Express Entry allows employers to find skilled international workers who desire to live in Canada permanently, as opposed to a temporary foreign worker.
Express Entry program allows government officials to invite international workers with the highest chance of success to immigrate to Canada. Express Entry, now fully electronic, requires the candidate to create a profile online that scores them based on skills and language proficiency, among other categories. Individuals with the highest scores are invited to apply to Canada through Express Entry.
A common question asked was whether a tradesperson and a candidate with a bachelor’s degree would receive the same rank and points if they were equal in years of experience, age, and family composition. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that Express Entry uses is a points-based system that assesses and scores a candidate’s profile to rank them in the Express Entry pool.
Candidates are given a score out of 1200, based on four parts of the CRS formula:
- Skills and experience factors
- Spouse or common-law partner factors
- Skills transferability
- Provincial nomination (BC PNP) or a valid job offer
Candidates are awarded points based on the number of years of education. A 3 year (or more) trade certificate is comparable to a bachelor’s degree at a post-secondary level, which earns 120 points. A 2 year program earns 98 points, and a one year degree, diploma or certificate receives 90 points. There are several other methods of earning points within the CRS formula. A more detailed review regarding the point system can be found on the CIC website.
