Since its inception in 2015, the Express Entry program is the most popular way for people all over the world to immigrate to Canada by qualifying for permanent residence. Express Entry is a system that organizes and processes applications based on a ranking system. The Express Entry has three qualifying programs under it, and they are all equally competitive. These three programs are:
1. The Federal Skilled Worker Program [FSW]
2. Federal Skilled Trades Program [FST]
3. Canadian Experience Class Program [CEC]
Candidates seeking permanent residence in Canada are ranked against one another, and only the highest-ranking candidates are chosen. The Canadian government created a merit-based scoring system that allocates a score to each candidate in the Express Entry pool in order to rank immigration candidates. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is the name of the points system, and the CRS score is the number issued to each applicant.
A CRS score with a maximum of 1200 points is assigned to everybody who uploads a profile to the Express Entry pool of candidates. The Canadian government holds an Express Entry draw every two weeks, in which the highest-ranking individuals are issued Invitations to Apply [ITAs] for permanent residency. Prior to the draw, the Office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Canada [IRCC] does not reveal the date of the draw, the amount of ITAs that will be given, or the minimum required CRS score.
The CRS Score is split into four categories, with a maximum total of 1200 points awarded, in order to rank qualifying candidates applying for Express Entry. These categories and the maximum points awarded for them are:
A maximum of 460 points is awarded for Express Entry candidates with a spouse, and a maximum of 500 points is awarded to candidates without a spouse. This category included factors such as age, level of education, proficiency in official languages and Canadian work experience.
A maximum of 40 points is awarded in this category. For Express Entry candidates without a spouse or common-law partner, these 40 points are awarded based on eligibility, as a part of the core/ human capital factors category.
A maximum of 100 points is awarded in this category. It is used to analyze the educational proficiency of Express Entry candidates, and it included factors such as proficiency in the official languages, a post-secondary degree, Canadian work experience and foreign work experience. A candidate is considered as proficient in the official language if he/she has a Canadian language Benchmark [CLB] score of 7 or above.
A maximum of 600 points is awarded in this category. It awards points to candidates who have siblings who are either citizens or permanent residents in Canada. In addition to this, factors like French language skills, arranged employment, provincial nomination and post-secondary education in Canada to rank Express Entry candidates.
It is expected that candidate receiving an Invitation to Apply in 2021 will need to have a CRS score of around 470 points. This means that a large number of Express Entry candidates are likely to enter Canada permanently without a job offer and without being a part of the provincial nominee program.