Apply for permanent residence: Express Entry
– Before applying for permanent residency
Know that you could apply for permanent resident ship through Express Entry only if you received an invite to apply.
– Upon receiving an invitation to apply through Express Entry
The invitation from Express Entry remains valid for only 60 days. Begin filling up the form online and gathering relevant documents before its expiry.
Follow the steps given below to start filling out the online form.
- First, sign into your account.
- Next, click on the available link for permanent residency under Express Entry.
- You must ensure all relevant documents are submitted.
- Answer all the questions truthfully. Any fake document or answer would lead to the complete rejection of the application.
- Complete all mandatory fields to apply.
- You are allowed to save the information on your page and return to it as and when necessary.
The fee applicable for your application is 1,325. If you include your spouse, the amount would be the same. For having a dependent child in the application, you need to pay an additional 225.
Due to the pandemic, some changes have been implemented in the application process.
- The processing time for each of the applications is usually six months. In a pandemic situation, we are unable to provide an accurate application processing time.
- The foreign nationals must have completed the vaccination process. Only then will they be allowed to enter Canada for voluntary traveling purposes upon meeting the required criteria.
- Effective August 9, 2021, fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents from the USA, currently residing in America, meeting required criteria, may travel to Canada.
- From September 7, 2021 (intended to commence), all fully vaccinated foreign nationals qualifying the required criteria can go to Canada. The 3-night hotel sleepover is exempted for passengers traveling by air after August 9, 2021, 12.01 A.M. EDT.
Apply for permanent residence: Documents for Express Entry
All selected candidates must submit all relevant documents. Upon completing mandatory fields on the online form, the system provides you with a personalized document checklist. Make sure to always keep all those documents ready.
– Document Translation
Considering you have documents available in languages other than English or French. In that case, you have to upload the following.
- A French or English translation stamped by a certified translator.
- The translator must photocopy your original document and stamp it if it’s the document they based the translation on.
- All stamps in languages other than English or French need to be translated. A scanned copy of the letter has to be submitted by the candidate. It will indicate that you used a certified translator. Hence, you don’t need an affidavit.
- The English or French translation must accompany a completed affidavit by the individual who completed the document translation.
- You are eligible to use this application only if a certified translator cannot complete the translation process.
- The translated document alongside the original document must be referred to in the affidavit.
- Scans of the original document and its certified photocopy are necessary. A scan of the certified copy of the original document is required if the translation was based on it.
– Check if your translator is certified.
A certified translator must be associated with a suitable translation service in Canada or abroad. They must have a membership stamp indicating the translator’s membership number.
Remember, a translator in the process of receiving accreditation or certification will not be considered certified due to IRCC’s purposes.
An affidavit.
It refers to a document stating the translation made is accurate to the original document. The translator has to take an oath before the authorized commissioner, ensuring the translated document is authentic. The notary or commissioner must be proficient in French or English for oath administration.
Who is allowed to take an affidavit?
Within Canada, an affidavit is taken by the commissioner of taking oaths or affidavits or notary public. If you are outside Canada, the affidavit is accepted by the notary public or its equivalent.
Who is not allowed to take an affidavit?
Affidavits are not allowed to be taken by the candidates themselves. Besides, the candidate’s family member, whether a lawyer, authorized translator, or notary, is not permitted to take affidavits.
– For passports that are expiring
A valid passport is necessary for the candidate to immigrate to Canada. You need to renew the passport if it expires within six months from the date of application.
Upon receiving the renewed passport, enter the relevant details into the application. It ensures the application stands valid and you can avoid additional delays.
For passport holders from Venezuela, additional steps are necessary for filling up the application or profile.
- The candidate has to add five more years to the expiry date and mention it in the expiry date field of the profile or application.
- The candidate must include an application stating that their passport validation has been extended to five more years.
If the passport stands expired even after adding five years to it, the Venezuelan candidate won’t be able to apply for immigration through Express Entry.
– What to do after you have collected all the documents?
Use a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of the documents. Make sure to follow these formats only to save the files – .docx .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .tiff, and .png.
Apply for permanent residence: Fees for Express Entry
– Application fees for Express Entry
- After you fill up all the sections in the form and upload the documents, a page with a list of fees comes up. The list will include the following fees necessary for submitting the online form.
- A processing fee- CAN 825 dollars.
- The right of permanent residence fee (RPRF)- CAN 500 dollar
- The biometrics fee.
- The processing fee for the application, including your spouse, sums up to CAN 1,325 dollars.
- For applications without a permanent residence fee, for yourself or including your spouse, it remains CAN 825 dollars.
