Five Things You Need to Know About Express Entry to Canada for Filipinos

Being a country that is known for its wide range of benefits including access to free healthcare, free education for children, and vibrant multicultural communities, Canada lands the second spot in the list of top ten countries where Filipinos migrate permanently. The immigration process can be intimidating so here are a few things you need to know about Express Entry for applicants from the Philippines.

Check your chances before you invest your time and money

Answering a few questions about your nationality, age, language ability, family members, education, work experience, and details on any job offer may help you find out if you are eligible for Express Entry. You can fill out the online form provided through the Canadian government website. If you find out that you are eligible, you can calculate an estimate of your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score using the CRS calculator to give you an idea of the CRS score you might be able to achieve. If your score is below the CRS score cut-off for the most recent Express Entry draws, look into ways of improving your CRS score. This is to ensure that you have options before you pay for language tests, ECA reports, and put the time into building a profile.

The education system before 2012 has a big impact on your CRS score

Until 2012, the Philippines’ basic education system was 10 years in length. However, the Canadian education system is 12 years in length. So if you have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree in the Philippines, but you obtained your high school diploma after only 10 years, your ECA report might subtract two years from your degree. It may state that your education is equal to a Canadian “two-year college diploma.” This is because you will have completed 14 years of education in total, whereas a Canadian bachelor’s degree would require 16 years of total education. It means you may be at a disadvantage compared to candidates from countries with 12-year basic education systems. In 2012, the Philippine Government started to introduce a 12-year education system so it should close the gap between educational equivalency between the Philippines and Canada.

The most common Express Entry option for people living in the Philippines is the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program

This is because unless you have Canadian work experience or you have Canadian tradesperson qualifications, you cannot qualify for either of the other two programs. FSW does not require any Canadian experience, nor a Canadian job offer, though either or both does help a candidate’s cause.

Prepare for your language test even if English is your first language or if you consider yourself fluent

Maximizing your approved language test score could be the key to getting a competitive CRS score. Language ability is the most valued human capital factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System and it is also a factor where incremental gains can make a huge difference. Getting a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 9 in each ability triggers a jump in points under the skills transferability factors (the exact jump depends on your levels of education and work experience). One small step in your language ability, one giant leap for your CRS score.

Age can influence your CRS score

Maximum points for age are given if you are between 20 and 29 years old. After you turn 30, you begin losing points for age. Sometimes those lost points can be enough to move you out of the competitive range. A step by step guide on how to get express entry into Canada is available here. We wish you all the best in your endeavors and may you land in Canada soon, kabayan!