Express Entry may lead to Canadian permanent residence, and it does not affect your U.S. asylum case.
Book a private consultationYour life is on hold. You may fear being detained or deported. You may wait years and still be refused. But you have another option.
If you have skilled work experience, education after high school, and can speak English or French, Canada's Express Entry program may give you a legal way to get permanent residence for you and your close family.
Applying for permanent residence in Canada through the Express Entry program does not cancel your U.S. asylum case. Start the Canadian application while you stay in the United States. The two cases are separate. One does not affect the other.
You can do all the early steps without leaving the United States. Leaving the U.S. is a separate choice. You only leave after Canada approves you, and we help you plan the timing.
Starting a Canadian application does not commit you to anything. Leaving the U.S. is the real step. You take that step only if Canada approves you. Your U.S. case may still be approved. This is your backup plan.
Express Entry is how Canada chooses skilled workers for permanent residence. It gives each person a score and compares them. Small differences in your score decide who gets invited. You can start from inside the United States.
Getting a high enough score to be invited, and doing it without risking your U.S. case, takes skill.
Your age, education, language skills, and work history all count. You can make mistakes with each factor, which can affect your score.
Do not guess. See if you qualify for an Express Entry profile.
If and when you leave the United States affects your U.S. asylum case. We will work with your U.S. attorney, or our qualified U.S. immigration partner, so your Canadian application and your U.S. case are planned together, not separately.
U.S. immigration rules change often and fast. Always check your U.S. situation with a qualified U.S. immigration lawyer before you act, so your plan follows today's rules.
You make the choice, knowing the pros and cons.
Mary Lam has practised Canadian immigration and citizenship law for 32 years. She was lead counsel in Pepa v. Canada, 2025 SCC 21, a case she won at the Supreme Court of Canada.
We deal with complex and unique fact situations, so we know whether to take a case and when to challenge decisions.
Your meeting is private.
One private meeting will tell you if a legal path to Canada is open to you, and what it would take.
Book a private consultation
This page gives general information about Canadian immigration. It is not legal advice. Every case is different. How a Canadian application affects a U.S. asylum case depends on your own facts. U.S. immigration rules change often, so always check with a qualified U.S. immigration lawyer before you act. You need a consultation to know your real options. Nothing on this page promises a result or makes us your lawyers.