Canadian Immigration Express Entry myths should be known by aspiring immigrants so that they avoid making typical mistakes. More than half of Canadian permanent residents are eligible for immigration through the Express Entry program. This immigration pathway has always maintained its reputation of being the fastest route to Canadian permanent residency. It is this popularity compared to other programs and pathways that people choose it over and over again.
Therefore, the success of your Express Entry application might well define the plan to permanently move to Canada. Also, before one determines to upload their profile, one must learn about the eligibility requirements. Apart from this, they must know about the application process and other program requirements. This way, you’ll save yourself a great deal of time by avoiding critical mistakes.
Let us move ahead to learn about the prominent Canadian immigration Express Entry myths of all times:
Everyone has the right to apply for Canada’s Express Entry system- a myth
The chief fact is that Canadian immigration Express Entry is immensely popular among new immigrants planning to settle permanently in Canada. This is primarily due to the convenient immigration policies offered by this pathway. However, one must not give into the myth that it’s meant for everyone and that just anyone can apply.
Furthermore, this indicates that interested candidates will have to qualify for the minimum eligibility criteria of any of its programs.
Federal Skilled Worker Program
To qualify for the Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker Program, candidates will need to gain eligibility in terms of professional experience, language proficiency, and higher education.
- Professional experience requirement– Candidates must have experience as a foreign resident with at least one full year of work experience (paid one). This implies 1,560 hours within the last ten years. The work experience must be equivalent to TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 high-skill occupations.
- Language proficiency– It is essential to score a CLB 7 in an English or French language-approved test.
- Higher education– Demonstrating education credentials in the form of degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Also, in the case of education outside Canada, Educational Credential Assessment will be crucial.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program
In order to become eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, it is essential to fulfill the following requirements:
- Professional experience– Hold experience as a foreign resident with at least a paid work experience of two years in a skilled trade within the last five years. This essentially accounts for 3,120 hours.
- Employment offer or certification– A Canadian authority must issue either a qualification certification or the candidate must possess an employment offer from an employer in Canada.
- Language skills– A CLB score of 5 in either English or French language tests.
The Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class requires applicants to qualify under the following requirements:
- Canadian work experience– Gaining at least one year of paid work experience in Canada in a skilled job and with a valid work permit is essential. Further, this accounts for 1,560 hours.
- Language ability– Taking an approved language test and meeting the essential requirements of language proficiency for NOC is crucial.
Anyone applying for Express Entry will obtain permanent residence (myth 2)
Although many people are eligible to apply for Express Entry, that doesn’t mean all of them get approved for permanent residence in Canada. If you meet the eligibility requirements for one of the three economic immigration programs under Express Entry, you can submit an Express Entry profile and enter the candidate pool. However, submitting an Express Entry profile is not the same as applying for PR.
Your Express Entry profile includes basic information such as your education, the National Occupational Classification Code and length of your work experience, language test scores, age, and more. When you submit your profile, the information you entered is used to calculate your CRS score, and your profile is ranked accordingly. IRCC conducts draws (usually every two weeks) to determine the CRS score cut-off for the period and, if your score is equal to or more than the cut-off, you’ll receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. Usually, only applicants with a high CRS score are invited to apply for PR.
Canadian Immigration Express Entry myths- The third one is that Express Entry is the sole pathway to get Canadian PR
A majority of potential new immigrants believe that their Express Entry ineligibility will lead to their inability in obtaining Canadian PR. However, this ain’t true even though it is the most prominent pathway to permanent residence. Moreover, there are several other immigration routes for which they can attain eligibility.
Almost 50 percent of people arriving in Canada as permanent residents are from different immigration programs. Meanwhile, the remaining 50 percent arrive through Express Entry.
Following are the different immigration pathways:
- Provincial Nominee Programs permit Canadian provinces to choose new immigrants with the essential skills, qualifications, and experience to combat the urgent labor shortage requirements.
- The family Sponsorship program has the potential to sponsor spouses, children, parents, or grandparents of Canadian citizens and PR holders.
- The Atlantic Immigration Program enables international students and skilled foreign workers to settle in any of the Atlantic provinces of Canada. These include Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Start-Up-Visa helps Entrepreneurs pursuing a new business venture or acquiring a scalable business to gain eligibility for permanent residency in Canada.
- Quebec-Selected Skilled Workers program helps eligible foreign skilled workers to permanently settle in the province of Quebec.
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is an encouraging program for new immigrants to live and work in Canadian participating communities forever.
An employment offer in Canada is mandatory for Express Entry- the fourth myth
To be eligible for Express Entry under the FSW or CEC, you don’t require a work offer from a Canadian business. You must possess a job offer from a Canadian employer or certification for your trade from a federal, provincial, or territorial regulatory body in Canada for the FSTP.
