Immigration Corner | Hotel manager wants to apply under express entry

Dear Miss Powell,

I am a manager at a hotel and I'm fluent in English, Spanish and French. I am interested in applying under the express entry programme to Canada, but I'm not sure if I would qualify. Can you please tell me how I can qualify to live in Canada? Is my occupation on the list that Canada wants? My husband is a chef at a hotel as well. Should we apply separately, or do we have to apply together? Is there a limit on the number of persons that are selected? Do we need a job offer first? We are looking forward to your response. Thanks for your help.

- PP

Dear PP,

The express entry system is a tool utilised by Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to accept applications under programmes such as Federal Skilled Trade, the Federal Skilled Worker, the Provincial Nominee programme and the Canadian Experienced Class. Qualified individuals are accepted into a pool of candidates, and then individuals are selected, based on the scores, and invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

There is no cap on the number of applications that IRCC will admit into the express entry pool. In fact, there is no limit to the amount of applications that will be accepted each year, and there is no specific occupation that is targeted. While there is no specific category of workers that are admitted into the pool and there is no specified list of eligible jobs, your experience must fall within the National Occupational Classification codes and your primary occupation must fall within the category of skill type A, B or 0. These jobs are professionals, managers, supervisors, administrative assistants, as well as, trades such as butchers, chefs, bakers, plumbers, electricians, maintenance and equipment operation trades, to name a few. The only restriction is that you are required to have at least one year paid work experience on a full-time basis in your primary occupation.

Since you are married, you are required to submit one application and include information about yourself, your spouse and immediate family. Your experience as a manager and your husband's qualification as a chef should play a significant role in the overall scores and ranking in the pool.

How are individuals selected?

Individuals are selected based on their age, language ability, education, work experiences and other factors. Therefore, the first step is to prove your language skills. You indicated that you are fluent in three languages. That is excellent. You and your husband will now need to demonstrate your language ability by taking the required language tests. The eligible languages tests are the IELTS, General Training or the CELPIP - General Examinations. This is a standard requirement for all applicants. There is no escaping the language test, even if English is your mother tongue.

You are not restricted to the IELTS, General Training Exam. Some individuals who already have their Canadian temporary resident or visitor's visa, have been opting to visit Canada or the USA to sit the CELPIP, General Examination for immigration purposes. See www.celpiptest.ca for more information.

You can book your IELTS, General Training examination online or by calling UWI at 876-977-0887. They have test centres in Kingston and Montego Bay.

Since you are fluent in French, I really recommend that you consider sitting the Test d'Evaluation de Francais. Lessons and tests are available at the Alliance FranÁaise office in Kingston. You may call the Alliance FranÁaise for information on the French test and even refresher courses. You may also send an email to admin@afjamaica.com to request information about preparation courses, prices and to book your examination.

I encourage you to go online and download the candidate handbook for each test and begin practising. You MUST get a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark seven in all four abilities, which are reading, writing, listening and speaking, in order to be admitted into the pool and for your application to be considered. One of the simplest ways to ensure that you qualify is to obtain the highest possible score under the language category.

Do you need a job offer to get permanent residence?

You goal is to get over 400 points. So, although having a job offer will give you extra points, you DO NOT NEED a job offer to be admitted into the express entry pool, and most importantly, you do not need a job offer to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. Many of my clients have received an invitation for permanent residence, without a job offer.

I do not recommend that you pay employment agencies to find you a job. Most reputable employment agencies are paid by the employers to find skilled labour for them. If you chose to use an agency instead of utilising the government of Canada job bank portal, you must ensure that you receive a copy of the Labour Market Impact Assessment report and investigate the validity of your job offer.

I have only outlined some of the requirements and, therefore, I strongly recommend that you consult with an immigration lawyer to assess your eligibility, guide you with the application process, and communicate with the Canadian immigration authorities on your behalf. I hope that helps.

- Deidre S. Powell is a lawyer, mediator and notary public who is a member of the Jamaican and Ontario, Canada bars, with office located in Ottawa, Ontario. Send your questions and comments to info@deidrepowell.com. Visit her website at www.deidrepowell.com to find out if you qualify under express entry. Call 613.695.8777 or 876.922.4092. Find her on Facebook: jamaicanlawyer.