What to expect from this blog ?
This blog is all about the process of attaining Canadian Permanent Residency through their Express Entry Visa Program and the fees associated with it. It does not contain any information about the benefits or disadvantages of permanent residency or living in Canada. If we ever move to Canada, I will make sure to write an article on that. Also this blog is written by an Indian citizen living in US, so things could be slightly different based on the country you are currently living in. I have tried to include all the useful tips, documents required, mistakes to avoid in the form of Q&A. Its a detailed blog. You may want to skip the questions you are not interested in.
Why did we apply for Canadian Permanent Residency ?
I and my wife are citizens of India. We moved to US for Masters on F-1 student visa. F-1 student visa lets you work for 1 year after graduation, and if your course is in STEM (an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) then you get additional 2 years. If you are interested in working longer, then you need to have H1B work visa, which is limited in number and hence the lottery every year to get one before your student visa expires. I wasn’t lucky enough to get picked in the lottery in all 3 years and we decided to work on a back up plan in case we have to leave the country- Canadian Permanent Residency. The situation is a lot more complex, however it is not important here.
How much does it cost to become a Permanent Resident ?
If you are single it will cost you around 2000 USD and if you are married, it would cost you approximately double of that assuming both are moving to Canada. Please note that this price does not include travel expense to Canada.
An approximate break up of the same for a single is here:
1. IELTS Exam: 250 USD.
2. Medical Exam in US: 350 – 400 USD.
3. PR Visa Fee: 550 CAD.
4. Right of Permanent Residency Fee: 490 CAD.
5. FBI Police Clearance Fee (Police clearance from all countries you lived in): 20-50 USD.
6. Indian Police Clearance certificate (Police clearance from all countries you lived in): 27-55 USD.
7. Educational Credential Evaluation: 227-300 CAD.
8. Transcripts: 10-40 USD
i. What if you are married and only you are moving to Canada but not your spouse ?
You will earn points as if you don’t have a spouse and evaluated as one.
ii. What if you are married and only you are applying to Canada for express entry because your spouse is Canadian PR or citizen ?
You will earn points as if you don’t have a spouse and evaluated as one.
If you are still reading this, it probably means you are OK paying the price…
So whats the first step ?
Understanding Canadian Points structure and How it all works
Canada invites limited number of people every month to apply for Express Entry Visa. This invitation is decided based on a points system. At first you prepare all the documents required to get the maximum points you possibly can and enter the pool with other candidates for an invitation from IRCC. If your scores are above the cutoff for that draw (which happens usually twice a month), you will be given 2 months to get the remaining documents and apply for Canada PR.
So its important to understand the points structure because ultimately you get an invitation to apply for Canada PR only if you clear the cutoff for the draw in that month. IRCC(Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship and Canada) provides a set of questionnaire which helps you understand the maximum score you could get and how you could improve your overall score. The link to the same is here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/crs-tool.asp
Additionally the following link will help you understand the points system clearly:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/criteria-comprehensive-ranking-system/grid.html
Latest cutoff scores can be found here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/submit-profile/rounds-invitations.html
While writing this article, the lowest score of the last round of draw of invitations was 441. I believe this has been the approximate cutoff for quite some time now.
What do you need to enter the Pool ?
– IELTS General Test results.
– Education Credential Evaluation Report
– Rest of the documents should be readily available in your document folder.
STEPS TO EXPRESS ENTRY
Its important to carry out multiple things in parallel in the first 2 months to avoid losing time in the process. They are:
STEP 1 : Book a slot for IELTS General Exam.
The wait time for an IELTS exam could be anywhere from few weeks to few months. IELTS preparation along with work can take a maximum of 3-4 weeks. Give a mock exam, see how you fare and book a slot! Once you book the slot you have a hard deadline to finish preparation. Also the wait time for first slot could be too long so its important to book the slot first to save on time.
i. Can you apply for Canadian Express entry without IELTS/CELPIP scores ?
No. Without the IELTS/CELPIP score you simply cannot apply for the express entry program.
ii. How much should you score in IELTS ?
While there is no cutoff as to how much you need to score in IELTS to clear, you often need to be in highest band to make your overall score go up. To be in the highest band you need the following scores in each section:
Reading : 7
Writing: 7
Listening: 8
Speaking: 7
This is equivalent to CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) 9. Here is a link to the tables I am referring to:
iii. What about CLB 10 ? Isn’t CLB 10 better than CLB9 ?
