Express Entry

Come January 1, 2015, applicants in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), the Canada Experience Class (CEC) and the eleven skilled Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), will have to first register an “intent” to immigrate by submitting an “Expression of Interest” (EOI). An EOI is submitted online via the CIC portal.

After an EOI is submitted, a “draw” will take place at the end of each month of all pending applications in the first round “pool”. Those selected in the draw will receive a formal invitation to apply in one of the four available economic categories (FSWP, FSTP, CEC, PNP).

Invitations in the second round are not based on a lottery system and are not based on a first-come-first-serve system (as in the case prior to January 1, 2015) but on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

In short, applicants who register in the first round will be given a CRS score prior to each draw. Only those with a certain score will be formally invited to apply for the relevant program be it FSWP, FSTP, CEC or the applicable PNP.

The CRS score will be determined at the preliminary EOI stage when applicants answer questions such as age, education levels, work experience, language proficiency, spousal information on the above, to name a few of the criteria. Following those entries, a CRS score is determined and used to rank your application vis-à-vis other first round applicants.

While CIC does not divulge the required CRS Score needed to obtain an official invitation, our firm has gained precious knowledge and insight of what a target score should be to secure a precious invitation letter. A consultation, dubbed an Express Entry Assessment, is also helpful in learning how you can increase your CRS score.

If, following a positive Express Entry Assessment, we determine that an EOI is worthy of an investment, our firm can prepare, file and represent a first round application on a Client’s behalf.

Stated differently, our Express Entry offering consists of managing all first round applicants in the quest of obtaining an invite.

When an invitation is issued, Express Entry deliverables would transition to the applicable deliverables for the desired economic program. For example, if we are to secure an invitation to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), a client would have the option of engaging our services to prepare and represent a FSWP application.

Stated differently, we find the practice of forcing a Client to commit to both the preliminary first round and second round stages to be rather risky and cost prohibitive. The more prudent approach, is to offer a two-stage agreement whereby the second stages only commences upon issuance of a formal invitation letter by Citizenship Immigration Canada (CIC).

Express Entry Deliverables

• Assess your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score
• Assess affordable strategies to increase the CRS Score
• Assess the applicable score and eligibility in the relevant economic program (FSWP, FSTP, CEC, PNP)
• Assess overall probability of obtaining an invitation to apply in the applicable economic program
• Review funds/income requirements
• Assess criminality
• Review required paperwork to upload an Expression of Interest (EOI)
• Provide recommendations for a more robust file
• Prepare/review government forms
• Provide a checklist of needed items with detailed advice and instructions
• Assemble supporting documents
• Prepare and upload an EOI via the CIC portal
• Correspond with CIC on Client’s behalf throughout the process
• Coordinate formal filing when invitation is received