Issue#20 Getting Started on Express Entry - 6 Steps
Everything you need to know to get going...
“I don’t know how to start.”
This is the statement I hear most commonly from the immigrants when they reach out to me about coming to Canada.
At some level, this is understandable. Immigration is hardly a subject known for being simple and accessible. But, the way to navigate immigration is not to dive into information head-first either.
This guide will give you everything you need on how to start your immigration journey to Canada for the most commonly used program by outsiders under Express Entry - The Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) Program.
For today’s issue, I’m excited to introduce you to our guest - Aksana Khalimonenka [1]. She is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) experienced in Express Entry with insights and perspectives to offer from her experience, that I have found deeply valuable in the past.
This is an issue that anyone looking towards Canada will benefit from reading. Pieces like this takes many days worth of research, interviews, writing and editing to put together, not to mention experience from speaking to immigrants and professionals.
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What is Express Entry?
Understanding Express Entry has become about understanding what it is NOT.
Express Entry is NOT an immigration program by itself. Rather, it is an online system, through which 3 immigration programs are administered -
Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program - this is the program most people outside Canada are referring to when they say “Express Entry” colloquially.
Canadian Experience Class
Federal Skilled Trades program
#2 and #3 are not in scope of this article. We will focus on #1.
So, why is Express Entry (FSW) so popular?
Aksana explains -
The FSW program does not need Canadian experience or a job offer to be eligible. This makes a lot of people eligible to create an Express Entry profile.
But, being eligible for consideration in the program and qualifying to receive an actual Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Permanent Residence are two very different things. To get an ITA, applicants must have a score high enough to meet the cut-off scores.
And this is becoming really hard, almost impossible for many applicants these days.
Don’t worry - - All the terms above: Express Entry profile, ITA, cut-off scores, we will touch on all that. Read on!