Immigration

CRS score in Express Entry

In 2015, Canada launched a new immigration screening system known as Express Entry. The goal of the program is to select highly skilled immigrants more quickly and better through what is known as a pool. Express Entry is based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which evaluates applicants based on information in their profile on the IRCC website. Scores for Express Entry are calculated based on the following factors:

• Education
• Ability to speak English and French
• Work experience
• Occupation
• Language and educational background of the applicant's spouse or partner
• Job offer verified by a positive labour market impact assessment (LMIA)
• Provincial government permanent residency program

You can calculate your current CRS scores for free on the Immigration Canada website.

Express Entry was not operating at full capacity during COVID-19, however, it is back to full capacity as of July 2022. People who live outside of Canada can rejoin the selection process and immigrate, the most important thing is to have a passing score on their profile.

The passing score is constantly changing, depending on the profiles and the number of candidates selected. However, since the beginning of the first draw from Express Entry on July 6, 2022, when the passing score was 557, the score has gradually declined to 481 as of March 29, 2023, and will likely continue to decline to 460-470 level. You can check the CRS statistics on this website.

Provincial Immigration Programs

Almost all Canadian provinces have their own provincial immigration programs, which are also a popular way to immigrate. These provincial programs are divided into so-called "streams" - in other words, separate programs with their own conditions of participation.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with each province's programs and their current regulations, and to get the information you need more quickly, we encourage you to consult with us.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

On January 25, 2019, the Government of Canada announced a new Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot to attract foreign workers to Canada's provincial, rural and northern communities. The towns and cities with a population of 50,000 or less, or that are at least 75 kilometres away from a town or city with a population of 100,000 or more are eligible for the program.

This is just one example of the pilot immigration programs currently operating in Canada. You can learn more about the pilot programs on the official website or in a personalized consultation with our licensed immigration consultants.

Humanitarian programs

Humanitarian immigration programs provide the opportunity to apply for permanent resident status in Canada on the basis of an exemption from the requirements for immigration. Humanitarian immigration program applications are based on circumstances where the applicant has a compelling reason to live permanently in Canada and not in their country of citizenship or permanent residence because, for example, it would endanger their physical/mental health or life.

The humanitarian program should not be confused with the refugee program, one of the criteria of which is to avoid political or other persecution in the country of citizenship or residence. Very often, the humanitarian program is used by elderly parents whose children and grandchildren are residents of Canada and who have no family, financial or other ties to their country of citizenship/residence. It is also used by people who have received a negative decision on their refugee status application.

Family Sponsorship

The Family Reunification Program in Canada allows permanent residents and Canadian citizens to sponsor relatives abroad in order to qualify to move and live in the country. The sponsorship program requires the sponsor (a permanent resident or Canadian citizen) to financially support the sponsored person to meet basic needs, including food, clothing, shelter and medical care.