Express Entry

• Canada’s Express Entry is a widely used immigration system for obtaining Canadian permanent residence, introduced by the federal government in January 2015 to replace the previous “first come, first served” system. 

Express Entry for Skilled Immigration 

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program 
• Canadian Experience Class Program 
• Provincial Nominee Program (Certain components) 

Applying for permanent residence through the Express Entry system consists of two steps.

Step 1: Create an Online Express Entry Profile
Applicants will use their online Express Entry profiles to provide Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada with information about their: 

• Work experience 
• Education
• Language abilities 
• Skills
• Other personal information relevant to assessing their application. 

Those who meet the criteria for one of the three skilled immigration programs mentioned earlier will be added to a pool of candidates. However, being accepted into this pool does not guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residence (ITA). Receiving an ITA depends on the following factors: 

• Applicants with a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) have a higher likelihood of receiving an ITA. 
• Candidates who have been nominated for permanent residence by a provincial government also have a better chance of success. 
• Those without a job offer, LMIA, or provincial nomination can register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s Job Bank, although this is not compulsory. The Job Bank can connect candidates with employers, but candidates should also pursue other independent job search methods while in the pool. 

Step 2: Obtain an Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence (ITA) 
All candidates in the Express Entry pool are ranked against each other using a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Points are awarded based on: 

• Skills
• Work experience 
• Presence of a job offer
• Whether the job offer is supported by an LMIA or meets alternative criteria
• Provincial nomination for permanent residence 

Candidates with the highest CRS scores will receive an ITA. Upon receiving an ITA, candidates have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

Candidates who do not receive an ITA can remain in the pool for 12 months. After this period, they must create a new online Express Entry profile. A new profile can only be created if they continue to meet the criteria for their chosen skilled immigration program.


Express Entry Immigration Draw 

Express Entry is an online application management system designed to expedite processing and enhance economic outcomes for those seeking permanent residence in Canada through federal and certain provincial programs. 

How Express Entry Works

1. Create an Online Express Entry Profile 

To establish an Express Entry profile, which allows the Canadian government to evaluate a skilled immigration applicant's eligibility, several steps must be followed: 

Step 1: Take a Language Test 

All skilled immigration programs within Express Entry require proof of proficiency in at least one of Canada's official languages, English or French. Applicants must complete a government-approved language test and include the results in their profile. 

Step 2: Get Your Foreign Education Credentials Assessed (if necessary) 

Those educated outside of Canada should have their diplomas assessed to verify their equivalence to Canadian educational standards. Credential assessment is mandatory for applicants under the Federal Skilled Worker Program but not for those applying under the Federal Skilled Trade Program or the Canadian Experience Class. Despite this, obtaining a credential assessment can significantly improve an applicant's chances across all Express Entry programs. 

Step 3: Determine Your National Occupation Classification (NOC)  

Applicants must demonstrate that their work experience aligns with an occupation listed in Canada’s National Occupation Classification database. Eligible occupations include: 

• TEER 0 (Management occupations)
• TEER 1 (Occupations typically requiring a university degree) 
• TEER 2 (Occupations typically requiring a college diploma, apprenticeship training of two or more years, or supervisory roles)
• TEER 3 (Occupations typically requiring a college diploma, apprenticeship training of less than two years, or more than six months of on-the-job training)

Step 4: Determine Your Eligibility for Express Entry Immigration

Use the online tool on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s website to check eligibility for Express Entry. To use this tool, applicants must:

• Have completed a language test 
• Identify the NOC skill type or level relevant to their application 

Step 5: Build Your Express Entry Profile

If eligible, applicants can start building their profile, providing information such as:

• Identity and age 
• Contact details 
• Educational history 
• Work experience 
• Language proficiency 
• Factors enhancing adaptability to life in Canada 
• Family composition 
• Details about a spouse or common-law partner, if applicable 

Applicants must also have: 

• A passport or travel document 
• The title and code of their occupation as per the NOC database 
• Language test results
• Foreign Educational Credential assessment results, if required 
• A job offer from a Canadian employer (if applicable) 
• Proof of provincial nomination (if applicable) 
• A personal reference code from the IRCC’s online eligibility tool

Step 6: Submit Your Profile  

Once the profile is complete, submit it to receive:

• An Express Entry profile number 
• A job seeker validation code 

These numbers are needed for Job Bank registration or if receiving a provincial nomination. Entry into the pool does not guarantee an ITA; applicants are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and must meet the minimum CRS score set by the Immigration Minister during periodic draws to receive an ITA. 

Step 7: Register with Job Bank, if necessary

Registration with the Job Bank is no longer mandatory. However, candidates seeking job search assistance are encouraged to visit skilledworker.com, Immigration. Ca’s recruitment agency.

Step 8: Update Your Information, if necessary 

Candidates must update their profiles if: 

• Work experience changes 
• New language test results are obtained 
• A new educational diploma is received 
• There is a change in family composition, such as birth, death, marriage, divorce, or a dependent child becomes independent 

An Express Entry profile is valid for one year but may become invalid sooner if:

• The applicant no longer meets the criteria 
• An invitation to apply for permanent residence has been received

Note: Applicants who decline an invitation to apply for permanent residence will have their profiles reactivated.

An Express Entry profile remains valid as long as candidates continue to update the information as needed. However, if a profile remains in the pool for more than one year without receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence, it will be removed from the pool. 

2. Submit the Profile in the Express Entry Pool 

Once the Canadian government determines that an applicant’s online Express Entry profile meets the eligibility criteria, the applicant will be added to the Express Entry candidate pool. To gain entry into this pool, applicants must qualify for one of the following three programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program 
• Federal Skilled Trades Program 
• Canada Experience Class Program 

Although it is no longer mandatory, candidates are strongly encouraged to submit a profile to Employment and Social Development Canada’s Job Bank, particularly if they:

• Do not have a job offer 
• Do not have a provincial or territorial nomination 

Once admitted to the pool: 

1. Applicants will receive a personal reference code for Job Bank registration, if needed.
2. Applicants will be assigned a point score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which assesses the likelihood of their success in Canada. 

Important Note: Entry into the candidate pool does not guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residence. Only candidates with high CRS scores will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The number of ITAs issued depends on: 

• The government's processing capacity 
• Annual immigration targets 

Candidates are selected based on their CRS scores and the criteria of their respective Express Entry programs. Those who do not receive an ITA within a year will be removed from the pool and must create a new profile to reapply. 

Candidates can enhance their chances of receiving an ITA by: 

• Securing a job offer 
• Obtaining a provincial nomination 
• