Canada is holding Express Entry draws regularly throughout the coronavirus pandemic and is inviting the highest levels of immigrants since Express Entry was launched in 2015.

The high levels of Express Entry invitations is due to Canada's steadfast commitment to immigration. Canada needs high levels of skilled workers to build a new life in the country to support a healthy economy and society.

Canada's Immigration Levels Plan aims to welcome over 430,000 new immigrants per year during the next three year period. Most of these new immigrants will arrive as skilled workers, with Express Entry being the main way that IRCC will manage their applications. 

You are welcome to go ahead with the Express Entry and Canadian immigration process during the coronavirus pandemic. 

An Express Entry profile can be valid for up to one year. Candidates who receive an ITA can expect the Canadian government to process their permanent residence applications within six months. The government begins to measure the processing time when a complete permanent residence application is received. The processing time ends when a final decision is made on the application. If a candidate does not receive an ITA within one year of creating their Express Entry profile, they can simply re-submit their profile if they are still eligible.

Submitting an Express Entry profile to the government pool of eligible candidates is free of charge.

However, candidates incur some costs before submitting their Express Entry profile.

Possible costs before submitting an Express Entry profile may include:

• English or French language exam by a language-testing organization that has been approved by the Canadian government
• Educational Credential Assessment
• Fees if you need to translate any documents into English or French language
• Hiring an immigration professional (e.g., a law firm). Click here to learn how our Law Firm can help you with Express Entry.

Government fees and other costs after you receive an ITA include:

• Canadian government fees to process permanent residence applications
• Medical exam(s)
• Police background check(s)
• Biometrics fee(s)

You do not need to hire a lawyer to go through the Express Entry process but it can be beneficial for you to do so.

An experienced, professional, and trustworthy Canadian immigration RCIC can maximize your chances of succeeding under Express Entry for a modest legal fee.

They can provide you with guidance on how to obtain the maximum number of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, and walk you through the Express Entry process, from submitting your profile, to preparing your permanent residence application after you have received an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence. In addition, it is a lawyer's job to ensure that you do not make mistakes or misrepresent your Canadian immigration application.

Canada B&N Immigration Consultancy is authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to represent immigration candidates in the Express Entry process. Canada B&N Immigration Consultancy has 6+ years of experience supporting skilled workers in immigrating to Canada. Our firm is retained by a large number of Express Entry candidates each year who trust Canada B&N Immigration Consultancy with submitting the strongest Express Entry profile possible and securing a permanent resident visa after receiving an ITA.

No, you do not need a job offer to be successful under Express Entry. Obtaining a job offer does not guarantee you will succeed, however it will help to increase your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. You can obtain either 50 or 200 additional CRS points if you receive a job offer that is eligible under Express Entry.

Each year, Canada welcomes immigrants through Express Entry from over 100 different countries. Since it became the first country in the world to launch a points system for skilled workers back in 1967, Canada does not screen skilled worker candidates based on their country of origin. Instead, Canada only evaluates candidates based on their ability to integrate in the Canadian job market. To do this, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) assesses skilled workers on their age, education, language skills, work experience, and other human capital factors. Since there are so many talented people around the globe, and Canada has a diverse economy, Canada welcomes people from a diversity of different countries, skillsets, and occupational backgrounds every year. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) produces an annual report on Express Entry immigrants which provides more information on the backgrounds of individuals who choose to bring their talents to Canada.

Yes. Under Express Entry, you can include your wife, husband, or common-law partner. In addition, you can include your dependent children, your spouse or common-law partner's dependent children, and the dependent children of dependent children. If you are successful under Express Entry, your accompanying family members will also receive permanent residence.

Dependent children are defined as:

• being under 22 years old and is not a spouse or common law partner, or
• being 22 years of age or older, relied on the financial support of their parents before the age of 22, and cannot support themselves financially because of a physical or mental health condition