Express Entry

How Express Entry works?

Express Entry is an online system that selects immigration applications from skilled workers. Candidates with the highest rankings are invited to apply for permanent residency. If we fill out a profile for Express Entry, your application will be ranked according to a points system.

If you are highly ranked, you will be invited to apply for permanent residence as a skilled immigrant.

Once you have applied, your PR application will then be processed within the next 6 months.

Express Entry manages applications for three economic immigration programs:

  • Federal Skilled Worker Program

  • Federal Skilled Trades Program

  • Canadian Experience Class

Federal Skilled Worker Program

This program is for skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to immigrate to Canada permanently.

How this program works

We’ll assess your application based on:

  • age

  • education

  • work experience

  • whether you have a valid job offer

  • English and/or French language skills

  • adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)

These factors are part of a 100-point grid used to assess eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You earn points for how well you do in each of the 6 factors.

The current pass mark is 67 points.

How we use selection factor points

We use the selection factor points to assess your eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Once you’re in the Express Entry pool, there is a different system to rank your profile. The highest-ranking candidates are selected from the pool and are invited to apply for permanent residence.

Minimum requirements

Skilled work experience

Skilled work experience means that you’ve worked in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups:

  • Managerial jobs (skill type 0)

  • Professional jobs (skill level A)

  • Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

You must show that while working in your primary occupation, you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.

Your skilled work experience must be

  • in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)

  • within the last 10 years

  • paid work (have been paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count)

  • at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week)—you can meet this in a few different ways:

    • full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)

    • equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)

      • You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement

    • full-time at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)

Language ability

You must:

  • take approved language tests in English or French for:

    • writing

    • reading

    • listening

    • speaking

  • get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities

  • enter the test results in your Express Entry profile

Your language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence.

Education

If you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:

  • secondary institution (high school) or

  • post-secondary institution

If you have foreign education, you must have:

  • a completed credential, and

  • an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:

    • secondary institution (high school) or

    • post-secondary institution

Proof of funds

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

  • are currently able to legally work in Canada

  • have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada

Admissibility

You must be admissible to Canada.

Where you can live in Canada

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information.

When you fill out your profile, we’ll ask you where you plan to live in Canada. You don’t have to settle in that province or territory.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

Minimum requirements

To be eligible, you must

  • meet the required language levels for each language ability

    • writing

    • reading

    • listening

    • speaking

  • have at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply

  • meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification

  • have a

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

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

Proof of funds

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

  • are currently able to legally work in Canada

  • have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada

Admissibility

You must be admissible to Canada.

Where you can live in Canada

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information.

When you fill out your profile, we’ll ask you where you plan to live in Canada. You don’t have to settle in that province or territory.

Canadian Experience Class

Minimum requirements

You must

  • meet the required language levels needed for your job for each language ability

    • writing

    • reading

    • listening

    • speaking

  • have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada, in the last 3 years before you apply—you can meet this in a few different ways:

    • full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)

    • equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)

      • You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement.

    • full-time work at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)

  • have gained your work experience by working in Canada while under temporary resident status with authorization to work

How we calculate work experience

Your skilled work experience must be paid work including paid wages or earned commission. We don’t count volunteer work or unpaid internships.

For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than 1 part-time job to get the hours you need to apply.

We don’t count any hours you work above 30 hours/week.

You’re not eligible for the Canadian Experience Class if

  • you’re a refugee claimant in Canada

  • you’re working without authorization

  • your work experience was gained without temporary resident status in Canada

According to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC), skilled work experience means:

  • managerial jobs (skill level 0)

  • professional jobs (skill type A)

  • technical jobs and skilled trades (skill type B)

Your work experience can be in 1 or more NOC 0, A or B jobs.

You must show that you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.

Education

There is no education requirement for the Canadian Experience Class.

If you want to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool for immigration purposes, there are 2 ways you can do this.

  • If you went to school in Canada, you can get points for a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:

    • secondary institution (high school) or

    • post-secondary institution

    or

  • If you have foreign education, you can get points for:

    • a completed foreign credential, and

    • an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:

      • secondary institution (high school) or

      • post-secondary institution

Admissibility

You must be admissible to Canada.

Where you can live in Canada

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information.

When you fill out your profile, we’ll ask you where you plan to live in Canada. You don’t have to settle in that province or territory.