A land full of possibilities and prosperity does tempt us all. Ever wondered how nice it would be to get the chance of becoming a Permanent Resident of such a flourishing country? Well, you are not the only one. Canada Express Entry, founded on 1st January, 2015, is an online immigration program operating on a global level, fulfilling aspirations of many skilled professionals by accommodating them with Permanent Residency in Canada. The list of benefits that come along with it is quite big such as abundant employment opportunities along with accessibility to all social benefits, not only this but the cherry on the top being visa-free travel in almost 180 countries. 

But, how do we achieve this goal? Luckily, we have the answer, Canada Express Entry, first of all, requires you to check your eligibility for applying. 

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria includes 4 main fields namely:

·       Experience regarding skilled work - The person applying is required to be a part of a Managerial/ Technical/ Professional job under the National Occupational Council (NOC). NOC has different codes for various professions. These codes indicate the number by which the job is enlisted under Canada’s official job classification system. To apply for Express Entry the candidate must be grouped under the skill type 00 (Senior Management positions), 0 (Managerial jobs), A (Specialists with relevant degrees such as doctors, engineers, scientists, etc) or B (Skilled Trade Workers like electricians, mechanics, etc). An experience of 1 year of work having 1,560 hours is mandatory. Under the completion of hours either the aspirant can undertake a full time job or two part time jobs.

·       Language Proficiency- Language is considered to be a significant criteria for obtaining PR. As it is known, English and French are the two official languages of Canada so in order to be qualified for Express Entry, abilities in either or both two languages are assessed. In case of English being the first language, one of the majorly used and popular exams which demonstrates the candidate’s English language proficiency called IELTS, is taken into consideration. It is acknowledged by CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) which is what makes it highly reliable for Express Entry criteria. This test is compulsory when checking language skills. IELTS assesses skills in 4 categories precisely- reading, writing, speaking and listening from bands of 1-9. The levels of ability in all 4 categories is tested using CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark), it provides levels up to 12. For PR, a minimum proficiency of CLB 9 i.e., at least a band score of 8 specifically in speaking and a band score of 7 in the rest of the three categories is required in each field. When it comes to the second official language, Francais, tests such as TEF and TCF provide the same 4 major categories as mentioned above- listening, reading, writing and speaking. These tests are used to evaluate the contender’s level in all 4 fields; the minimum required level is CLB 7. The validity for the TEF exam and TCF exam lasts for 2 years.

·       Educational Background- This criteria demands a certificate or a diploma from the Canadian institution that the aspirant has been a part of. If the candidate has foreign education i.e. the educational institution lies outside Canada, the applicant then is recommended to provide a completed credential from their institution as well as an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) which indicates that the education is equal and complete in terms of the Canadian Educational System. The ECA is an essential document which can be obtained by various officially designated organisations. The list of these are - 

1- WES (World Education Services) designated by IRCC to facilitate ECA starting from 17th April, 2013. The validity lasts for 5 years from the date of issue. 

2- Comparative Education Service University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies- designated on 17th April, 2013.

3- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada also designated on 17th April, 2013.

4- IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Services) designated on 6th August 2015. Has a validity of 5 years.

5- International Credential Evaluation Service designated on 6th August 2015. 

Out of all, highly utilised include WES and IQAS. 

·       Proof of Funds- A proof of assurance is mandatory to be given to indicate that the individual has enough funds to look after themselves as well a their family and settle in the country nicely unless they are legally working or have a credential job offer, in that case the individual is asked to provide proof of the latter information too. In order to accumulate the funds to provide proof, the individual first takes into account themselves, then their spouse and then child/children dependent on them. The amount should be kept up to date. Minimum proof of funds needed in CAD are as follows- For the individual- $12,960-$13,213, for the spouse- $16,135-$16,449, for dependent child- $19,863-$20,222. The amount of funds mentioned above will be taken into account only if the money is secured as savings in the applicant's account alone, 3 months prior to applying. 

Scoring

If the prospect fits in all the eligibility criteria then the selection process takes place. In this large pool of applications, the ones swimming with the highest points tend to have the highest chance of getting selected further for an invite. The applications are assessed on the basis of 6 selection factors, it is a simple 100 point system divided according to the 6 categories with 67 overall as its passing score. 

The 6 selection criterias along with their maximum scores are - 

1.    Age (Maximum 12 points)

2.    Education Background (Maximum 25 points)

3.    Work Experience (Maximum 15 points)

4.    Arranged Employment, whether the applicant has a sound job/job offer in order to secure funds to continue living there (Maximum 10 points) 

5.    Level of Adaptability and likeliness to settle well (Maximum 10 points) 

6.    Language Proficiency (Maximum 28 points)

To assess all these categories a point system has been established in place called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The scoring system works in a profound manner. In the beginning it is important to keep in mind information such as whether the individual applying has a spouse or not influences the scoring. If an individual has a spouse it tends to lower the score by a difference of 5-10 points. However, in case of a spouse who is already Canadian or not accompanying the individual to Canada no points are deducted. 