You could always score more than CLB9 in any/all of the sections to make it to CLB 10, however please note that you get the same points irrespective of CLB9 or CLB10.
iv. If you are married, is it better for both of you to give the exam ?
For better chance of invitation to Canada, both need to give the exam as this increases the overall points to get an invitation to apply for Canadian PR. However please note that the increase in points is very minimal from the secondary candidate’s IELTS scores as compared to the primary candidate. You will need to evaluate your position to decide if its required for both of you to give the exam. IELTS exams are not cheap and you could save 250$ USD.
v. Any benefit of being married for Canada PR?
One benefit of being married is that even if one person does better than the spouse in the IELTS exam, you can make him/her the primary applicant and gain more points. This is assuming both have the same points for rest of the categories i.e age, education level, study in Canada, work experience . However if you are single, every section of IELTS matters. Single applicants have nothing else to worry as this is the only benefit of being married.
vi. Do married applicants get more Canadian points as there are 2 applicants ?
No. The points system is designed such that single applicants and married applicants get equal opportunity i.e. points attained by single applicant for a particular category is much higher than points attained by a person who is married because he/she has a spouse to add on points and make it equal. So its possible that one spouse can pull the other down and decision to select primary applicant must be done wisely.
vi. How much does IELTS exam cost ?
It costs around 250 USD per applicant.
vii. How important is IELTS score ?
I would say that IELTS scores have a lot of weightage and usually is a deal breaker to get/not get the invitation in most cases.
viii. How do i prepare for IELTS exam ?
Unlike GRE/GMAT, IELTS doesn’t need much preparation. I didn’t feel the need to buy any course material as I found many free tests online. Also there is free mock exam by British Council which conducts the IELTS exam. The link to the same:
https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/free-practice-tests
I did a lot of tests from this site which seemed more than enough to prepare myself for the exam:
https://ieltsonlinetests.com/ielts-exam-library#general-training
Apart from this I followed Liz who gives enough guidance on how to prepare for IELTS especially the writing section:
http://ieltsliz.com
ix. Can I use my IELTS Academic scores for immigration ?
Unfortunately only IELTS General scores are accepted for immigration purpose. So be careful while booking the exam. Be sure to book IELTS General not Academic.
x. Where can I book IELTS General exam for this ?
First step is to find a test location near you using:
https://www.ielts.org/en-us/book-a-test/find-a-test-location
Once you find the location near you, the steps will guide you to the slots available for that location. Once you book a slot they usually give you 24 hours to make the payment and the guidelines to the same.
xi. If I am married, is it mandatory for both of us to take IELTS ?
No. Its not mandatory for both of you to take IELTS but its mandatory for the primary applicant.
xii. How do we decide the primary applicant ?
Primary applicant always gets more points for a category than secondary applicant. So its important to select primary applicant wisely. If one applicant has benefit over the other applicant because of age, level of education, study in Canada, work experience, primary or secondary language scores, then that person should be the primary applicant. The best way to evaluate who is a better primary applicant is by using the points calculator to see both the combinations. This is the safest and easiest way to decide the primary applicant.
STEP 2 : Apply for transcripts.
This could be a tedious process considering you are currently not living in the same country where you graduated from. If you graduated from a university in US, its probably much simpler and can be done online. However in countries like India its not as advanced as that which would mean you need to give good amount of time for the transcripts to be in your hands.
i. If you have done Masters should you get transcripts for your undergrad as well ?
No, you don’t. Canada only cares about your highest degree and this needs to be evaluated. However I did get both my Masters and Undergrad evaluated as it doesn’t cost more to get both evaluated at the same time but its not required. Same applies to PhD holders, they do not need Masters or Undergrad transcripts to be evaluated.
ii. How much do transcripts cost ?
I have noticed that US universities usually provide transcripts at nominal price of 10$ and post it to any address provided by you for no or very minimal additional fee. However this is general post and can take a few weeks to get to Canada for evaluation. Premium services from universities can cost a lot more like 30$ but expedited delivery.
iii. If I studied in Canada should I apply for transcripts as well ?
Probably not. Since you don’t have to get your degree evaluated, you won’t be needing transcripts.
STEP 3 : Get your transcripts evaluated (Educational Credential Assessment).
