FAQ – Express Entry
In this article, I will address a few popular questions and answers for individuals who are applying for permanent residency through Canada’s Express Entry program. If a foreign national acquires the required skills and work experience, they may be able to apply under the Express Entry economic program of Canada. Express Entry was intended as a faster way to obtain permanent residency as a foreign skilled worker. In order to discover more information about Express Entry, please continue reading this article. Essentially, the intention of this article is meant to clarify any questions or information you would like to know with regards to an Express Entry.
Q: Will I have a higher chance of being invited to apply for permanent residency if I have more than one Express Entry online profile?
A: Unfortunately, no, it does not give you a higher chance of being invited. As per Canada’s immigration law, you may only have one profile at a time. Thus, creating more than one profile at a time will not give you a higher chance to be invited to apply for permanent residency.
Q: Is it necessary to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment to apply under Express Entry?
A: No, it is not necessary to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment to apply under Express Entry, although you may obtain additional points for your education under the Comprehensive Ranking System if you do provide it. In order to get additional points for your education, you must have been educated in Canada or have a valid Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for any completed foreign studies. It is important to note that you may need to obtain an ECA to meet the requirements of other programs within the Express Entry program. For instance, you must obtain an ECA as a requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Q: If I have two foreign degrees, do I need to get an ECA for both of them?
A: Technically, if you would like to get additional points for both of them, you should get an ECA for both the degrees. However, in order to obtain the most points possible for your foreign education under the Comprehensive Ranking System, it is advisable to get the highest degree assessed. For instance, if you have a PhD and a Master’s Degree, it is suggested to get the PhD assessed.
Q: Is it mandatory to obtain a language test for Express Entry if I am a native English speaker?
A: Yes, it is mandatory to obtain a language test for Express Entry even if you are a native English speaker. The Canadian government assesses all applicants for Express Entry using the same standards, regardless of their native language, ethnicity or nationality. All applicants for Express Entry must take a standardized language test by a third party. The reasoning behind this is so that they are assessed fairly and in an unbiased way. Once you obtain your language test results, you must submit them.
Q: What are acceptable language tests to use for Express Entry?
A: Canadian Immigration only accepts specific language tests for Express Entry. Specifically, for the English language tests, they accept CELPIP which is the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program and IELTS which is the International English Language Testing System. On the other hand, for the French language test, they accept TEF which is the Test d’evaluation de francais.
Q: If I accidently withdrew my Express Entry profile, is there a way to fix it?
A: If you withdrew your Express Entry profile, you will need to create a new profile in order to enter the pool. Unfortunately, there is no way to reactivate the profile. Additionally, when creating the new profile, it is important to meet the requirements that are in place for that time.
Q: When applying for Express Entry, should I only include the required work experience needed to qualify or should I include more work experience?
A: This is a very good question. If you would like to qualify for as many programs as possible, which include the Federal Skilled Worker Program, then it is suggested to include work experience that you’ve acquired from the past ten years. Subsequently, you will need this information regardless if you are invited for permanent residency under any program you apply for. Therefore, if you’d like to save time and effort, it is advisable to provide work experience from the past ten years.
Q: Is it possible to be eligible for more than one program under Express Entry?
A: Yes, it is possible to be eligible for more than one program. If you are eligible, you would be invited to apply for one of the following programs in this order: Canadian Experience Class (CEC); Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP); then Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). However, you may not choose which program you will be invited to; the Express Entry system sorts out the applicant profiles depending on the information provided. Additionally, if you decline an invitation to apply under one of these program, the Express Entry system will not re-invite you under the next program.
Contact Akrami & Associates
Should you have any further questions or need further information about Express Entrys, it is important to properly research and ask several questions before applying for one. By doing the appropriate research and asking several questions beforehand, this will ease your worries and assist you with the application process. Many immigration applications are difficult to pursue on your own and it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to apply. Here, at Akrami & Associates, we work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients obtain permanent residency in Canada through the Express Entry program. If you believe that you may be eligible to apply under the Express Entry program, please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at our office at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advice.
With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!