The system comprises of 4 factors explained briefly as follows:

A- Core/Human Capital Factors: It further bifurcates into 

Age- As a matter of fact age has an influence as till the ages of 20-29 we see the scoring pattern rising from 90-100 or 99-110 but this drops afterwards by 5-10 points with each consecutive age group taken into consideration. By the time the age group reaches 45 or more 0 points are allotted. 

Level of education- With a higher level, more points are assigned. Highest level being a Ph.D with 140/150 points. 

Language proficiency-  Even though the requirement for applying for Express Entry is Level 7, it is the same as above, i.e., with high level of proficiency as defined by CLB, higher points are allotted. According to the individual’s preference for the first language, a CLB Level 10 or more has 32/34 points to offer. Maximum scores assigned to first language proficiency are 128-136 points, whereas second language proficiency consists of a maximum of 22-24 points.

Here, having skills in both languages plays a crucial role. Proficiency in French language (will fetch the individual an additional 50 points. 

Work experience of the individual-  Having an experience of 5 or more years has the maximum score i.e. 70-80 points. 

These factors altogether contain a maximum of 500 points for individuals without spouses and 460 for individuals with spouses. 

A- Core Factors:

A.1- Age- 

A.2 - Level of Education 

A.3- Language Proficiency (First Language)

(Second Language) -

A.4- Work Experience-

In case of a spouse, there weighs in another factor namely-

B- Spouse or Common Law Partner Factor:

The scores here are assigned on the basis of -

Language Proficiency of the spouse- judging criteria being CLB levels. Higher the level, higher the point,highest being 5 points.

Level of education: Highest level of education having maximum score of 10 points 

Canadian work experience of the spouse- Assigning 10 points to a work experience of 5 or more years. 

B- Spouse Factors- 

B.1- Level of Education-

B.2- Language Proficiency

B.3- Work Experience-

The third factor that contributes to the build up of scoring system is-

C- Skills Transferability Factor:

Education and Foreign Work - 

Any degree higher than the post secondary program when paired up with CLB level 7 fetches 25 points whereas with CLB 9 it fetches 50 points. Similarly, any degree higher than the post secondary when paired up with Canadian work experience of 1 year gets 25 whereas 2 years plus experience gets 50 points. 

In the same manner as above, a foreign work experience of 3 or more years along with 1 year of Canadian work experience gets 25 points and 2 or more years of work gets 50 points. Whereas foreign work experience of 3 or more years paired up with CLB level 7-8 gets 25 points whereas CLB 9 fetches 50 points. 

In addition, certificate of qualification from trade occupations along with language skill CLB level 5 or more (under 7) carries 25 points and a level 7 or more carries 50 points. 

C- Skills Transferability Factor- 

C.1.1- Language Proficiency + Post Secondary Degree

C.1.2- Language Proficiency + Canadian Work Experience

C.2.1- Foreign Work Experience + Language Abilities

C.2.2- Foreign Work Experience + Canadian Work Experience 

C.3- Certificate of Qualification + Language Proficiency (First Language)

The last factor that highly influences the scoring system is-

D- Additional Factors: 

These are the additional factors that weigh in during scoring of an individual's application. This factor category consists of a maximum limit of 600 points. To provide a gist of all the materials here is a list-

·       Siblings in Canada: If the candidate already has a brother or a sister residing there, the candidate yields additional 15 points.

·       Second Language Proficiency: When the applicant reaches level 7 or more in their first language test, they are assigned scores accordingly; the component that plays a crucial role in grasping additional scores when the applicant falls short of points is skills in the second language, when candidate’s level in second language reaches 5 or more (under 7) they receive 12 points but what highly influences scores is a level 7 or more in second language proficiency, it tends to yield 50 plus points making it a total score of 62 points. 

·       Post secondary education in Canada with credential of 1-2 years yields 15 points whereas 3 or more years worth credential brings in 30 points.  

·       Arranged employment (NOC) comprises 200 points maximum.

·       Provincial or Territorial Nomination gets an individual 600 points. 

D.1.- Additional Factors-

The total of maximum points of all the factors, A(460-500)+B(40)+C(100)+D(600) comes out to be 1,200 points.

Now that we know how to board that Entry Express train let us start packing our French language knowledge for our arrival at the destination called Permanent Residency. In case, your points fall short, no need to panic, French Tweets is here to the rescue. Experts here impart their best knowledge to help you reach that level of capability. From IELTS to TEF or TCF Canada, we offer guidance for all. With Entry Express in the picture, French commonly takes up the role of a second language for many and is considered to be a priority as a result of the qualificational language proficiency exams namely, TEF and TCF. French Tweets provides recognised experts who know how to encounter these tests and will assist you in doing so. With an extremely fulfilling learning experience, the applicant evidently increases their chances of securing a high level. French Tweets believes in helping you fulfil your goals and climb the ladder of great success. Expand your language skills and join us. 

You may check out our website www.frenchtweets.ca and register on it. You can also connect with us on (call or WhatsApp) +1 315 791 4420 (US/CA), or +91 9116670170 (INDIA). Our team will be happy to address your queries with all necessary information, class plan, and schedule for the course intended. French tweets is glad to announce its successful ongoing and upcoming French learning classes across the world through French and Francophone Experts having commendable experience in the field of language teaching.