However, with a genuine employment offer from a Canadian business, you can get 50 to 200 CRS points. These additional points might considerably increase your chances of being eligible for PR because the Express Entry program is competitive.
Canadian Immigration Express Entry myths- language skills are not valuable under Express Entry
To demonstrate their fluency in at least one of the Canadian official languages, all Express Entry applicants must show up for an approved language test. This could be either English or French. The need for a language test is compulsory across the globe. Despite this, many applicants are unaware of how their language proficiency would affect their ability to obtain permanent residency.
You must obtain at least the minimal Comprehensive Language Benchmark score needed for your program in order to be eligible for Express Entry. For the FSTP, the minimum admissible language score is CLB 5 for speaking and listening. Whereas, it is CLB 4 for reading and writing. For the FSW program, you must have a CLB 7 across all four language aspects. CLB 5 or 7 is the minimum language score needed for CEC; however, it will rely on your occupation.
Scores in the language are not the only requirement for admission, though. If your language score is greater than the minimal criteria, you can also earn extra CRS points. As a result, it will increase your likelihood of being called to apply for PR. You can always retake the language test if your initial score is low in order to raise your CLB level. This will eventually increase your chances of becoming eligible for PR.
Canadian Immigration Express Entry myths- your CRS score has no scope for improvement
One persistent misconception about Express Entry is that after your profile submission, your CRS score will remain the same. That is untrue. Your Express Entry profile is active for up to a year after you submit it, during which time you can edit it or add new information.
A job offer from a Canadian business, a provincial nomination, retaking the primary language exam or taking both the English and French language tests, as well as having your educational qualifications evaluated, are just a few of the numerous possibilities to raise your CRS score.
Before building your Express Entry profile, you can estimate your score using the government’s CRS calculator. This will offer you a more accurate idea of your prospects of PR approval and give you more time to raise your CRS score. If you’re not in a rush to apply for permanent residency, you can also look into alternative routes. This could be briefly working or studying in Canada to raise your CRS score.
Express Entry myth that the system is based on a lottery system
Some immigrants mistakenly think that the Express Entry pool candidates are chosen for PR at random or through a lottery. However, this is untrue in Canada. Your CRS score can be seen when you submit your Express Entry profile based on your profile’s data.
Every two weeks, a draw known as an invitation round is done to determine the minimum CRS cut-off required for a PR invitation to apply (ITA). The number of applicants in the Express Entry pool, their test results, and the probable ITA issuance rate play a role in the cut-off calculation. You receive an ITA to submit a PR application if your score is higher than the threshold.
Sometimes more than one applicant receives a score that is exactly equal to the cut-off. Moreover, in this case, they will get an ITA will depend on a tie-breaking rule. Even then, a lottery is nowhere seen to determine the tie-breaker. Instead, there is an emphasis on individuals with profile submissions before a particular date and time.
People believe that they can’t update their Express Entry profile after submission
Many PR candidates are not aware that they can edit their Express Entry profile post submission. As long as your Express Entry profile is active. It could be up to a year after submission or until you acquire an ITA, whichever comes first.
Also, you must always maintain your current Express Entry profile, according to the IRCC. This implies that you must update your Express Entry profile. This can apply if you’ve moved jobs, retook a language exam, obtained more schooling, gotten married, or if your personal situation has altered in any other manner.
If you’ve been ruled ineligible, if your profile is no longer valid, or after you’ve received an invitation to apply, you won’t be able to modify your Express Entry profile.
Canadian Immigration Express Entry myths- there is nothing wrong in providing false information for Express Entry eligibility
It is illegal to lie or make false statements on an Express entrance application. Doing so could result in you being denied entrance to Canada or possibly deported.
Although you just need to include the bare minimum information in your Express Entry profile, after you receive an ITA for permanent residency, you will need to submit all supporting documentation. This must be your academic records and credentials, letters attesting to your job experience, the results of your language tests, and bank statements. The IRCC verifies candidate data and the legitimacy of their documentation in great detail.
Your application might face denial and you risk being barred from entering Canada for a number of years. This applies to you if your information or documentation is false or fraudulent. Additionally, there will be a permanent entry in your immigration file about such an incident.
The last myth is that new PR holders must submit their settlement funds to the Canadian government
Another common misconception about Express Entry is that you must pay the IRCC a fee before you may settle in Canada. That’s not accurate. You will keep the settlement money that you display. The Canadian government merely requests evidence that you have adequate money to cover your living expenses for the initial months as you adjust to your new life there.
Based on Canada’s Low Income Cut Off for a six-month period in a particular year, the minimum settlement fund requirement is fixed. To pay for your living expenses, you could need additional money, depending on the place you’re moving to and your way of life.