These are the list of Institutions from which you can get your degree evaluated.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/education-assessed/how.html
We chose WES as its widely popular and accepted by many institutions.
i. How do I get the transcripts posted to WES, Canada ?
When I did it in September 2018, things were slightly different. To view the latest ways in which transcripts can be posted to WES, Canada, I would recommend using the following link:
https://www.wes.org/ca/required-documents/
Be sure to select WES Canada, then select your Country and type of education to know how the transcripts can be posted to WES. Generally they are of 2 types but changes from country to country.
-Send the transcripts in sealed envelopes directly from the University to WES, Canada.
-Get the transcripts from your university in sealed envelopes as they won’t post it themselves and you post it for them. However on referring to the website again this option may no longer be available for Indian graduates and has changed in Dec, 2018.
ii. How much does it cost for WES evaluation ?
When I did it in September 2018, it costed around 200 CAD. However prices seem to have increased now. It costs about 220 CAD now. An additional 7 CAD at minimum for post with no tracking for the report to be delivered to your home. You will need to send additional document like photocopy of degree certificate which will cost another 8$ at minimum.
iii. Should you get all your degrees evaluated ?
While it doesn’t cost more to get all your degrees evaluated, Canada only cares about the highest degree obtained. I did have extra copies of transcripts of undergrad and got it evaluated along with masters, however this is not required.
iv. What are the documents required for WES evaluation ?
Original transcripts in sealed copies and photo copy of degree certificate.
v. How long does WES evaluation take ?
As per their website it takes 20 business days after confirmation and review of the documents and fees. However in my case it took close to 2 months for the entire process since I requested my university to send transcripts using regular post and also chose regular post for receiving the WES report. Even if you chose expedited shipping for both sending and receiving, I would expect the entire process to take a minimum of 1 month and few days.
vi. How much does expedited shipping cost ?
Universities usually charge around 30$ USD more for expedited shipping of transcripts. WES charges 85$ CAD for expedited shipping. You will have to post photocopy of degree certificates which will cost another 20$ USD at minimum for expedited shipping to Canada from US.
vii. Link to WES(World Education Services) so that I can get started ?
https://www.wes.org/ca/eca/
viii. Is this evaluation required for people who studied in Canada ?
Probably not.
All the above 3 points need to be done during the time you prepare for IELTS as they are very time consuming. If you are confident of a good IELTS score and Canadian points in total, I would also recommend doing STEP 4 and STEP 5 in parallel to save on time
STEP 4 : How do I get started with my application online?
First, you need to create an account at the following link:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/immigration-citizenship.html
I used the “Continue to GCKey” to create an account. The other option “Continue to sign in partners” is I believe for people who have bank accounts with those partners but I didn’t have any.
Once you are logged in, use the “Start an application” option. You will notice that it will ask you a “Personal Reference Code“, chose the “Express Entry“, answer the questions right to create the code. In order to create this code you will need your IELTS scores, funds you will get to Canada, NOC code for your skillset and few other general questions.
i. How much money should I get to Canada ?
This link will help you answer the question right for the code above:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/proof-funds.html
ii. How do i find out my NOC code ?
This link should help you find it:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/find-national-occupation-code.html
The process is self explanatory, you should be able to create a profile and enter the pool when you are ready. Enter the pool only when you want to. Once you enter the pool its a wait until you get the invitation. If you consider your scores to be much lower than cutoff, I would highly encourage you to revisit the points table and see how you could improve your points. I guess the best ways are to retake IELTS or to find a job in Canada. Once you get picked in lottery, you will have 2 months to get rest of the documents in order to submit online. So comes the next steps:
Again its important to do these steps in parallel to make it on time for 2 months deadline.
STEP 5 : Apply for Police Clearance certificate in the country you are living in currently.
In my case : Apply for FBI clearance certificate in the United States.
i. Link to the official site to apply for FBI clearance ?
https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks
ii. What are the different options I have to apply ?
The site provides 3 different options to apply for FBI clearance:
-Electronically submit your application directly to FBI here
-Submit directly to FBI via physical mail
-Apply through FBI approved Channeler
ii. Which method works the best ?
I would recommend submitting electronically if you want to save a few bucks and FBI approved Channeler if you want to avoid all the hassle.
iii. How does electronic submission work ? Advantage/disadvantage ?
