Canada Express Entry Pathways

The federal express entry immigration program consists of three classes; federal skilled worker class, federal skilled trades class, and the Canadian experience class.

The Canadian government’s department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) uses a selection process called Express Entry system to select skilled immigrants under one or more of the pathways to become permanent residents of Canada.

The Express Entry program has maintained the essence of granting permanent residence to those persons with skill sets that are in demand and desirable. The Express Entry program still grants permanent residence on a points-based system.

Before you can apply, there are certain requirements that candidates must meet in order to be eligible to qualify for Express Entry. These requirements mandate an applicant to attain a minimum score of 67 points on a 100-point system if you intent to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

If you meet a minimum score of 67, you can apply online to create a profile. This profile will consist of the following information; your age, work experience, education, language ability, etc. If you meet the requirements for one or more of the express entry classes you will then be placed into a pool with other eligible applicants.

You and all the individuals in the pools will be ranked according to your comprehensive ranking score. Based on your overall ranking, you may be selected for an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Being selected for an invitation to apply for express entry will depend on the class that you choose. But as a matter of general requirement, you must be admissible in Canada and you must intend to live in a province or territory other than the province of Quebec. 

Applicants for Express Entry classes will be assessed against six factors; education, work experience, language skills, job offer, and adaptability. However, there are specific requirements for each class and the following are the key differences.

You can apply for FSWP if you want to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. In order to qualify for this class, applicants must meet additional requirements in addition to the general requirements. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for employment, language, and education. In particular, the following criteria is set for eligibility for FSWP class:

• an applicant must have a minimum of one year paid continuous full-time or equivalent part-time skilled employment experience. This employment should be within the last 10 years and the work experience must fall within the skillset type under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the 2021 the National Occupational Classification(“NOC”)
• an applicant must score a minimum level 7 under the Canadian language benchmark
• an applicant must have a minimum education of diploma from a Canadian secondary school or foreign equivalent
• an applicant must have an intention to reside outside of province of Quebec

You can apply for FSTP if you want to immigrate to Canada as a skilled tradesperson for the following trades: equipment operation; industrial, electrical, and construction; chefs and cooks; butchers and bakers; supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production; processing, manufacturing and utility supervisors and central control operators.

This class is a valuable route for immigration to Canada because there is a high demand for skill trades that support Canada’s fast-growing economy.

In order to qualify for this class an applicant must meet specific requirements. An applicant must meet the minimum requirements for work experience and language ability. In particular, the following criteria is set for eligibility for FST class:

• an applicant must have a minimum of two years of full-time or equivalent part-time work experience within the last five years.
• the work experience must be in a skilled trade set by the National Occupational Classification Major Group 72, 73, 82, or 92, or Minor Groups 632 or 633
• an applicant must score a minimum level 5 under the Canadian language benchmark for speaking and listening and a level 4 for reading and writing
• an applicant must also have a valid job offer for full-time employment for a period of 1 year or present a certification of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a province, territory or federal government of Canada
• an applicant must have an intention to reside outside of province of Quebec

If you have worked in Canada, you can apply for CEC based on your previous work experience as a foreign worker in Canada. In order to qualify for this class an applicant must meet specific requirements. An applicant must meet the minimum requirements for work experience and language ability. In particular, the following criteria is set for eligibility for FST class:

• an applicant must have a minimum of one year paid continuous full-time or equivalent part-time skilled legal Canadian employment experience. This employment should be within the last 3 years and work experience must fall within the skillset in one or more  TEER 0-3 of the 2021 NOC
• an applicant must score a minimum level 7 under the Canadian language benchmark for TEER 0 or 1 and level 5 for TEER 2 or 3 of 2021 NOC.
• an applicant must have an intention to reside outside of province of Quebec

Selection process for Express Entry has been re-designed and re-visioned by the Government of Canada. To address the labour shortages, a category-based selection has been introduced to target those that have active profiles and fall under the six categories.

Category based selection is meant to complement and not replace the Express Entry draws. It means the general draws will continue along side occupation targeted draws.

To qualify for category based draw your work experience must falls within the following six categories chosen for 2023:

1. French-language proficiency
2. Healthcare occupations
3. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
4. Trade occupations
5. Transport occupations
6. Agriculture and agri-food occupations

To be eligible for category-based draw you must have worked in an eligible job for at least 6 months out of the last 3 years of work experience, you must meet all the requirements for the draw and be eligible for one of the three express entry-based programs.

To check your edibility and whether your occupation qualifies please visit IRCC.

At Parush Mann Law we can help you avoid immigration mistakes and common pitfalls, such as not understanding what the government is looking for, submission errors, and failing to meet the points score.

The Express Entry process is competitive, complicated, and time-intensive. To ensure your best chances of acceptance, seek help from a reputable organization that has the expertise of a knowledgeable Canadian immigration lawyer(s).

At Parush Mann Law, we understand your needs. We can be your pathway to a new life in Canada. Call us today and let’s get your journey to Canada started.