How I Got My “Invitation to Apply” from IRCC in One Day
By some stroke of intuition, I felt it was the right time to create my Express Entry profile on that fateful April 17 in Japan. The urgency could be felt and there was no time to waste! The universe was calling!
Without hesitation, I completed my profile and slid it amidst the many profiles in the Express Entry pool. The next morning, April 18 in Japan but still April 17 in Canada, I opened my inbox to find an email that looked like this:
My heart jumped and raced knowing what it could mean. I immediately logged into my GCKey account and there I found my “Invitation to Apply” from IRCC, sitting in my GCKey inbox, waiting for me!
That feels like ages ago. Today, I detail how I got my Invitation to Apply or ITA, within a day of creating my Express Entry profile.
I will start by admitting that I became obsessed about my journey to permanent residence in Canada. It was as if everyday, since deciding that Canada would be my next home, achieving PR status in Canada was all I lived and breathed. It was probably bordering insanity. I just felt so strongly about it. Imagining that I would be so close to the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise and the Northern Lights was a like a drug that got me high. Snowcapped mountains, photogenic landscapes and the calm of the Great White North were simply too alluring to resist. When at that time I was living in Japan, and was also close to Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka, the onsens, the sakura, I figured what better place to move to but another place that was as pretty, quiet, and calm.
Fuelled by this, I set course for a do- it- yourself approach. From my Japan experience, I knew this was possible. I didn’t engage an agency then, I was pretty sure I could get PR status in Canada without one.
And so I began to research obsessively.
- What was the program for Permanent Residence in Canada?
- What is the IRCC?
- What documents do I need to prepare for my application?
- How do I get PR in Canada?
I found and built on each new information that I unearthed. I came across far too many shortforms, mostly made up by people in the forums I joined. There were so many programs, too many options. It was getting overwhelming! What does an introverted extrovert do?
Of course, I scale it back and simplify.
After receiving advice from my cousin to only trust credible sources, I mostly stuck with the IRCC website as my go- to source of information.
Step 1: Find the Most Suitable Immigration Program
Turning to my new best friend, I answered a questionnaire on the IRCC website to help me determine which immigration program could work for me.
It is aptly headed with the question “Do you want to come to Canada, or extend your stay?” and since my answer was a resounding YES, of course I answered the rest of the questions!
TLDR, the questionnaire suggested that I try for the Express Entry – Federal Skilled Worker program.
Step 2: Know More About the Federal Skilled Worker Program
Express Entry, if not the main, is one of IRCC’s main immigration programs. The Federal Skilled Worker stream is under EE. And this program makes use of the Comprehensive Ranking System.
But you already know this by now! The truth is, this is surface level information. Based on my personal experience, I can guarantee that there is far more information at the back waiting to be uncovered! In my research, I found the operational guide used in assessing applications for completion. I dug up documents pertaining to decisions regarding same- sex relationships, common- law partnerships and conjugal relationships. I read the CRS criteria top to bottom and made a plan to score top marks where I can, or at least establish proof that I can get the highest points available to me.
I was unrelenting and I analyzed almost everything that I read, especially everything from the IRCC website. I was, simply put, my own immigration consultant.
This is also why I was able to share as much information about the CRS in my previous posts. I went through my application as thoroughly as possible. No stone was left unturned.
Which leads me to the next step.
Step 3: Set Goals
My main goal was, of course, to get an “Invitation to Apply” (ITA). Knowing that the Express Entry was a points- based immigration program, and that receiving an ITA meant outscoring other candidates, I set out to find out how to do so. However, I soon realized that getting an ITA was much more than about getting a score higher than others’. It also entails scoring above the cut-off.
This made planning my approach a multilayered one.
First of all, I had to find out what the cut- off was. This does change for every draw. It depends on the pathways covered by the specific draw. It also depends on how long it has been since the previous draw. So to get an idea of what the cut- off was, I headed back to the IRCC website.
Mind you, this information was not hard to find. A quick search and I found this page that outlined the details on the most recent draw and this page with the historical numbers from previous rounds.
