Overview of Express Entry:

Express Entry is the system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to manage applications for permanent residence from foreign nationals. The 3 programs which are managed by Express Entry are: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class. Some provinces also recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through the Provincial Nominee Program, you can find out more about the program here.

 

Express Entry is a points-based system. Applicants are allocated points based on their skills, qualifications, experience and age. The applicants with the highest scores are invited to make an application for permanent residence, so in essence, the higher the score, the higher the chances of being selected. There are a number of ways for hopeful candidates to increase their points in order to give them a better chance of being selected, click here to find out more.

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Each immigration program has different mandatory requirements, but for all programs in Express Entry, it is possible to gain points in the following areas:

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• Age

• Language proficiency

• Level of education

• Prior work experience, either in Canada or abroad

• A job offer in Canada

• Abilities of a spouse, if applicable

• Relatives in Canada

 

Click on any of the topics above for more information on how many points can be gained.​

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To find out about the requirements for each of the different programs, click on the links below.

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• Federal Skilled Worker

• Federal Skilled Trades

• Canadian Experience Class
   

A table showing a quick comparison of the 3 programs can be viewed here

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How it works:

• Once you have established that you are eligible for at least one of the 3 programs (or have received a provincial nomination) by meeting the minimum requirements, you must gather all the necessary documentation such as results of a language test, education credential assessments or certificate of qualification.

• When all the documentation is complete you will be given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, based on your skills, qualifications, experience and age and with this score you can submit a profile into the Express Entry pool of candidates. You can assess what your ranking score may be on the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) website here.

• Within this 'pool' you will be ranked against all the other candidates who have submitted Express Entry profiles. If your score is not high enough there are a number of ways in which you can try and improve your points total. Click here to access an article on how to improve your CRS points. Your profile will remain in the Express Entry pool for 12 months, after which it will expire and you will have to reapply.

• Periodically the candidates with the highest scores are offered an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The frequency of the draws varies, sometimes as often as every 2 weeks, or sometimes with a gap of several months.

• Once applicants receive an Invitation to Apply, they have 60 days to submit their application for permanent residence.