The Ultimate Game of Luck: Unveiling the Secrets of the Canadian Visa Lottery 2024

 

How much does Express Entry cost?

Language tests: Average cost – $300
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): Average cost – $200
Biometrics: $85/person
Government fees: $1,325/adult & $225/child
Medical examination fees: average cost – $450/adult & $250/child

Police clearance certificates: average cost – $100/country

No government fees are required to submit your initial Express Entry profile. The fees are only requested when you are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. In addition to the government processing fees, provincial immigration fees may be required if you are nominated for a PNP program.

You should also be aware that unless you are applying under the Canadian Experience Class program or have a valid arranged employment offer, you will need to demonstrate you have sufficient funds to support your resettlement in Canada. These settlement fees are not fees paid to the government but you must have access to them in order to be approved for a permanent residence visa. The amounts per family size are mentioned in the table below:

Number Family Members    Funds Required
1                                             $12,960
2                                              $16,135
3                                           $19,836
4                                              $24,083
5                                           $27,315
6                                             $30,806
7                                             $34,299
For each additional family member $3,492

Updated April, 2021

Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?

You do not require a job offer for Express Entry. The vast majority of candidates selected for Express

Entry do not have a formal Canadian job offer:

• A formal Canadian job offer for a skilled, full-time position can add 50 to 200 points to your Express Entry application. Almost always, a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required for these points to be awarded.  
• An informal job offer will not award any additional points to your Express Entry profile and should not be mentioned in the application.

How long does Express Entry take?

Express Entry can take as little as six months to process, from submission of the Express Entry profile to the issuance of a permanent resident visa. However, not all cases will proceed this quickly. Your Express Entry profile will remain active in the pool of candidates for 12 months if you are not invited to apply.

1. Your profile will remain valid for 12 months in the Express Entry pool .
2. Upon issuance of the ITA, you will have 90 days to provide the requested full application of documents.
3. Once the immigration authorities have received your complete application, your permanent resident visa should be processed in six months or less.

What’s better: PNP or Express Entry?

  There is no simple answer to this question but there are some things to consider. Most PNPs require an applicant to have an Express Entry profile. Since an Express Entry  profile is free to submit, you don’t stand to lose anything by creating one. 

  The other thing to consider is that the majority of PNP programs require an applicant to have a specific connection to the region. If you are working or studying in a Canadian province, considering a PNP program is advisable. If you do not have any specific connections to a place in Canada, the more general Express Entry pathway to Canadian permanent residence is probably your best option. 

  The best way to determine whether a PNP or Express Entry is better for you is to complete our free online immigration assessment.

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