They charge you only 18$ USD per person. The application is submitted online at https://www.edo.cjis.gov/. The process takes 3-5 days for approval. Once approved they provide you with instructions to post your fingerprints. You could send as many fingerprints as possible as long as one works. You can either do this yourself or use one of the professional services (like Dept. of Public Service and other finger printing services). I have noticed that professionals charge 15$ for this service at minimum. There are chances of rejection if the fingerprints are considered to be not good enough. FD-258 fingerprint cards are designed for this purpose and are much better for capturing fingerprints than regular paper. They are available for purchase at several stores including Amazon and can cost around 2$ each. Instructions for capturing fingerprints yourself: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/capturing-legible-fingerprints.pdf
iv. How does the process work through FBI channeler ?
FBI approved channelers are premium priced but they get you the result most probably in the first attempt and some of them even get you the results in very short time in case you have time constraints. They usually charge around 50$ per person and the price can increase if you need the results in very short time. Basically everything is at one place so you don’t have to go through any hassle. Make an appointment, fingerprints are electronically captured and submitted rather than on paper and results are sent to your home. Though I have not personally tried this, I would highly recommend this as they could save you all the hassle for saving few extra bucks. Link to FBI approved channelers: https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers-for-departmental-order-submissions.
STEP 6 : Apply for Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from other countries that you have lived in.
Being an Indian citizen, I have lived in India for good amount of time and hence I need a PCC from there.
i. How to apply for Indian PCC in US ?
Depending in the state you are in form could be slightly different. However PCC needs to be obtained from Indian Embassies in US and all of them are some kind of miscellaneous form.
ii. Instructions for the residents of Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado and Nebraska.
You need to apply for the Indian Embassy in Houston. You need to fill in the following form:
http://cgihouston.gov.in/files/Misc_Form8.pdf
Instructions to get PCC from Indian Embassy in Houston are here:
http://cgihouston.gov.in/consular-services/miscellaneous-services/9-consular-services/37-police-clearance-certificate-pcc
iii. Instructions for the residents of California, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Territory of Guam ?
You need to apply for the Indian consulate in San Francisco. Instructions to the same:
https://www.cgisf.gov.in/page/display/143/236
iv. How much does it cost ?
You will need to get 3 cashiers cheque or money order all of them in favor of “Consulate General of India”- one for 25$ USD (PCC Fee), one for 2$ USD (ICWF Fee), one for 20$ USD(Return postal fees). The last one is mandatory if you are posting your application. If you are personally applying and picking up the documents personally then you can avoid the postal fee of 20$. If you are posting your documents you will spend an additional 8$ for post.
v. What are the documents required for this ?
-Completed application form along with affixed passport size photo.
-Original Passport and photo copy of first 3 and last 2 pages of the same.
-Fees in cashier’s cheque or money order. Other forms of payment not accepted. Also prepaid return envelopes not accepted.
-Proof of current US residence (list of accepted documents vary depending on consulate)
-Proof of US visa status(list of accepted documents vary depending on consulate )
-Documents required slightly vary depending on the consulate. Please do you own research before applying.
vi. How long does this take ?
Although the Houston consulate website states it may take up to 6 weeks, it took about a week for us or 2.
vii. What about the residents of other states ?
Please refer the following link. Depending on the state you are residing in, you could find the Indian Embassy serving your state.
https://www.immihelp.com/directory/indianconsulatesusa.html
STEP 7 : Apply for work experience letters.
i. What information is mandatory on your work experience letter ?
– It should be printed on the company letterhead.
– Applicant’s name, company contact information (address, phone and email)
– Name, Title and signature of immediate supervisor.
– All positions held at the company, job title, duties and responsibilities, job status, dates worked for, number of hours per week, annual salary plus benefits.
ii. What if I am self employed ?
Please find the details on the link below:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/permanent-residence/express-entry/applications-received-on-after-january-1-2016-completeness-check.html
This link is not specific to self employment and can be used by other as well for checking their work experience letter requirements.
iii. Should I get work experience letters for my internship as well ?
Internship counts towards work experience as long as its 40 hours of work per week. While getting this letter for a very short period of time can be painful, it does make a difference if your overall work experience is less than 3 years.
iv. How many years work experience should I have to apply for Express Entry?
Work experience up to 3 years is valued. That is anything above 3 years of foreign work experience w.r.t. Canada gets you the same amount of points as someone with 3 years of work exp.
