Canada Express Entry Visa
One of the biggest concerns of immigrants is how to obtain permanent residence and citizenship in the destination country. The best way to immigrate to Canada is to apply through the Canada Express Entry visa. It is worth knowing that with this route you do not necessarily need to study or work after arriving in Canada in order to be considered a Canadian citizen, because by passing the Express Entry stage and obtaining the required score, you are considered a citizen once you arrive in Canada.
Immigration rules change often. This guide is a general introduction; check the current rules with a licensed lawyer before you act.
Therefore, Iranoca Immigration Marketing Company explains below how to earn the points and the requirements involved. Stay with us.
Canada Express Entry Visa
In general, Express Entry is a comprehensive online system that processes applications for permanent residence in Canada. The system is suitable for people both inside and outside Canada, and they can use it to apply for their residence card.
What are the benefits of the Canada Express Entry visa?
- Lower cost compared with the entrepreneur and investor routes
- The fastest way to immigrate to Canada (approximately 6 to 9 months)
- A fully online process (no need to send paper documents)
Requirements for the Canada Express Entry visa
To be able to register in this system and create an account, you must meet the requirements of one of the following programmes:
Federal Skilled Worker Program:
For this programme you must have at least one year of work experience in one of the level A or B0 occupations in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC). You must also score 67 out of 100 points in the Federal Skilled Worker Program points system.
Calculating Federal Skilled Worker points:
If you hold a non-Canadian qualification, in addition to your degree and transcripts you must also submit an Educational Credential Assessment.
In addition, you must achieve the minimum language scores set out below.
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| IELTS General | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| TEF Canada | 249 | 207 | 310 | 310 |
| TCF Canada | 458 | 453 | 10 | 10 |
Federal Skilled Trades Program:
For this programme you must have two years of work experience in skilled trades that are in demand in Canada. You also need a job offer or a certificate of qualification.
Your language results must also be as follows:
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| CELPIP General | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| IELTS General | 5 | 3.5 | 4 | 5 |
| TEF Canada | 181 | 121 | 181 | 226 |
| TCF Canada | 369 | 342 | 4 | 6 |
Canadian Experience Class:
For this programme you must have at least one year of work experience in Canada in one of the level A0 or B occupations of Canada's NOC. If you hold a non-Canadian qualification, in addition to your degree and transcripts you must also submit an Educational Credential Assessment.
Also, if your work experience is at level A0, your English or French language results must match the table below:
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| IELTS General | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| TEF Canada | 249 | 207 | 310 | 310 |
| TCF Canada | 458 | 453 | 10 | 10 |
If your work experience is at level B, your English or French language results must match the table below:
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| CELPIP General | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| IELTS General | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| TEF Canada | 181 | 151 | 226 | 226 |
| TCF Canada | 369 | 375 | 6 | 6 |
Those who apply for the Canada Express Entry visa together with their spouse receive fewer points than single applicants. However, the points lost for being married can be offset by the points the spouse earns. For example, if the spouse has a language certificate or education, this shortfall is made up.
Also, if people are planning to get married, the principal applicant can create an Express Entry profile and, after receiving the invitation and submitting the documents, get married and add their spouse to the file. In this case no points are deducted from the file, but processing takes a little longer.
Applicant age requirements and the related points:
| Age | Single principal applicant, maximum points: 110 | Married principal applicant, maximum points: 110 |
| 17 years and under | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | 99 | 90 |
| 19 | 105 | 95 |
| 20-29 | 110 | 100 |
| 30 | 105 | 95 |
| 31 | 99 | 90 |
| 32 | 94 | 85 |
| 33 | 88 | 80 |
| 34 | 83 | 75 |
| 35 | 77 | 70 |
| 36 | 72 | 65 |
| 37 | 66 | 60 |
| 38 | 61 | 55 |
| 39 | 55 | 50 |
| 40 | 50 | 45 |
| 41 | 39 | 35 |
| 42 | 28 | 25 |
| 43 | 17 | 15 |
| 44 | 6 | 5 |
| 45 years and over | Single principal applicant, maximum points: 110 | 0 |
Education points in the Express Entry programme:
| Level of education | Single applicant, maximum points: 150 | Married applicant, maximum 140 points for the principal applicant and 10 points for the spouse |
| High school diploma | 30 | Principal applicant: 28 points
Spouse: 2 points |
| One-year programme after high school | 90 | Principal applicant: 84 points
Spouse: 6 points |
| Two-year programme after high school | 98 | Principal applicant: 91 points
Spouse: 7 points |
| Bachelor's degree or a programme of three years or more after high school | 120 | Principal applicant: 112 points
Spouse: 8 points |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials, at least one of which was awarded on completion of a programme of at least three years. | 128 | Principal applicant: 119 points
Spouse: 9 points |
| Master's degree or professional degree | 135 | Principal applicant: 126 points
Spouse: 10 points |
| Doctorate (PhD) | 150 | Principal applicant: 140 points
Spouse: 10 points |
Language skills and their points:
The first official language certificate earns points for both the principal applicant and their spouse. The second official language certificate earns points only for the principal applicant.
