Hello! Here is a guide to how Canada Express Entry works. A step by step guide

If you had the chance to add another passport asides from your Nigerian international passport, which country passport is it going to be?…. Err rm am sure 95 out of 100 will choose CANADA. I also would love to have a Canadian International passport, no doubt!

Reports by CNN travel shows that Canada’s passport ranks 8th position among the best passports to hold in 2020. Canada shares this position with Australia, Malta, New Zealand, and the Czech Republic. A Canadian passport would grant you entry to 183 countries without a visa.

CANADA is a million times better than NIGERIA. Forget about the adage that says “No place like home”, what they fail to forget is you can also make a new environment in your home. Even our so-called rich men send their kids out of the country for a better future.

According to The World Economic Forum, Canada ranks 3rd in The World Best Places to Live. Do not bother about what rank Nigeria is, we might never be on the list. An elderly woman once told me that if you want peace of mind, comfort for you and your family, Canada is the right place to be.

If by any chance there is a road network that leads to Canada from Nigeria, I trust my brothers and sisters no one would be left here in Naija.

Enough of the sweet write-ups, that is what is running through your mind…How do we get to this Canada is your main question. Let’s jump into that but so you know Food wey sweet, na money kill am.

We will be dividing this part into 2 main sections:

• SAVING UP FOR YOUR EXPRESS ENTRY PROCESS
• HOW TO BEGIN THE EXPRESS ENTRY APPLICATION

SAVING UP FOR YOUR EXPRESS ENTRY PROCESS

Honestly speaking, Canada express entry process requires a huge sum of money depending on your family size. The larger your family size, the more money required. But wait, don’t be scared, everything big starts little, Rome was not built in a day. Start saving now to make this possible, to make this dream a reality.

RELOCATION! is capital intensive

The image below represents the rough estimate of the total sum for the Canada Express Entry process. As earlier said, this varies upon the size of the family. This includes the cost of transcripts postage to Canada, transcripts processing in Nigeria Schools, and transportation.

 A rough estimate of the total sum for Canada express entry

• The image above does not include flight cost to Canada
• POF means Proof of Funds in your account that must be tendered with your application
• IELTS GT  is a language test required for migration to Canada. This is meant for PA (Primary applicant) and Spouse. We will talk more about this later on.

According to the image, a single applicant will spend close to N673,900 for documentation. The POF(Proof of Funds) required by a single applicant is N3,617,460, this is to prove to the Canadian Government that you have enough funds in your account pending when settling down in Canada.

The POF increases as the family size increases.

START SAVING UP! for your relocation plans

HOW TO BEGIN THE CANADA EXPRESS ENTRY APPLICATION

I want a Canadian passport oo, how is this possible?

The good news, you can achieve this through the Canada Express Entry Program. This is a selection system for Canadian immigration designed to select skilled workers for immigration. Express Entry is a completely electronic process involving the Federal Government, the provincial government, and Canadian employers.

Let’s dive into the Express Entry process:

– Step 1

Find out if you are eligible. You can take the quiz by clicking here to know your eligibility.  You will be required to fill in your language test scores (IELTS). The minimum target for the language test is 8777 (Listening – 8, Reading – 7, Speaking – 7, Writing – 8), you can use these values for the test.

You will be required to provide the amount (POF) you have for your family size, use the amount stated in the image above.

– Step 2

Calculate your point using the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) Calculator.

The CRS is a points-based system that is used to access and score your profile and rank it in the Express Entry pool.

The CRS ranks eligible candidates for immigration to Canada through Express Entry under the following components:

1.  Core/human capital
2.  Spouse or Common-Law partner factor
3.  Transferability factors
4.  Additional points (Such as Canadian study experience, a sibling in Canada, or French language ability)

There are a total of 1200 points available under the Comprehensive Ranking System.

For candidates without an accompanying spouse or common law-partner, there are:

• maximum of 500 points available for core human capital factors
• maximum of 100 points available for skill transferability factors
• 600 points available for either a provincial nomination
• up to 200 points available for qualifying offer of arranged employment
• 30 points for Canadian study experience
• Up to 30 additional points for French language ability combined with English Language ability
• 15 points for a sibling in Canada

For candidates with an accompanying spouse or common law-partner, there are:

• maximum of 460 points available for core human capital factors of the principal applicant
• maximum of 40 points for the core human capital of the spouse or common law-partner
• 600 points available for either a provincial nomination
• up to 200 points available for qualifying offer of arranged employment
• 30 points for Canadian study experience
• Up to 30 additional points for French language ability combined with English Language ability
• 15 points for a sibling in Canada ( 1 sibling of the principal applicant and the accompanying spouse is considered)

Click here to calculate your score.

– Step 3

Find out what your work NOC (National Occupational Classification) is.

The NOC system is used to classify jobs. If you have worked different jobs, you can combine the experiences as long as one of them is at least for one year.

Click here to check your NOC.

– Step 4

Register for your Language test IELTS General Test.

It is advisable to give yourself a minimum of 2 months to prepare for the language test. Everyone applying for the Canadian Express Entry is required to take a language test to show proficiency in either English or French. If you can prove both, you have an added advantage. The cost attached to this test is N75,000.

