Language skill, job status can help crack Canada’s residency programme

Canada’s Express Entry system, for skilled migrants, is points based and experts predict the cut-off point for selection (which is obtaining an invite for permanent residency) during 2019 will hover around the 450 point mark.

While a candidate cannot change his age — for instance, if you are above 45 years, you are likely to get zero points against this parameter, other facets can be honed to garner more points — say French proficiency or a Canadian education.

“The Express Entry system is based on how likely you are to succeed in Canada. Language ability, education, work experience, having a valid job offer and a nomination by a province are the only controllable factors to focus on to improve points. The other factors, such as age cannot be changed,” explains Stephen Green, managing partner, at Green and Spiegel, an immigration law firm.


“Having a job offer can help garner additional points. Two hundred points are given for senior management-level jobs and 50 points for other skilled jobs,” adds David Cohen, senior partner at the immigration law firm of Campbell Cohen.

To be eligible for Express Entry, a candidate needs to prove English or French proficiency, through approved tests. A bonus of 30 points is available for those with high scores in French.

Canada has 10 provinces and three territories. Those candidates who obtain a provincial nomination through one of the Express Entryaligned Provincial Nominee Programmes (PNPs) receive 600 additional points and an invitation to apply, at a subsequent draw from the pool. During 2017, nearly 13,500 odd PNPs were linked with Express Entry — an increase of 73% over the previous year.

“Thus, a provincial nomination effectively guarantees an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Canada’s provinces have different labour market needs and many use different systems to nominate Express Entry candidates. Some such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia rely on in-demand occupation lists to nominate Express Entry candidates with specific work experience. British Columbia’s Tech Pilot, for example, selects candidates with work experience in one of its 29 indemand tech occupations,” says Cohen.

But, Talha Mohani, managing director at Migration Bureau Corp, a legal services firm points out two key challenges. First, most of the PNPs have a set quota that is filled up very fast — usually within a few hours. Second, typically, the candidate needs to have a validated job offer.

In 2017, of the 49,724 admissions into Canada under PNPs, 13,531 were those linked with Express Entry – an increase of 73% over the previous year. Given this, for many candidates PNPs are a much valued option.