Canada PR Process Step by Step Permanent Residency Process

You do not require a job offer for Express Entry. The vast majority of candidates selected for Express Entry do not have a formal Canadian job offer.

If you do have a valid Canadian job offer, this can add up to 200 points to your CRS score.

Express Entry can take as little as six months to process, from submission of the Express Entry profile to the issuance of a permanent resident visa. However, not all cases will proceed this quickly. Your Express Entry profile will remain active in the pool of candidates for 12 months if you do not receive an invitation to apply. If after 12 months you have not received an invitation, you are welcome to resubmit your profile and remain in the pool. To break it down further:

• Your profile will remain valid for 12 months in the Express Entry pool 

• Upon issuance of the ITA, you will have 60 days to provide the requested full application of documents

• Once the immigration authorities receive your complete application, your permanent resident visa, IRCC may process your application in about six months

When people refer to Canada’s “Express Entry points”, they are usually referring to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Canada uses the CRS score to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool using a series of factors, including:

• Age

• Level of education

• Proficiency in French or English

• Foreign and Canadian work experience

• Spouse factors

• Connections to Canada

It is impossible to predict how the CRS score will fluctuate in the future. No lawyer or consultant can predict this, nor can they guarantee that a person will successfully receive permanent residence through the Express Entry system.

Further, with more and more provinces selecting profiles from the Express Entry pool, a candidate’s CRS score is losing its importance. Instead, Provincial Nominee Programs look for candidates that can fill local labour market or demographic gaps. This means that candidates with in-demand skills or work experience can still succeed in the Express Entry pool, even with a low CRS score.

The Canadian government has also hinted at moving to occupation-based Express Entry draws, which could make the CRS score obsolete.

There are several options for increasing a person’s chances in Canada’s Express Entry pool. To learn more about your eligibility for Express Entry or PNP

There is no one-size-fits-all type of profile that is eligible for Express Entry. Candidates who enter the pool receive a comprehensive ranking system (CRS) score. Those who rank higher are more likely to receive an invitation to apply. Selection factors that can influence your CRS score are language proficiency, your age, your level of work experience, education, and Canadian connections. 

Ideal Express Entry candidates would meet the following requirements:

• Be under 30 years old 

• Hold at least two Bachelor’s degrees or a Master’s degree 

• Be able to demonstrate moderate to high English and/or French language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level nine or higher)

• Have at least three years of skilled work experience

Other factors that can really boost your CRS score can include:

• Higher language proficiency in English and/or French

• Bilingualism in French and English

• A Master’s degree or Ph.D. education

• Canadian work or educational experience

• A Canadian brother or sister currently residing in Canada

• An arranged employment offer from a Canadian company 

• A nomination from a provincial nominee program

In 2021, Canada alternated between holding Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws. In 2021, the CRS cut-off in CEC draws reached record lows. In February 2021, the Canadian government invited over 27,000 CEC candidates with CRS scores as low as 75.  The CRS cut-off for PNP draws ranged between the 600-800s. The high CRS cut-off in PNP draws is due to the additional 600 points given to PNP candidates. That means that, prior to receiving a nomination, the lowest ranking PNP candidate had a CRS score of less than 100.

The lowest CRS score selected in 2019 was 438 – however, there is no guarantee that having this score will result in an invitation. Whether you receive an invitation from the federal or provincial government will depend on various external factors, in addition to your own individual profile.

A CRS score in the mid to high 400s is typically considered a good score, which may help your chances of being selected by a province.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, provinces have continued to invite candidates directly from the Express Entry pool, sometimes targeting a minimum CRS cut-off, sometimes only targeting other factors such as work experience, or the candidates score on their own points grid.

Since the CRS cut-off cannot be predicted ahead of each draw score, it is important to take measures to maximize your CRS score wherever possible.

To calculate your CRS score, you first need to understand how Canada awards points to Express Entry candidates through the Comprehensive Ranking System. You can then calculate your points against each factor to determine how you rank in the Express Entry pool.