Express Entry without a job offer

Different from other countries around the world, Canada has multiple immigration pathways for skilled immigrants to move to the country without a job offer.

Since the Canadian immigration system is very versatile and dynamic, several immigration routes are available to those who have not yet found a job that would help them immigrate to Canada.

When looking to move to Canada, some people will be able to move to Canada without needing a job offer from a Canadian employer. Although there are many Canadian immigration programs available, a large majority of them require a job offer to qualify. The following programs do not require a job offer to be eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada:

Federal Skilled Worker
Federal Skilled Trades
Canadian Experience Class
Provincial Nominee Program
Family Class Immigration
Entrepreneur Programs

How to move to Canada through Express entry programs without a job offer?

If you are considering immigrating to Canada through any of the programs that use the Express Entry system, you should remember that not everyone who qualifies for Express Entry will be chosen to apply for permanent residency.

Here are some of the certain express entry program features:

Applicants with valid credentials and documents authorized under the Express Entry system can receive a Canadian permanent residence visa within one year.
Few essential changes have been made to Canadian immigration policy for the proper management of applications. These changes allow foreign workers and professionals to settle in Canada permanently.
There is no fee to submit your application for the Express entry program. Thus, you can make as many attempts as you wish to receive an invitation to apply from any province or territory in Canada.
Canada has a significant population from other countries around the world, which helps in the economic development of the country both at the national and provincial levels.
The Express Entry system allows skilled workers to immigrate to Canada for specific jobs and occupations in various professional fields. The inclusion of skilled worker streams has made the Canadian immigration system friendly to immigrants from various countries.

The Express Entry system is points-based, and only those with a high enough Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) score will be selected to apply for permanent residency. A job offer is not required to enter the Express Entry system, but if your CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score is too low, you may need to get a qualifying job offer to increase your score. Qualifying job postings can add 50 or 200 points to your Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) depending on the level of the job being offered. For a job offer to add points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, your employer must obtain a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for you. A job offer alone will not add any points to your Complete Ranking System (CRS) score.

For those wishing to apply through Express Entry as a (federal) skilled tradesperson, you should keep in mind that if you do not have a full-time job offer from a Canadian employer of at least one year in the same trade for which you are applying, you must have a Canadian Skilled Trades Certificate or qualification in the same trade for which you are applying.

What are the simple steps to immigrate to Canada without a job offer?

Create your Express Entry Profile

The immigration process will begin with the creation of an Express Entry profile. To create an Express Entry profile, visit the IRCC website and complete the Express Entry form. Details include your language skills, degrees, work experience, age, and more. All details you provide must be supported by any authorized document. You will need to mention your choice of the province. Before selecting a province, be sure to check that there are enough vacancies in that province that match your skills.

Apply under different immigration streams under the Express Entry profile

All Express Entry profiles are automatically added to the Express Entry pool. The Express Entry pool helps Canadian immigrants find jobs in Canada. There are a few provinces where Canadian employers cannot hire people from their province in a particular industry and prefer to hire a foreign worker to fill that job opening. If you find such a company, you can contact them directly and the employer can apply for your immigration to Canada.

Apply for Provincial Nomination (if applicable)

Another way to apply is through a provincial nomination. The application process for a nomination program begins with the selection of a province. One of the more popular immigrant nominee programs that allow you to apply for permanent residency in Canada without a job offer is QSWP. Be sure to check vacancies related to your jobs in these provinces. If there are enough job openings, apply for immigration under the Occupation in-demand stream. You must provide all valid credentials to qualify for a provincial program.

Wait for an ITA

Express Entry draws are held approximately every 15 days. If all of your credentials are verified by provincial authorities or IRCC, you will receive an invitation to apply. If you have not received an ITA, you should seek the expertise of an immigration consultant at Province Immigration.

Apply for Canada PR Visa

After receiving an ITA, the next step is to apply for a permanent residence visa from the IRCC. The deadline for applying for a PR visa is a maximum of 90 days after obtaining an ITA. To obtain a visa, a principal applicant must pay approximately 490 CAD. After receiving your PR visa, you have one year to immigrate to Canada. If you have relatives accompanying you, you will also need their PR visas. When moving to Canada through the Occupation in-Demand stream, you must demonstrate sufficient financial resources to be able to support yourself economically for at least 3 months. If you meet all the conditions, you can immigrate as a permanent resident of Canada.

Other ways to apply for Canada PR Visa without a job-offer

There is also a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) that gives an immigration pathway to immigrants without a job offer to become Canadian permanent residents. These includes:

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

OINP has different immigration streams that allow the skilled immigrants without a job offer to apply for Ontario provincial nomination.

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)

There are majorly two immigration streams under SINP that allow immigrants to apply for provincial nomination without a job offer. One of the Saskatchewan PNP immigration streams is the SINP Express Entry stream, which requires candidates to have a valid express entry profile.

Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)

NSNP Demand Express Entry (Category B) is one of the major immigration streams under Nova Scotia PNP that allows skilled immigrants to apply for Nova Scotia provincial nomination without a job offer.

Business Immigration

There is also the Canadian Investor Program category, where depending on your net worth and business experience, you may qualify for unemployed immigration.

Express Entry without a job offer