Accepted language tests for the Canada Express Entry visa
EnglishCELPIP General certificate
IELTS General certificate
FrenchTEF Canada certificate
TCF Canada certificate
Note: TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE certificates are not accepted for the Express Entry programme.
| Level CLB | Married applicant, maximum 128 points for the principal applicant and 20 points for the spouse | Single applicant, maximum points: 136 |
| CLB 4 | Per skill:
Principal applicant: 6 points Spouse: 0 points |
6 |
| CLB 5 | Per skill:
Principal applicant: 6 points Spouse: 1 point |
6 |
| CLB 6 | Per skill:
Principal applicant: 8 points Spouse: 1 point |
9 |
| CLB 7 | Per skill:
Principal applicant: 16 points Spouse: 3 points |
17 |
| CLB 8 | Per skill:
Principal applicant: 22 points Spouse: 3 points |
23 |
| CLB 9 | Per skill:
Principal applicant: 29 points Spouse: 5 points |
31 |
| CLB 10 and above | Per skill:
Principal applicant: 32 points Spouse: 5 points |
34 |
| Level CLB | Married applicant, maximum points: 22 | Single applicant, maximum points: 24 |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 point per skill | 1 point per skill |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 points per skill | 3 points per skill |
| CLB 9 or above | 6 points per skill | 6 points per skill |
Second official language skills (English or French):
| Level CLB | Married applicant, maximum points: 22 | Single applicant, maximum points: 24 |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 point per skill | 1 point per skill |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 points per skill | 3 points per skill |
| CLB 9 or above | 6 points per skill | 6 points per skill |
Work experience in Canada and its points:
| Canadian work experience | Married applicantMaximum 70 points for the principal applicant and 10 points for the spouse | Single applicantMaximum points: 80 |
| Less than one year | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | Principal applicant: 35 points
Spouse: 5 points |
40 |
| 2 years | Principal applicant: 46 points
Spouse: 7 points |
53 |
| 3 years | Principal applicant: 56 points
Spouse: 8 points |
64 |
| 4 years | Principal applicant: 63 points
Spouse: 9 points |
72 |
| 5 years or more | Principal applicant: 70 points
Spouse: 10 points |
80 |
Please note: this work experience must be full-time, at least 30 hours per week. Also, work done while studying in Canada does not count as work experience.
Please note: combinations of education and language level, education and Canadian work experience, language level and non-Canadian work experience, Canadian and non-Canadian work experience, and a trade certificate combined with language proficiency can bring you additional points for obtaining your Canada Express Entry visa.
Additional points:
Finally, applicants can receive up to 600 points from the various items in the table below.
| Additional points | Points for all applicants |
| Receiving a provincial nomination from any province except Quebec | 600 |
| A job offer from a Canadian employer in NOC 00 | 200 |
| A job offer from a Canadian employer at level 0, A or B | 50 |
| A brother or sister who is a permanent resident or citizen of Canada and lives in Canada | 15 |
| French language results of CLB 7 or higher in all skills and English results of CLB 4 or lower (or no English test) | 25 |
| French language results of CLB 7 or higher in all skills and English results of CLB 5 or higher in all skills | 50 |
| One or two years of post-secondary education in Canada | 15 |
| Three or more years of post-secondary education in Canada | 30 |
Documents required for the Canada Express Entry visa
- Identity documents
- Educational credentials
- Employment documents
- Language certificate
- Financial documents
- Medical examination documents
- Police clearance certificate
Note: The originals of all documents required for this programme must be uploaded online to the system, and paper copies are not required. Documents must be in English or French.
