Immigration | Jaberimmigration

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What is Immigration?

Immigration is the journey people take when they move to a new country, hoping for a better life. They might be seeking jobs, education, safety from conflict, or simply to reunite with loved ones. This movement shapes societies, bringing fresh ideas, diverse cultures, and new skills to their new homes. It's a deeply personal experience for those who migrate, often filled with challenges and opportunities, and it significantly impacts the social and economic fabric of the host country. Immigration is about the dreams and realities of building a life in a new place.

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The Canadian government utilizes an online system called Express Entry to manage applications from skilled workers seeking to immigrate to Canada and obtain permanent residency. This system oversees three primary federal economic programs.

Federal Skilled Worker Program: The FSWP is Canada's main economic immigration pathway. At least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in a skilled occupation under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3 in the previous ten years; validated intermediate or better language ability in English or French; and, for candidates educated outside of Canada, an educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report are required. Candidates must achieve at least 67 points on the FSWP's points grid and complete the minimum work, language ability, and education requirements.
Canadian Experience Class: The CEC allows international students and foreign workers with Canadian experience to apply for permanent residence. Candidates must have at least one year of skilled, professional, or technical employment experience in Canada within the last three years and meet language proficiency requirements.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is offered to individuals who desire to become permanent citizens based on their ability to perform a skilled trade. Eligibility criteria include having a minimum of two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the five years preceding the application; meeting the job requirements of the skilled trade; having a full-time job offer in Canada for at least one year or possessing a certificate of qualification in the skilled trade provided by an official Canadian authority; and meeting language proficiency criteria.

Eligible candidates receive a score based on criteria such as their age, education, work experience, and language skills. The Canadian government routinely holds draws inviting the highest-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence.

What is Express Entry?

How long does the Express Entry process take?

An Express Entry profile is valid for one year. Candidates who acquire an ITA should anticipate the Canadian government to process their applications for permanent residency within six months. When a complete permanent residence application is received, the government begins to calculate the processing time. The processing time is over when a final application decision is made. If applicants do not receive an ITA within one year of submitting their Express Entry profile, they can simply re-submit it to see if they are still qualified.

How much does Express Entry cost?

The cost of immigrating to Canada through Express Entry is about $2,300 CAD for a single applicant or about $4,500 CAD for a couple. The breakdown of costs includes,

Language tests: Average cost – $300
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): Average cost – $200
Biometrics: $85/person
Government fees: $1,325/adult & $225/child
Medical examination fees: average cost – $450/adult & $250/child
Police clearance certificates: average cost – $100/Country

There are no government fees for submitting your initial Express Entry profile. The costs are only requested if you are accepted to apply for permanent residency in Canada. If you apply through a PNP, you may be required to pay provincial immigration fees and government processing expenses.

You should also be informed that unless you apply through the Canadian Experience Class program or have a genuine arranged employment offer, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient means to support your resettlement in Canada. These settlement money are not government costs, but you must have access to them to be authorized for a permanent residence visa.

Settlement Fund:

Many foreign citizens who intend to apply for Canadian permanent residency must demonstrate their financial ability to finance their relocation to Canada.

Proof of means of financial support

Applicants from certain programs must show they have enough money to support themselves in order to meet the proof of means of financial support requirement.

Federal Skilled Worker (Express Entry)
Federal Skilled Trades (Express Entry)
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)

This criterion cannot be met by borrowing money from another individual. All candidates must be able to use the funds to cover their family's living expenses (even if their spouse and children are not accompanying them). If an applicant is submitting an application with their spouse, both parties may submit financial records to meet this criteria. Please keep in mind that applicants who are currently allowed to work in Canada and have a legitimate employment offer do not need to provide proof of money.

How much money you will need

The amount of proof of funds required is determined by the size of a person's family. When estimating a family size, the following family members are included:

Principal applicant
Principal applicant’s dependent children
Spouse or common-law partner
Spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children

What is accepted as proof

All financial documentation must be in the principal applicant’s name and/or their spouse or common-law partner. The funds must be accessible at the time of application and remain available throughout the application process until permanent residency is granted. At any stage during the application process, the government maintains the right to request updated financial documents. Applicants must present letters from financial institutions where their funds are kept. These letters must include the following information:

Printed on the financial institution’s letterhead
Include the financial institution’s contact information
Include the name of the applicant
List any outstanding debts or loans

Include the following information for each account:
- Account numbers
- Date of opening
- The current balance of each account
- Average balance for the previous six months

What are targeted Express Entry draws?