Noting the range, I then moved to the next phase of my preparation.
I pulled up the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) tool and simulated my score. At every question, I tried a number of combinations.
- What if I included Jade in my application?
- What if I studied in Canada?
- What if I got a job offer?
I considered all of the factors within and without my control. However, the most practical items for me were my IELTS results and my Education Credential Assessement. I set my goal to get the highest marks on the IELTS, and I crossed my fingers that WES would consider my Post- Graduate Diploma as at least equivalent to a one- year program. At 30 years old, if I could put together enough proof that I was eligible for max points under work experience, I was due 469 points in total. If I crossed my birthday, and aged up to 31, I would lose six points and drop down to 464. That still puts me above the range of cut- off scores.
Step 4: Get the Maximum Express Entry Points
In aiming for the maximum Express Entry points that I could be eligible for, I especially did three things:
- I aimed for the top range for IELTS-CLB equivalency in fulfilling the Federal Skilled Worker program’s Language Requirements — While it mattered less to me if I hit the bottom of the top range, I definitely challenged myself to aim for a 9. At least, if I fell a few mistakes short, I would still be a CLB 10.
- I submitted my diplomas and transcripts for both my undergraduate degree and my post-graduate diploma — Although it would make sense that an undergraduate diploma would be a requirement for admission into post- graduate programs, I wanted to make it easy for the immigration officers. In having my Education Credential Assessment document plainly say that I had a bachelor’s degree AND a post- graduate diploma, I easily met the criteria for “Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer”.
- I did the math on the number of years I could claim for work experience for each of my previous NOCs or occupations — Because I jumped jobs so often, I had to really consider which occupation would give me the best chance. I did make it to about four years in Marketing. However, although I only worked for two years as an Early Childhood Educator, I was fairly certain I had better chances getting hired as a Kindergarten Teacher, or be nominated by provinces where ECE professionals were in demand, ie., Nova Scotia. Ultimately, I played the numbers game. I chose Marketing as my Primary NOC. Combining this four- year Work Experience plus my CLB 10 Language Ability, I received the maximum 50 points for Skill Transferability – Foreign Work Experience.
Putting all these together, and true to my simulation on the CRS Calculator, I received my ITA with this breakdown points.
Step 5: Time the Express Entry Draws
To be honest, this wasn’t my first ITA. I declined three ITAs before withdrawing my profile and jumping back in at the right time. Thus, I got my ITA within one day of re-creating my Express Entry profile. My previous experience with the Express Entry rounds considered, I did engage with the system many times for a while, so when my intuition told me it was about time, I went back in.
It is possible, however, to time the draws without jumping in and out of queue. The trick is to track the draws. This was easier done before the pandemic hit and the world was thrown in disarray. IRCC would hold draws for different pathways twice to thrice a month and if there was a time that only one draw occurred in a month, they would try to make up in the next.
That said, if the IRCC does go back to its regular schedule, this information will really help in planning and timing when ITAs are sent out to eligible candidates. However, ultimately, whether the ITA comes within a day or a few months down the line, what’s important is to get one and actually start with the IRCC- end of the process. All of the other steps above are really candidate preparations, there is a long way to go.
Take Aways
The idea of moving to Canada as a Permanent Resident had such a strong pull on me. So did the idea of getting PR in Canada through the do- it- yourself approach. With these two goals in mind, I further broke down the vision into smaller tasks.
More importantly, I was relentless in pursuit. I assessed the system and assesed my strengths versus the system. In doing so, not only did I understand how the Express Entry – Federal Skilled Worker program work, I learned to set myself up for success, how to complete my requirements, support my claims and achieve the results I set my eyes on — DIY.
Through this experience, this quote cannot be more apt:
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
It is one thing to want to become a Permanent Resident in Canada. It is another to do the work. Understanding that everyone will have their own experience through this journey is key in appreciating how many pathways are available to potential immigrants. That, to me, is a very positive sign. The brave will make it and the brave will survive – Will you be brave enough? 🙂