Canada Express Entry (skilled PR)
Tunde's pathway: Canada Express Entry (strong candidate)
Your strongest asset is a genuinely competitive profile — 28, a software engineer with strong English and a healthy savings base. Your single biggest gap is the settlement-funds requirement: it is money you must HOLD, not spend, and it sits on top of your application costs — so plan your cash around having it ready, not just affording the fees.
What this means for you
As a software engineer with strong English, Express Entry is the route built for you — it rewards exactly your profile (age, education, language, skilled experience) and does not require a job offer to start. That is rare and it is in your favour. Being single with no dependants is a real advantage here: every naira you have counts toward your own application, your settlement-funds bar is the lowest it will ever be, and you can move the moment your COPR lands. Use that flexibility — it shrinks again the day life gets more complicated.
The part to respect is sequencing. Your IELTS/CELPIP score is the biggest lever on your CRS, and your WES credential assessment has the longest lead time of anything on this journey. Start both now, in parallel — not one after the other — or you will lose months waiting. Toronto is a strong landing choice for tech, but rents there are the steepest in the country. Treat the city as a variable, not a fixed cost: a cheaper first base while you settle can stretch your funds a long way without touching your career.
Your profile
Your first moves
- Book IELTS now
- Start your WES ECA in parallel
- Build settlement funds you can hold, not spend
People like you
- You're 1 of undefined people we've mapped heading to CANADA.
- undefined% are applying single.
- Your savings are higher than 68% of people on this path.
Financial runway
Every figure below is computed from official sources at today's exchange rate.
Your costs
What-if simulator
Drag your savings and timeline to see exactly what it takes to be funded. Nothing is saved — play freely.
You need ₦22,967,260 available in total (upfront spend + proof of funds). The simulator subtracts that from your savings — the same maths as your verified plan above.
Document workspace
Tick items off as you get them — your progress is saved on this device.
Documents to gather
Who this route is for
- A recognised degree, assessed via an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) — WES is the most common body for Nigerians.
- Skilled work experience in an eligible occupation (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3).
- English proof — IELTS (General Training) or CELPIP, scored as a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).
- A competitive CRS score against recent Express Entry cut-offs (the lowest Canadian Experience Class cut-off in 2025 was around 515).
- Proof of settlement funds held in your account (unless you have an arranged job offer).
The process, step by step
- 1Sit IELTS General Training (or CELPIP) and aim for the highest CLB you can — language is the biggest CRS lever.
- 2Submit your degree to WES for an ECA; gather sealed transcripts from your university.
- 3Create your Express Entry profile, enter the pool, and get your CRS score.
- 4Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in a round of invitations.
- 5Submit the full PR application: pay the processing fee, biometrics, and Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF); complete medical + police checks.
- 6Receive your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), then land in Canada as a permanent resident.
Your timeline
Month-by-month, anchored to your start date.
- Jun 2026Book IELTS; start WES ECA; gather reference letters
- Aug 2026Create Express Entry profile; enter the pool
- Oct 2026Receive ITA; submit PR application + biometrics
- Dec 2026Complete medical + police checks; await decision
- Feb 2027COPR issued; book flights + first accommodation
- Mar 2027Land in Canada as a permanent resident
Next 30 days
Scam shield
The exact scams targeting people on your route — and how to stay safe.
Scam warnings for your exact route
- NEVER buy a "Canadian job offer" or "LMIA". An LMIA cannot be sold and a genuine employer never charges you for one. "Buy an LMIA for ₦X" is the #1 Canada scam targeting Nigerians — walk away.
- Use only a CICC-licensed immigration consultant (check the public register at college-ic.ca) or a Canadian lawyer. Most "agents" on WhatsApp are unlicensed and illegal to represent you.
- No agent can "guarantee" an Express Entry invitation or a specific CRS score. Anyone promising guaranteed PR is lying.
- Proof-of-funds must be YOUR genuine, held money with a real bank history. "Rent-a-fund" services that lend you a balance to show are fraud and get you banned for misrepresentation.