Steps to obtain the Canada Express Entry visa
The steps, in order, are as follows:
- Creating an account
- Entering basic information
- Receiving an invitation
- Completing the information, uploading the documents and submitting the permanent residence application within 60 days
- Review of the documents and file by the federal department
- Receiving permanent residence
Step one: creating an account
To register for the Canada Express Entry visa, you must first create an account on the GCKey website. Then open your file by entering various information about your education, work experience, language certificate and personal details.
Step two: receiving a Canada Express Entry invitation to apply
Depending on the needs of the immigration department, draws are held several times a year, and the immigration department selects people with the scores it is looking for.
If you do not receive an invitation after twelve months, your account expires and you are required to create it again.
Step three: submitting the permanent residence application
After receiving the invitation, submit your online application for permanent residence within the 60-day deadline. After that date, the immigration department will respond to your application within 6 to 9 months. To submit the application, simply complete the requested information in your Express Entry account and upload the relevant documents. Then pay the Express Entry visa fee and submit your application. Note that you should receive a confirmation of document submission within 24 hours of submitting the application.
Step four: review by the federal immigration department
This stage, which is in fact the review of the file, takes one to two months, and you can follow the progress of your file through your profile.
Step five: permanent residence approval
After your file is approved, you are required to send your passport to the nearest Canadian visa office where you live in order to receive the Canada Express Entry visa, so that the visa can be placed in it.
How much does the Canada Express Entry visa cost?
| Fee item | Applicant | Applicant's spouse | Each child |
| Processing fee | 850 Canadian dollars | 850 Canadian dollars | 230 Canadian dollars |
| Right of permanent residence fee | 515 Canadian dollars | 515 Canadian dollars | |
| Biometrics fee | 85 Canadian dollars | If the applicant has a spouse and children, 170 Canadian dollars for the whole family | |
Iranoca Immigration Marketing Company, with its approved lawyers and expert consultants, can accompany you in building a better future. If you need a consultation, you can meet our consultants in person or online and learn about the process of obtaining your Canada Express Entry visa. You can also, right now, through our free assessment form, which is managed by expert consultants, check your eligibility for the Canada Express Entry visa.
Steps to obtain the Canada Express Entry visa
Dear applicant, if you wish to obtain the Canada Express Entry visa, please follow the steps below
Assessment form and consultationFirst, by completing the free assessment form, you can send your circumstances and basic details to the lawyers for review. If your general circumstances are suitable, a call will be scheduled for a consultation. Please note that this entire process is free of charge and is reviewed and assessed by specialists
Receiving the confirmation letterAfter the consultation and completion of the immigration file process, a letter of approval or non-approval will be sent to you by the licensed lawyers. This letter states whether or not you are eligible to immigrate, the type of immigration visa, and the route and conditions through which you can immigrate.
Registration in Obtaining the visa Frequently asked questions some users have had about the Canada Express Entry visaFrequently asked questions
Who uses the Federal Skilled Worker Program?
People who have at least one year of foreign, i.e. non-Canadian, work experience.
Who uses the Canadian Experience Class?
People who have at least one year of Canadian work experience.
Who uses the Federal Skilled Trades Program?
People who have at least two years of skilled trades work experience.
What is the minimum score needed to receive a Canada Express Entry invitation?
It is not possible to say exactly what score the immigration department will select in future draws. This depends on the number of invitations and how often draws are held. However, over the past 10 months this score has been a minimum of 542 and a maximum of 785.
How long do you have to wait?
This depends on your score. If your score in the programme through which you created your Express Entry account is high, you will receive an invitation in the first draws.
Can an Express Entry file be refused?
Yes, but in general not if the information and documents are correct and there are none of the following:
- Incomplete documents
- Contradictory or incorrect information
- A criminal record
- Serious illnesses of the applicant
- Failure to submit the application by the file deadline
If you receive an invitation from a province, do you have to stay in that province?
No. Under Canadian law, after entering Canada and obtaining permanent residence, you are free to live, work or study anywhere in Canada you wish.
Does the work experience submitted for Express Entry have to be related to your education?
Yes, work experience must be in line with your educational credential. For example, you cannot apply in hairdressing with an engineering degree.