Express Entry
Express Entry is an online system that we use to manage applications for permanent residence for 3 programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
The Comprehensive Ranking System
Express Entry Canada is a point-based system. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) evaluates candidates based on their age, education, work experience, and knowledge of the Canadian official languages. In addition, the system gives candidates some extra points for specific factors such as a relative who is Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, knowledge of the second official language, Canadian degrees, certificates, or diplomas, a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, and a few additional factors.
Express Entry Profile and Invitation to Apply
Once registered, the candidate’s Express Entry profile is valid for one year. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provide rounds of invitations every two-three weeks, issuing a specific amount of Invitations to Apply (ITA) to the candidates with the highest CRS. The candidate that has been invited must submit all supporting documentation to the IRCC within 60 days after receiving an ITA.
One of the biggest advantages of the system is that it indeed allows a fast process for a successful candidate. Therefore, the whole process of obtaining a permanent residency in Canada can be accomplished within 6-12 months since the application is submitted.
Category-based selection
In addition to general selection, the government regularly do category-based selection, with relatively lower points but targets those who may help Canada meet specific economic goals. For instance in 2023, the following categories were chosen to apply:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
Federal Skilled Worker Program
This program is for skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to immigrate to Canada permanently. You must meet all the minimum requirements in terms of
- skilled work experience,
- language ability and
- education
Selection factors
If you meet all the minimum requirements, you’ll be assessed 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.
Skilled work experience
Skilled work experience means you’ve worked in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 job categories of National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 version) job groups which usually require post-secondary education and actual work experience of 6 months to 2 years in order to be able to perform managerial, professional or technical jobs.
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 (This means you must 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).
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
Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents.
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. The work experience must be:
- full-time or
- an equal amount in part-time
- have gained your work experience by working in Canada legally
Skilled 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 2021 version), skilled work experience means you’ve worked in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 job categories1 of National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups.
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.
Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (even if you were on a co-op work term) doesn’t count towards the minimum requirements for this program.
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
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 organizationshowing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
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
- your work experience must be for paid work (paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count)
- 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
Skilled work experience
Skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):
- Major Group 72, technical trades and transportation officers and controllers
- excluding Sub-Major Group 726, transportation officers and controllers
- Major Group 73, general trades
- Major Group 82, supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production
- Major Group 83, occupations in natural resources and related production
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors, and utilities operators and controllers
- Major Group 93, central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors, excluding Sub-Major Group 932, aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
- Minor Group 6320, cooks, butchers and bakers
- Minor Group 6200, chefs
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.
The work experience only counts after you qualified to independently practice the occupation.
Language ability
You must
- meet the minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for speaking and listening, and Canadian Language Benchmark 4 for reading and writing
- take approved language tests for
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
- 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
There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But, if you want to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool, 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 educational credential, if you have 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