- An additional CAN 225 dollars is applicable if the application includes a dependent child.
The eligible candidate can pay through a debit or credit card using their online account. The minimum amount mandatory to be paid for submitting the form is the processing fee. You may spend the rest of the costs in due time. However, make sure to avoid too many delays in completing the rest of the payments.
– Refund policy
For applications that remain incomplete, we ensure refunding the following-
- Processing fees
- Fees for the right of permanent residency if you paid it with the application. In case we begin the application processing, the processing fee is not refunded.
The biometrics fee
Generally, the biometrics fee must be paid with the application that is submitted online. Otherwise, the candidate may experience a delay in application processing. The biometrics fee involves the cost incurred in collecting a digital photo and fingerprints in time.
Complete the biometric fee payment with the application form. After this, we will give you a letter to confirm how and where to get your biometrics done. When receiving the biometrics, you will be required to present this letter to the concerning authority.
The biometrics have to be done in person. Hence, the concerned candidate must book an appointment in advance to receive the services on time.
– Paying specific fees after you apply
Candidates are allowed to pay only through their online accounts when applying. If you decide to pay later on, this is what you need to do.
- For the RPRF, candidates may pay the fee after the approval of the application. However, the fees must be paid before they become a permanent Canadian resident.
To avoid any delay, try paying the RPRF when applying. If the application gets approved before the fee is paid, we will be contacting you to explain how.
If we refuse your application or withdrew the application, the RPRF is refunded. It is the only refunded fee once we begin processing your application.
- You are allowed to add a spouse or a dependent child to your application. Make sure to fill up the details in the marriage and dependent child section in the application as per your needs.
Apply for permanent residence: Submit your Express Entry application
– Provide the biometric documents
After you apply, you need to provide biometric details of yourself, mainly the fingerprints and a biometric photo. However, before you use it, make sure to check the following-
- You have completed filling up all mandatory fields in the online application form.
- Paid the processing and biometrics fee.
- Added you scanned documents listed in the checklist.
The system does not allow the candidate to apply if all mandatory fields and relevant documents are not included.
– How the information is to be updated after submitting the application
After the application is submitted, you may use the webform to report any changes you want to make in the application. The following changes are possible.
- Changing the telephone number, residential address, email, or other relevant contact information.
- Adoptions, marriage, or divorce.
- Birth or death in the family.
- Adding new educational credentials.
- Updated scores on language test results.
- Changing job offers.
– When the work permit is nearing expiry
You might be already working in Canada. If the work permit is expiring, you may be eligible for bridging open the work permit (BOWP). If you are found suitable, it allows you to keep working in Canada while you await your permanent resident application results.
Apply for permanent residence: After you apply through Express Entry
– After you have applied
We ensure that you have completed the following steps.
- Met the required eligibility criteria.
- Filled out the complete permanent residency application correctly.
- Included all the relevant documents.
- Paid the applicable processing fee.
We will contact you through your online secured IRCC account –
- Confirming that the application has been reviewed.
- Asking you to provide us with your biometrics.
- Sending you updates about the application status.
- Asking for further details and documents, if required.
- Setting up an interview with the officer-in-charge, if necessary.
- Providing details on what you have to do next.
– Get the biometric photo and fingerprints taken.
Between the ages of 14 years and 79 years, candidates are supposed to provide biometric information when applying for permanent residency. If the biometric tests have been done in the past, submitting those documents still stands valid.
- To prevent delays in application processing, pay the biometric fees with the submitted application.
- You must be paying the fee as soon as you receive a letter from us informing you to provide us with the required biometrics.
- The biometrics must be submitted within 30 days from the date you received the application.
– Information verification of the candidate.
If you provide Express Entry with false or irrelevant documents, we may-
- Refuse or reject your application.
- Prohibit you from applying to enter Canada for five years.
- Find you non-permissible.
– Decisions are taken on the submitted application.
We decide about your application based on the following grounds.
- Required eligibility criteria for a chosen program.
- If you are permissible based on the medical exam, background checks, and police certificates.
Whatever decision is taken based on the application, we inform the candidate through their online account.
– For rejected or refused applications
If your application gets rejected, you may have to wait for future invitation rounds. Until then, you may carry out the following.
- Submit a completely new profile to Express Entry.
- Meet the required eligibility criteria.
- Try to get accepted in the pool of eligible candidates again.
– For accepted applications
The only thing left for selected applications is for those candidates to pay the RPRF if they haven’t already. For more details, consult with Overseas Haven Immigration.