STEP 8 : Apply for Medical Test.
Its mandatory to pass the medical tests to be approved for Express Entry.
i. Can I go to any hospital for these tests ?
No. Canada has a list of approved hospitals and Doctors you can go to. To find the closest Hospital and Doctor near you, please use the following link: https://secure.cic.gc.ca/pp-md/pp-list.aspx
ii. What tests need to be performed ?
These hospitals are equipped with the information about the tests they need to perform for Express Entry to Canada Visa. FYI it includes blood test for HIV, urine test for syphilis, Chest X-ray and physical checkup of eyes and ears.
iii. Is it OK to have alcohol the night before tests ?
Slight traces of alcohol is acceptable.
iv. Should I upload the report myself ?
The hospital will take care of uploading the report themselves when available. The hospital however provides you with an “Information sheet” which needs to be uploaded by you online. This sheet contains your information and shows that you have completed all the medical tests required and also includes the UMI number that is generated along with its bar code. Confirm all the details on this sheet are accurate as per your knowledge before you leave the hospital.
v. How much does this cost ?
Cost varies from country to country. US being one of the most expensive for medical, costs about 350-400$ per person depending on the location you go to.
vi. Does your insurance cover it ?
Medical insurance won’t cover you for this examination. However you could use your HSA money towards this test. We were denied from using HSA card at the hospital. However we applied for reimbursement and didn’t have any trouble getting the money back. If you are lucky enough like us, the company we work for loads some amount of cash every year into HSA, you could use that money.
vii. When should I take my medical test ?
As per my understanding, once you are approved for PR and done with stamping, you get 1 year from the date of medical test to enter Canada and not lose the permanent residency you obtained. So better plan your application and medical test smartly.
viii. Can I take this test on weekends ?
We were able to schedule an appointment on weekend. However this may change from Hospital to Hospital.
STEP 9: Consolidate your financial statements.
Canada requires that you prove your financial stability before you enter the country.
1. How much money should I show ?
Depending on your status, the amount you need to show varies. This link should help you with it.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/proof-funds.html
2. What can I show for financial proof ?
Anything considered liquid amount can be showed as proof. This includes your savings account, shares, current account, etc.
STEP 10: Consolidate other documents.
1. What are the other documents you may require ?
– Passport
– Marriage Certificate
– Degree Certificates
– Passport Photo digital copies.
– There could be several other documents you may require depending on your situation.
STEP 11: Apply for express entry with all the documents requested.
Now that you have all the documents requested, its time to upload all of them and submit the application before the end of 2 months deadline provided. Once the application is submitted, lookout for any notification from IRCC from time to time. You will receive email when there is a notification. However you should proactively check for any notification or document they may have requested from you. After you receive the e-mail, you will be given 1 week for any additional document that were requested, so you do not want to miss their notification. Once you are approved for Canada PR, they will request you to send your passport for stamping. After the stamping you have certain number of days before which you need to enter Canada.
i. After stamping, by what date should you enter Canada to avoid losing the Permanent Residency ?
As per my understanding you get 1 year from the date of your medical examination to enter the country provided that you are approved for PR and done with stamping. When your passport is done stamping, you will know the date by which you need to enter the country.
ii. How long does the application take after you submit all the documents in STEP 11?
Currently it takes about 6-8 months to get the PR after you have submitted all the documents.
MISTAKES TO AVOID!!!
Do not forget to use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee for all transactions in CAD. Else you will end up paying quite a bit only in foreign transaction Fee.
Book IELTS General not Academic. IELTS Academic scores won’t be accepted for immigration purpose.
Medical Test Reimbursement: While the hospitals I contacted in Dallas and Houston mentioned that HSA won’t be accepted for payment, I was able to apply for reimbursement and get that money back from HSA. Since the company that I work for gives 750$ each year towards HSA, this amount was covered. So you may be able to use similar benefits without paying for it.
Plan your application carefully. Once you are approved for PR, you need to travel with your spouse to Canada within certain time limit. My understanding is that its 1 year from the date of your medical exam provided your PR is approved and stamping is completed. Its possible that you are restricted from moving out of your current country because of visa restrictions. So its crucial to plan your application accordingly.
QUESTIONS ?
Please use the comments section to ask any questions you may have. I will try to answer them. I will also consider it to be added to blog. These questions are often useful to others, so please do not hesitate to ask
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