To qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, the experience in Skill Type 0, A or B
must consist of actions described in the lead description and a substantial number
of the duties described in the Main Duties section of the NOC, including all the
essential duties.
If he/she gained his/her skilled work experience in Canada in a NOC 0 or A job,
he/she must meet the minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in either
English or French for all four (4) language abilities. If he/she gained his/her
skilled work experience in Canada in a NOC B job, he/she must meet the minimum level
of CLB 5 in either English or French for all four (4) language abilities.
B. Applying Under Express Entry
Citizenship and Immigration Canada has implemented a new method of processing
candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Class/Federal Skilled Trades Class/Canadian
Experience Class for Immigration to Canada called Express Entry. The Express Entry
system involves two (2) steps:
Step 1 Completion of Online Express Entry Profile
In order for an individual to complete an Online Express Entry Profile and possibly
be invited to apply for Permanent Residence in Canada, he/she must qualify under the
Federal Skilled Worker Class OR the Federal Skilled Trades Class OR the Canadian
Experience Class.
Candidates will complete an Online Express Entry profile. This is a secure form that
gathers information about their:
- skills,
- work experience,
- language ability,
- education, and
- other details that will help Citizenship and Immigration Canada assess
their
eligibility.
Those who meet Citizenship and Immigration Canada's criteria will be accepted into a
pool of candidates.
Anyone who does not already have a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact
Assessment (LMIA) (if needed) or a nomination from a province or territory, must
register with Employment and Social Development Canada's (ESDC) Job Bank. Job Bank
will eventually help connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in
Canada.
Candidates are also encouraged to promote themselves to employers in other ways, such
as using job boards, recruiters, etc.
In most cases when there is a job being offered to a candidate, employers will need
an LMIA from ESDC. The LMIA process ensures employers have made an effort to hire
Canadians for available jobs. There will be no government fee payable for LMIA
Applications that support only a Permanent Residence Application. Government fees
are payable for LMIA Applications that support a Work Permit Application.
Step 2 Highest Ranking Candidates in the Pool Will Be Invited to Apply for Permanent
Residence
Candidates will be ranked against others in the pool using a point-based system
called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS will assess the profile
information candidates submit, including:
- skills,
- work experience,
- language ability,
- education and other factors.
A candidate can get additional points for:
- a job offer supported by LMIA, or
- a nomination by a province or territory.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada will choose candidates from the pool through
regular draws, choosing a pre-determined number of candidates with the highest
scores from the pool and inviting them to apply for Permanent Residence in
Canada.
Draws will be made from the Express Entry pool on a regular basis. Every draw will
have a set of instructions the electronic system will use to draw candidates from
the pool. These instructions will be posted on the Citizenship and Immigration
Canada website before each draw.
These instructions will include:
- the date of the next draw,
- the number of candidates that will get an Invitation To Apply, and
- if it applies, which specific Immigration program(s) will be included in
the
draw.
If the instructions do not specify which Immigration program the candidates must be
eligible for, the draw will be based on the CRS score.
If someone is invited to apply, they will have sixty (60) days to submit an online
Application for Permanent Residence.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete Applications
(meaning those with all the necessary supporting documents) in six (6) months or
less.
Candidates can stay in the pool for up to twelve (12) months. If they do not get an
Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence within twelve (12) months of submitting
an Express Entry profile, they may submit a new profile. If they still meet the
criteria, they can re-enter the pool. This will prevent backlogs and ensure quick
processing times.