(portuguese)

The “Express Entry” Canadian immigration system was launched on January 1, 2015, as a faster and more efficient way for skilled foreign workers to apply for immigration to Canada. In order to qualify for Express Entry to Canada, a skilled foreign worker must meet the eligibility requirements for one of the Canadian immigration programs designed for economic immigrants: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Program, or Provincial Nominees Program (PNP). Each of these Canadian immigration programs which qualifies for Express Entry to Canada has its own eligibility criteria. Before a skilled foreign worker files their online Express Entry profile, they must have their English and/or French language abilities evaluated by taking an authorized exam (such as the IELTS for English or the TEF for French) and receiving a score that qualifies for the particular Canadian immigration program they are applying for. In many cases, they will also need to have their education/training evaluated through an authorized Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), so that the Canadian government will know to what extent a skilled foreign worker’s education/training obtained outside of Canada compares to an education received inside Canada. When the skilled foreign worker submits their details to the Canadian government by filing their online Express Entry profile, they should also register with Canada’s Job Bank if they do not already have a qualifying offer of Canadian employment. A Canadian governmental official will review the details in the Express Entry profile and if they believe that the skilled foreign worker meets the criteria for Express Entry, their file will be moved into the “pool” of candidates for up to 12 months. Once an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a permanent resident visa to Canada is issued, the skilled foreign worker will have 60 days to submit their Canadian visa application, supporting documents and pay their governmental fees. In most cases, a decision will be made within six months after a complete Canadian visa application has been filed through the Express Entry system.