you are removed from the EE pool. In the latest Canada Express Entry draw, the score needed to receive an invitation was 443. 3,900 people were given the chance to apply for permanent residency in the 23, January draw, making the total number of applicants invited this year to 7,800!
A Growing Trend in Canadian Immigration
IMAGE https://drive.google.com/open?id=14v8_eVb-cE_oi06pmP_F4PW7ma35FeLK TITLE Canadian flag on the Vancouver skyscrapers ALT TEXT Canada flag with Vancouver skyscrapers The country is following a trend of inviting larger and larger numbers of applicants in its
Canada Express Entry draws. This can be seen when comparing the number of ITAs issues at the same time last year for previous draws. In 2015, only 1,558 ITAs were given in the first two EE draws. 2016 saw only 2,981 and 2018 saw 5,500 issued invitations. The following are hypothetical examples of applicants who could receive an ITA in the latest
Canada Express Entry draw. Amanda is a 28-year-old with a Bachelor's degree. She is a digital analyst with over three years of experience. She scored 7 for all her IELTS bands. Her total CRS score is 500, meaning she would get an invitation. Mario is a 33-year-old electrician who has five years of work experience. He is is immigrating with his wife. His is trade certified and he scored 6.5 for reading and writing and 7 for speaking and listening in the IELTS. In total, he scored 452 and would thus have received an invitation.
How to Boost Your CRS Score
One of the best ways to improve your chances of getting an ITA is increasing your CRS score. You can do this in a number of ways. Improving your language scores for IELTS or TEF can get you additional points on the CRS. If you have a close relative living in Canada, who is a permanent resident, you can score even more. Getting a Provincial Nomination will almost guarantee you an ITA, as it grants applicants an additional 600 CRS points. If you are immigrating with your spouse, you can also earn additional points if they score high enough on the CRS. Just make sure that whoever scores highest, should be the primary applicant. You can also earn more immigration points if you have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer. 50 points can be earned if your job is in a NOC (National Occupational Classification) level A, B or C, while 200 points can be earned if your job NOC level is 0 or 00!
Tie Break Rule for Express Entry
The tie break rule is used during draws if applicants score the same on the CRS but there is a limited number of ITAs. This rule is very simple and helps decide who gets an ITA. Those who applied earlier in the EE pool are given an ITA. In this particular draw, if you applied before 2, January at 3:55 and scored 443, you would receive an ITA. Do you want to learn more about Express Entry? Discover if you can make Canada your new home by completing our comprehensive online evaluation. Know your immigration options.
