Express Entry and permanent residence

Express Entry is a selection system, not a program. You create a profile, you are given a score, and you are invited to apply when your score clears the cutoff for a given round. The categories underneath it are the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

What is covered

• Assessing which category you fall under, if any
• Reviewing your score and identifying which factors can realistically be improved
• Educational credential assessments and language test planning
• Building and maintaining the profile, including keeping it accurate as your circumstances change
• The full permanent residence application after an invitation, including police certificates, medicals and proof of funds
• Category based selection rounds, where these apply to your occupation or language ability

An honest word about scores

Nobody can tell you what the cutoff will be in a future round, and anyone who does is guessing. What can be done is an accurate calculation of your current score, a clear account of which factors are within your control, and a realistic view of whether the effort involved is likely to be worth it for you. Sometimes the honest answer is that a provincial program or a Canadian work permit first is the better route.

Errors in an Express Entry profile are treated seriously by officers. A misstatement, even a careless one, can lead to a finding of misrepresentation and a bar on entering Canada. This is the main reason profiles are worth having checked.