Securing an ECA for PR and STEM professionals’ eligibility is inter-connected. Candidates getting an Educational Credential Assessment from WES might receive an ITA for Canadian Permanent Residence. A candidate’s score under the Comprehensive Ranking System plays a crucial role. Hence, an ECA from World Education Services will lead to a higher CRS score. Furthermore, the candidates will have significant chances of getting an ITA for PR.
Category-based selection draws under Express Entry
Express Entry standard draws started back in 2015, and IRCC has been holding these draws to issue invitations to candidates to apply for PR in Canada. To gain eligibility in these standard draws of Express Entry, candidates must qualify for at least one of the three chief programs. These include the FSTP, CEC, and the Federal Skilled Worker Program. After a candidate checks their eligibility, they are able to enter the Express Entry pool. Hereafter, they receive a CRS score and patiently wait to know if they will get an ITA.
However, contrary to this, Express Entry category-based draws came into existence in June 2023. These came as an attempt to combat Canada’s long-term labor market gaps. The primary difference between the standard draws and these category draws is that the category draws focus on a candidate’s work experience in a specific field. Also, French language proficiency remains a crucial factor in these draws. In addition, IRCC launched five occupational categories to remove the labor shortage in Canada. They’re as follows:
- Healthcare
- STEM professionals
- Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Trades
- Transport
Securing an ECA for PR and STEM professionals’ eligibility – Can an ECA lead to selection in a Category-based draw?
Although Express Entry Category-based selection emphasizes work experience in a particular industry, CRS scores remain relevant. CRS scores remain vital to understanding a candidate’s eligibility to acquire an ITA for a category-based draw.
Obtaining an ECA from WES will surely heighten a candidate’s chances of receiving an ITA for permanent residence. This is merely because an ECA enables Express Entry candidates to acquire CRS points for education in a different country. Essentially, candidates with international education must acquire an ECA to receive CRS points.
Occupations with eligibility under STEM category-based draws
You might qualify for STEM category-based draws by having recent work experience in the following occupations:
- Architects
- Architecture and science managers
- Business systems specialists
- Civil engineers
- Computer and information systems managers
- Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
- Computer systems developers and programmers
- Cybersecurity specialists
- Data scientists
- Database analysts and data administrators
- Electrical and electronics engineers
- Engineering managers
- Industrial and manufacturing engineers
- Information systems specialists
- Land surveyors
- Landscape architects
- Mathematicians, statisticians, and actuaries
- Metallurgical and materials engineers
- Consultants, program officers, and natural and applied science policy researchers
- Software developers and programmers
- Software engineers and designers
- Urban and land use planners
- Web designers
- Web developers and programmers
Notably, recent work experience indicates around six months of full-time experience or consistent work experience in an equivalent part-time occupation within the last three years.
STEM category applicants – defining the eligibility requirements for them
STEM category-based applicants must fulfill the essential eligibility criteria for Express Entry. They must ensure that they have eligibility under any of these three Express Entry programs. These include the Canadian Experience Class, the FSWP, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Candidates will gain eligibility for STEM draws only if they have acquired the relevant work experience necessary in any of the eligible list of occupations. However, this work experience could have been acquired in Canada or a different country.
Obtaining an ECA from WES
WES is among the five ECA providers designated by the IRCC. WES can complete your ECA in 30 business days after receiving your paperwork and payment. In addition, WES provides a team of multilingual customer service agents, a comprehensive list of necessary documentation, and a French-language web application.
If you seek information on Canada Express Entry, you can talk to our MakeHomeCanada experts at 1-800-979-0509, or you can drop us an email at [email protected].
