(espanol)

After a skilled foreign worker applies for Canadian immigration by filing an Express Entry profile, their details are reviewed by an agent of Canada’s government and if the applicant appears to qualify for Express Entry to Canada, their file is placed in the “pool” of candidates for up to 12 months. In order to be selected from the Express Entry pool of potential Canadian immigration candidates, an applicant must receive an official “Invitation to Apply” (ITA) for Canadian permanent residency from Canada’s government. In other words, immigration to Canada through the Express Entry system is “by invitation only.” A skilled foreign worker can be selected from the Express Entry pool to receive an ITA if he or she has one of the highest scores on the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) when the ITAs are periodically issued. Once the ITA has been issued, the skilled foreign worker will then have 60 days to submit their complete Canadian visa application, necessary documents and required fees to Canada’s government. In most cases, a decision is made regarding immigration to Canada within six months after the complete Canadian visa application is submitted.