WHAT TO DO WHILE YOU WAIT IN THE EXPRESS ENTRY POOL
Once you have applied to one of the three programs in Canada's Express Entry System, you have a long wait period during which you wonder what to do while you wait.
The one thing you do the most is check the latest Express Entry Draws and compare the CRS score of the draw with your own CRS score. You can read about CRS score here.
While you wait in the pool, you can prepare and get ready for steps to come after you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), since you only have 60 days after you receive an ITA to submit a complete application with the pending documents and other requirements stated by the immigration officer.
Here are some things you can do to prepare while you wait in the Express Entry Pool.
GET YOUR DOCUMENTS READY
As we mentioned earlier in this post, you only have 60 days after being invited to apply to submit a complete application. So it is a good idea to have all your documents ready. We will talk about them later in this post.
LANGUAGE TESTS
The one thing you should be careful about is that your language test results are valid. It is very easy to overlook this detail so please remember that your language test results are anly valid for 2 years after the date of the result.
To read more about the Language Requirements for Express Entry, click here.
Please note that if you apply for a PR application with expired language test results, your application will be rejected.
POLICE CERTIFICATES
You also require a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) for each applicant 18 years old or older.
In some countries, like India and the Philippines, it can take a long time to get a PCC, so it is advisable to start the process as soon as you submit your application.
Please remember that this certificate needs to be renewed every 6 months.
FIND A JOB
We have noticed that applicants often forget this part of the process.
When you submit an application to Canada's Express Entry, you are issued a Job Seeker validation code. You can use this code to search jobs on JobBank, Canada's national employment service. It has an amazing database of jobs that can match not only your job profile but also your residence status in Canada. They also have jobs for new immigrants.
IMPROVE YOUR CRS SCORE
This is another important point to focus on. While you are in the pool you can improve your score by updating details and increasing your chances of being invited to apply. you can do this by getting a job offer, getting a provincial nomination, improving your language score, improving your education or work experience, etc.
CONTACT THE PROVINCES
Another thing you can do to increase your CRS score and your chances of being invited to apply is to comtact the provinces and territories to consider you for a Provincial Nomination. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, then do not worry, consult a professional.
IMPROVE YOUR LANGUAGE SCORE
You may already know this but you can retake your language test to improve your CRS score with a better Language Test Result.
LEARN FRENCH
Learning French is a major advantage for many reasons. For one part, it will help you improve your CRS score and increase your language score, but at the same time, with minor proficiency you can be considered a Francophone and some draws prioritize French speakers. There are also special PNP programs for Francophones, as well as Quebec related programs. French is the second official language of Canada alongside English. To add icing to the cake, French is a romance language that is easy to learn and is also one of the official languages of the United Nations.
GAIN MORE WORK EXPERIENCE
Just like improving your language skills, you can gain work experience as well. Work Experiences are categorized as per the National Occupation Classification list issued by the Government of Canada and you are required to have a certain amount of experience based on the program you are applying to and your job position and description.
IMPROVE YOUR EDUCATION
Education not only helps you improve your chances of getting a better job, but also your chances of being invited to apply in the Express Entry Pool.
UPDATE YOUR PROFILE
This is an important point to remember. Always keep your profile up to date, true and accurate. You must update your profile of you start a new career, gain or lose a job offer, get a new language test, get married or divorced, or have or adopt a child.
Please note that the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) may refuse your application of they find any false or omitted information. They may also find you inadmissible to the country and bar you from applying again for 5 years.
So it is very important to keep your application updated.