The IELTS is in 4 parts; Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Your Speaking test may be on a different date from your writing, reading, and listening tests. You will be able to pick up your result 15 days after your main test date.

There are 2 major bodies that handle the IELTS exam but we will be focusing on the most popular which is :

• British Council (BC)

Click here to register for IELTS with British Council

Kindly note that for the Express Entry program, you are required to write the IELTS General Test, not the academic test (this is for study purposes).

Here are practice tests British Council practice tests,  IELTS Online tests to help you prepare for IELTS. Kindly ensure you take these practice tests seriously as it goes a long way to attaining a good result.

– Step 5

Prepare your documents for WES (World Education Services) evaluation.

In order to save time, you can carry out your WES evaluation while you are preparing for IELTS.

World Education Services (WES) is designated by immigration, refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to provide Educational Credential Assessment (ECAs) for degrees and diplomas earned outside Canada.

You can decide to evaluate your most recent degree or all your degrees. The IRCC only requires your most recent and highest degree. For example, you have both a Masters and Bachelors, you will only have to upload your Master’s degree in your WES profile.

Below is the process to create your WES profile:

• Click here to register  an account with WES
• Fill out your profile and provide information about your degree. Endeavor you make sure every detail is correct and please do a cross-check over and over again.  Once you insert all your degree details, the WES system will automatically pull up all documents you are required to send to them for verification. What will be required for a Nigerian degree is a ( Degree certificate, Academic transcripts, Final Secondary Examination results, and WAEC/NECO scratch card)
• Pay the evaluation fee of 220 CAD (N63,800) and courier fee of 85 CAD (N24,650). You will receive a unique WES number once payment is made.
•  Send your required documents to WES. Follow all instructions biko!. All transcripts and documents must be sealed and signed and stamped across the seal fold of the envelope and all envelopes must have your WES number on it.
• Wait for WES to receive your documents and complete your verification. It takes 20 working days from when they receive all your required documents for them to send you an evaluation report. This report is what is needed for your application

– Step 6

Create an Online Express Entry Profile

Now that you have your language test results and WES evaluation report, you can now go-ahead to create your profile. Click here to create your express entry profile.

The profile window will be open for 60 days after which it will be closed so ensure you complete it as soon as you can. Likely questions you will come across is your work history, test scores, degree details, etc. All these details will add up to make your CRS. Once your profile has been completed, go ahead and submit.

You have now officially joined the Express Entry Pool.

– Step 7

Wait for ITA (Invitation To Apply)

Once you are in the pool, you are eligible to be issued an ITA. The ITA is an auto-generated correspondence issued to Express Entry candidates through their account. The ITA is issued to candidates who rank the highest in a round of invitations based on their score in the CRS. Every 2 weeks a draw is made from the pool of submitted Express Entry profiles and you are in the pool with several others.

The Cut-Off score is determined by the number of selections the committee plans to choose from that draw. Click here to see the list of cut-off scores.

If you are one of the top candidates with a high score, you can receive ITA in the next draw from when your profile was submitted.

Also while waiting for ITA, you can register in the job bank and start searching for jobs in Canada

– Step 8

Apply for a Canadian Permanent Residency (PR)

Now that you have ITA, you can now prepare your application and submit. The cost for the application fee and PR is N282,000 per adult applicant and N54,000 per dependent child. You have only 60 days to complete this application!

Below are the documents required:

• IELTS results
• Digital photographs
• WES verification report
• Medicals – Click here to find an approved list of panel physicians to carry out the medical examination in Nigeria
• Police Certificates – If you have lived in a country for more than 6 months at a stretch since you turned 18 or within the last 10 years, you will have to include police reports from each of these countries including your home country.
• International Passport bio-data page
• Reference or Work experience letter from all former and current employers listed on your Express Entry profile.
• POF (Proof of Funds) – You must provide a letter from your bank stating you have the required funds needed for your relocation. See the image above to know your required POF
• Other documents including marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc. Click here for more details

Once you have all documents, you will be able to fill out your application on the portal and upload scanned copies of your documents.

– Step 9 

Wait for bio-metrics

At some point, you will be invited for bio-metrics

– Step 10

Wait and Wait for the Golden Mail

After submitting the documents and paying all necessary fees, the Canadian immigration officer verifies the documents and information you have provided. This generally takes about 6 months depending on the immigration visa office where your application has been sent for processing.

There are different visa offices that process applications coming from Nigeria;

• The Accra, Ghana Visa Office
• The London, UK Visa Office
• The Ottawa, Canada Visa Office.

Biko, channel your prayers to God that your application should be sent to the Ottawa office, they are the fastest. Rebuke Accra office as it takes forever before you hear from them. Although you do not have control over where your application will be forwarded to.

– Step 11 

Once you receive the Golden mail, you are now ready to send in your passports. Your international passport is sent to the Ghana visa office for stamping. Your PR approval will also come with a deadline when you have to enter Canada.

– Step 12 

WELCOME TO CANADA!!!!

If you need professional assistance, please contact us HERE