Congratulations if you have been placed in the Express Entry pool of candidates! Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has done so only after evaluating your Express Entry profile and finding you eligible. Once in the pool, it is crucial to understand and be aware of the following:
- One Year – You will be in the pool for a period of one year from the day you get in.
- Job Bank – You will be provided with a personal reference code, which you should use to register with Job Bank. (Note- if you do not have a nomination from a province or territory or a job offer, it is important that you register with Job Bank to be eligible for the pool)
- Points – CIC will evaluate the information you provided in your profile and rank it
- Invitation – There will be regular rounds of invitations to invite top candidates to against the Comprehensive Ranking System to reward you with a points score. apply for permanent residence (In order to apply online for permanent residence, you must have received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from CIC.)
- Contact – CIC will send you a message regarding your ITA for permanent residence to your My CIC account and email address. Please ensure the email address in your profile is valid and updated.
- Updated Profile– Please update your profile if your situation changes in any way. Your profile must on contain information that is current and accurate.
In the alternative, if you do not receive an ITA to apply for permanent residence after a year of being in the pool, your Express Entry Profile will automatically expire. However, you may still want to come to Canada as a skilled immigrant. In that situation:
- You are required to complete and submit an entirely new profile.
- You will have 60 days to resubmit your existing Express Entry profile through MyCIC.
- Ensure that your new profile contains updated and accurate information. You will be asked to validate the information. If you meet the minimum entry criteria, you will receive a new personal reference code.
*Do you want to apply for the Express Entry Program?*
The VisaPlace Express Entry Application Service will get you in to the pool quickly and with a profile that gives you the best chance of being selected.
Check your eligibility for Canadian Express Entry
ITA- Invitation to Apply- Next steps
Congratulations upon you ITA! Once you receive your ITA, you will have 60 days to fill out and submit your application for permanent residence. Since you will only have 60 days for submission, you will need to plan ahead. You will encounter certain documentation required for your application that will take more than 60 days to attain (for example, police clearances, reference letters, certificates, etc). In order to reduce delays, it is important that you start requesting such documents right away, if not earlier, so that you can apply for permanent residence within the 60-day time period.
How can I improve my score?
There are a number of things you can do to improve your score and increase your chances of receiving an ITA:
- Get a valid job offer,
- Consider the Provincial Nominee Program and start contacting provinces and territories,
- Improve your language scores,
- Improve your education, and/or
- Gain more relevant work experience.
Importance of your profile being updated and accurate
As mentioned above, your profile requires to be updated and accurate at all times. It is your responsibility to maintain it. Any change in situation must be reflected in your profile, as it is all CIC will be reviewing. Any incorrect information can have an impact on their decision.
Misrepresentation can cause major step-backs. If CIC discovers that you have misrepresented any information (for example, left out important details or provided false information):
- Your application could be refused,
- You could be found inadmissible, and/or
- You could be barred for five years from applying for permanent resident status.
For further information, please contact us at 647-478-1621
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