IRCC invites candidates who are eligible for a specific category designated by Canada's immigration minister to accomplish an identified economic goal in category-based Express Entry drawings. Targeted draws and other types of Express Entry draws will be used. When holding targeted draws, IRCC will continue to consider each candidate’s CRS score. This means that even if an applicant fits into a targeted group, they must reach IRCC's minimum CRS score to be eligible for an ITA for the specific draw.

How can I become eligible for Express Entry?

To be eligible for Express Entry, you have several options. The first step is to determine why you are now ineligible. For example, you can be ineligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) if you don't meet one or more of the program's minimal work, language competence, or education requirements. The first step in submitting an Express Entry profile is to address the reason for your ineligibility.

The second significant step you can take is to pursue an academic path leading to permanent residence in Canada. You must have at least one year of relevant Canadian work experience within the last three years and meet the minimal language proficiency standards to be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. You can qualify for the CEC and thus Express Entry by studying in Canada and then working in Canada when you finish your education. Because of your Canadian education and professional experience, you will be awarded higher Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.

How can I improve my Express Entry CRS score?

Ways to improve your Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System score include:

Ensure you claim all the CRS points you are eligible for
Improve your language test score
Have your spouse as the principal applicant
Obtain more education
Obtain more work experience
Study and work in Canada

Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?

No, a job offer is not required to be successful with Express Entry. Getting a job offer does not ensure success, but it will help you improve your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score If you receive an Express Entry job offer, you can earn either 50 or 200 more CRS points.

Will The CRS score go down?

It's impossible to predict how the CRS score will change in the future. No lawyer or RCIC can predict or guarantee that you will successfully receive permanent residence through the Express Entry system. Furthermore, a candidate’s CRS score becomes less important as more provinces choose profiles from the Express Entry pool. Provincial Nominee Programs, on the other hand, seek candidates who can meet local labor market or demographic needs. This means that individuals with in-demand skills or job experience with a low CRS score can succeed in the Express Entry pool.

How long does the Express Entry process take?
An Express Entry profile is valid for one year. Candidates who acquire an ITA should anticipate the Canadian government to process their applications for permanent residency within six months. When a complete permanent residence application is received, the government begins to calculate the processing time. The processing time is over when a final application decision is made. If applicants do not receive an ITA within one year of submitting their Express Entry profile, they can simply re-submit it to see if they are still qualified.

Who is eligible for Express Entry?

In general, to be eligible to apply to Express Entry as a skilled worker, you must:

Have at least one year of continuous full-time (or comparable part-time) work experience in a skilled occupation in the last ten years.
Be able to demonstrate a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) seven in either English or French on an approved language test.
Need to have post-secondary education that is evaluated based on Canadian standards with an Education Credential Assessment. However, meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation to Canadian permanent residence. Candidates with more CRS points will always be given priority over those who only meet the minimum requirements.

To submit a profile through the Express Entry system, candidates must also meet the eligibility requirements for one of the three federal programs:

Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

General rounds of invitation:

IRCC invites those with the highest-ranking CRS scores to apply for permanent residence.

Program-specific rounds of invitation:

IRCC invites those with the highest-ranking CRS scores who are eligible for a specific Express Entry program.

Category-based rounds of invitation:

IRCC invites those with the highest-ranking CRS scores eligible for specific categories designated by IRCC to promote certain economic goals.

Express Entry has three different draw types:

Express Entry:

Canada welcomes most of its skilled worker immigrants through Express Entry.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP):

It is the second major way that Canada welcomes skilled workers.

Quebec:

The province of Quebec operates its own immigration system to recruit skilled workers.

Other Federal Immigration Programs:

Besides its Express Entry programs, IRCC offers other skilled worker immigration pathways. Options include moving to Canada's Atlantic provinces, rural and northern communities, working as a caregiver, working in the agri-food sector, starting a business, or being self-employed.

Pursue a Study Pathway:

Studying in Canada is a major stepping stone toward obtaining a permanent resident visa through the above immigration options.

Work in Canada:

If you already have a job offer in Canada, you can begin your immigration journey by moving to Canada on a work permit and then pursuing the above options to transition to immigration status.