New Changes to Spousal Sponsorship Police Certificate Requirements

October 21, 2022

Canada Italy Updated Working Holiday Visa Rules

UPDATE – New IEC Working Holiday Rules For Italy

November 15, 2022

Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB

Cassandra specializes in immigration to Canada from the USA, as well as immigration cases pertaining to Procedural Fairness Letters (PFL), post-deportation Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC), Study Permits, PR Card Renewal on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds, Criminal Rehabilitation, Temporary Resident Permits, Canadian citizenship, Family Sponsorship, and Visitor Visas. She advocates for her clients with an impressive success rate, including for applications with prior refusals.

Published by Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB on November 7, 2022

Americans Have a Leg Up on Immigration to Canada

If you don’t have a parent who is a Canadian citizen (which is truly the easiest way to move to Canada), then having work experience in a skilled profession is the next best thing.

The Express Entry system allows people with managerial, professional, or technical job experience to apply for permanent residence (PR) in Canada. To apply for permanent residence in Canada, applicants are evaluated and given points under several selection factors:

Work Experience

To be eligible for Express Entry, you need to have a minimum of 1 year of skilled work experience. Under Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC), at least one year of work experience must be listed under NOC 0, NOC A, or NOC B.

Examples of eligible jobs include:

NOC 0 – Managerial Jobs	NOC A – Professional Jobs	NOC B – Technical Jobs and Skilled Trades
Advertising, Marketing, PR Managers – NOC 0124	Registered Nurse – NOC 3012	Food Service Supervisor – NOC 6311
Retail Manager – NOC 0621	Physician – NOC 3112	Graphic Designers and Illustrators – NOC 5241
Financial Manager – NOC 0111	Civil Engineer – NOC 2131	Administrative Assistant – NOC 1241
Managers in Healthcare – NOC 0311	Software Engineers and Designers – NOC 2173	Plumber – NOC 7251
Library, Archive, Museum, Art Gallery Managers – NOC 0511	Paralegal – NOC 4211	Electrician – NOC 7241
Recreation, Sports and Fitness program directors and Managers – NOC 0513	Secondary School Teachers – NOC 4031	Tilesetter – NOC 7283
Corporate Sales Managers – NOC 0601	Veterinarian – NOC 3114	Cook – NOC 6322

The more work experience you have in a skilled job or job(s), the more points you receive.

Education

Depending on the category you are using to apply for PR through Express Entry, there may be no minimum educational requirement or a high school diploma may be required.

Language Ability

The official languages of Canada are English and French. To be eligible for Express Entry, you need to meet a minimum level of proficiency with either language. You will also receive extra points if you have proficiency with both languages.

Age

Applicants for Express Entry must be at least 18 years old. There is no maximum age to apply, but the most points are awarded to people who are aged 18 – 35 at the time of the application. Points are awarded to applicants through age 46.

Job Offer in Canada

Additional points are also awarded if you have an eligible job offer in Canada.

Adaptability

You can also receive points based on your ability to adapt to life in Canada. Adaptability points can come from:

Your spouse or common-law partner’s English or French language ability
Other relatives you or your spouse/partner have in Canada
Education completed in Canada
Work experience in Canada by you or your spouse/partner
Having Arranged Employment in Canada

Express Entry Application Process from the US

Express Entry applications have two parts: a profile and an application for permanent residence.

The first step is to submit the profile to the government of Canada. The second step is to submit the application for permanent residence once you have received the invitation to apply from the Canadian government. All parts of the application are submitted online – no paper documents are required.

All applicants for Express Entry (EE) are allowed to bring their family members such as spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children up to age 21. All family members will also be required to undergo a medical exam as part of the application process.

Applicants are allowed to apply for Express Entry on their own, or they can also use a representative to assist them. Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants and immigration lawyers are both allowed to represent clients with their Express Entry applications.