Express Entry

Express Entry is a system used by IRCC to manage, select, and process applications for foreign nationals who want to apply for Permanent Residence in Canada. It includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. With category-based selection, candidates with skills in targeted industries or French-speaking abilities may have additional opportunities to qualify.

For immigrating to Canada through the Express Entry system, once you have your language skills tested and got your foreign educational credentials assessed(if applicable), the process consists of 5 steps:

Step 1 – Check your eligibility for the program.

You must meet the minimum requirements of one the programs before you can proceed to the next steps in your immigration journey.

Step 2 – Create an Express Entry Profile.

Once you create the Express Entry Profile, you will be assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System score (also known as a CRS score). The CRS score is a different system used by IRCC to rank your profile against other eligible candidates. The CRS score is based on several factors including your age, post-secondary education, English or French language skills, foreign and Canadian work experience, marital status, adaptability factors, and provincial nomination. You can get a maximum of 1200 CRS points in the Express Entry System.

Step 3 – Wait for the Invitation to Apply (ITA).

All applicants with a valid Express Entry profile are automatically added to a pool of candidates and are ranked based on their CRS score. Approximately twice a month IRCC issues an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to the highest-ranked candidates in the Express Entry pool.

Step 4 – Prepare and submit an Electronic Application for

Permanent Residence (eAPR).
Once you receive an Invitation to Apply you must prepare and submit an Electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR). You will have only 60 days to collect all supporting documents, complete the immigration application forms, and submit your eAPR.

Step 5 – Receive your Confirmation of PermanentResidence and complete your landing in Canada.

When your application for Permanent Residence in Canada is approved, you will need to complete your landing process in Canada. For Citizens of countries that require a visa to come to Canada, and are outside Canada, you must be issued a PR Visa in your passport before you can travel to Canada. Only after officially completing your landing procedure will you obtain Permanent Resident status in Canada.

This program is designed for individuals with skilled work experience in professional, managerial, or technical occupations. Under the Federal Skilled Worker program, all candidates are assigned a certain number of points for their age, level of education, English or French language abilities, foreign work experience, primary occupation, arranged employment in Canada, and adaptability factors. IRCC uses FSW selection factor points to assess whether you are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You must have a minimum of one year of continuous, full-time, paid foreign work experience, meet minimum language thresholds and score at least 67 out of 100 total points under the FSW selection factor grid to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Eligibility allows you to enter the Express Entry pool.

Minimum Eligibility Requirement:

• Skilled Work Experience in Canada or Abroad:

A minimum of 1 year (1,560 hours total; 30 hours per week) continuous, full-time, paid work experience in one of the occupations in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, in the last 10 years.

• Language Ability:

Minimum CLB 7 or NCLC 7 in English or French, respectively.

• Education

Minimum high school diploma in Canada or its equivalent in foreign education

• Proof of Funds

You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada.

You don’t need proof of funds if you:

are currently able to legally work in Canada, and

have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada

• You must be admissible to Canada
• You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec

The CEC is for individuals who have gained skilled work experience in Canada, typically through temporary work permits. It’s ideal for those who have already adapted to the Canadian workplace and lifestyle and are seeking to transition to permanent residency.

You must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements to apply under this program.

Skilled Work Experience in Canada:

You must have a minimum of 1 year (1,560 hours) of full-time Canadian skilled work experience within the past 36 months. This criterion can also be met through part-time work experience.

• Work experience must be in TEER 0,1, 2, or 3 ;
• Work experience cannot be obtained while you were studying full-time in Canada. Self-employed or unauthorized work experience in Canada also cannot be used for CEC;
• Work experience must be acquired while you were in the temporary resident status in Canada.

Language Ability:

• Minimum CLB/NCLC 7 for candidates claiming work experience obtained in TEER 0, 1 jobs.
• Minimum CLB/NCLC 5 for work experience in TEER 2 or 3 jobs.

You must be admissible to Canada and must plan to live outside the province of Quebec

Unlike other economic immigration streams, to be eligible for Canadian Experience Class you do not need to demonstrate your level of education. Yet, having completed secondary education will help you get more CRS points and rank higher in the Express Entry pool compared to other candidates.

This program is tailored for skilled tradespeople with expertise in specific fields such as construction, manufacturing, or maintenance. To qualify, applicants must have relevant work experience, meet language requirements, and have a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification in their trade.

Minimum Eligibility Requirement:

• Skilled Work Experience:

A minimum of 2 years of full-time, paid work experience in certain skilled trades within the 5 years before you apply. This work experience must have been obtained in a country where you were qualified to practice

You must meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the NOC

• Job offer or certificate of qualification

You must have either:

a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year, or

a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority

• Language Ability

Minimum CLB/NCLC5 in speaking and listening AND

Minimum CLB/NCLC4 in reading and writing

• Education

There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. However, you can improve your rank in the Express Entry pool by including your educational credentials and get additional CRS points. Foreign educational credentials must be assessed for its Canadian equivalency.

• Proof of funds

You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada.

You don’t need proof of funds if you:

are currently able to legally work in Canada, and

have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada

• You must be admissible to Canada
• You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec

Until recently, Express Entry draws were primarily based on a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which assigns points based on factors such as age, education, work experience, and language proficiency.

To address Canada’s labor market needs and enhance economic immigration strategies, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced Express Entry category-based selections in 2023. These new Express Entry categories allow IRCC to invite candidates who meet specific skill requirements in high-demand sectors or who possess strong French-language abilities, even if their CRS score is lower than general draw cut-offs.

Current categories

1. French-language proficiency
2. Healthcare and social services occupations
3. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
4. Trade occupations
5. Agriculture and agri-food occupations
6. Education occupations

Category-based rounds are intended to supplement other round types to meet the identified economic goal.

Who’s eligible for each category

To be eligible for an invitation through a category-based round, you must:

• meet the minimum criteria for Express Entry, including being eligible for 1 of the 3 immigration programs it covers, and
• meet all the requirements in the instructions for that round

When IRCC holds a category-based round of invitations, they will:

• rank candidates in the pool who meet the category requirements, and
• invite top-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence