My Experience while applying for Express Entry Program

I would like to start by saying that Canada is a great country and if you are planning to immigrate to Canada then you should not think twice and start your preparations to apply for various immigration programs available that best suits you.

I came through Express Entry Federal Skills Worker (FSW EE) program in March and despite the early struggle being multiplied by Covid-19, I do not regret coming here one bit. I am going to list down my own experience of applying and the preparations and To-Do lists.

Firstly, regardless of which program you choose to apply for, start your preparations for IELTS and take your General IELTS exam. You need at least 8 in Listening and 7 in the other modules. To prepare for your exam, I would again recommend that you do not spend money on IELTS classes unless your English is extremely weak. There are thousands of online material available on the Internet, just search ‘IELTS preparation’ on Google and YouTube and start your preparation. I did the same and I also recommend you doing the same. You need to understand the concept of exams and practise accordingly. IELTS score is valid for 2 years so you should take your IELTS even if you are still in planning phase. You can give your IELTS exams at either British Council or AEO depending upon the availability in your region, both are same, no difference at all. Thoroughly check your region’s website to enquire about availability, costs and also any query that you might have.

To check if you are eligible to apply or not, visit the CIC website and enter your details as per the questions asked to calculate your score. This will give you a fair idea of your chances and also you will get to know the areas you are lacking and can work towards that area. Below is the website:

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/crs-tool.asp

To summarize, following are the criteria that they are looking for right now (Sept 2020):

1. Marital Status
2. Age
3. Education Overall
4. Education from Canadian Institute
5. IELTS score
6. NOC Overall Work Experience
7. Certification from any Canadian Body
8. Valid Job Offer from Canada
9. Any Provincial Nomination Certificate
10. Brother or Sister of Applicant or Co-Applicant in Canada

I qualified by getting points from 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 which meant that your qualifications and skills are enough to get you desired points and you do not need external help.

To check if your work experience is listed as a NOC, please check the following website:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/find-national-occupation-code.html

Please enter key words or similar words related to your Job Title and read complete Job Descriptions for each NOC that matches to get a better idea about your relevant NOC. I am not an Immigration expert, so I do not know much about each NOC.

The other important part of the process if to get your Education documents verified and attested by different Education Institutes. Please see below steps:

1. Get your Intermediate/Cambridge results attested from the Institutes that issued them like Intermediate Board in Pakistan and send them to Canadian Verification Institutes like WES or ICAS. You can choose either, both have same assessment criteria.
2. Get your Bachelor and Master Transcript and Degree attested by HEC in Pakistan or similar body in other countries and send attested photocopies in sealed envelope directly to WES or ICAS.
3. Get your Bachelor and Master Transcript and Degree attested by your universities and send attested photocopies in sealed envelope directly to WES or ICAS.

For Work Experiences, if you have worked for more than 1 company and they all fall within the NOC list then please make sure you have relevant proofs to submit for example Experience Letters and Pay Slips. They are necessary otherwise your experience will not be counted. If you do not have them currently, start contacting your previous employers and ask for it.

Now coming to Proof of Funds, it depends on the total number of individuals that are a part of your application. Canada needs to see these funds to ensure when you land you have enough funds to sustain yourself initially. You need to make sure that they are present in your bank account over a period as you need to present evidence of the funds. Please see below URL to know exactly how much funds you require to show as proof:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/proof-funds.html

Once you have completed the above-mentioned requirements, start your process and apply for the program that you have chosen. The details mentioned are for Express Entry but all other immigration programs in Canada have the same requirements so these are a must for you. If your score is enough and you are eligible to apply, IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) will issue you an Invitation to Apply (ITA). With the invitation, they will ask for all the evidences listed above and also some other things that you will have to gather after the ITA. They include but not limited to:

1. Police Clearance certificates from your previous 5 years of Residence
2. Medical from IRCC issued body
3. Biometrics from IRCC issued body

I hope I have given you enough information and relevant URLs to get you started. Once you start knowing the process, you will know where to look at for more information. Again, I am not an immigration expert, so I have just dotted down my experience. Your experience may vary depending upon your profile. I wish everyone of you all the best luck and I hope you achieve success in your future plans.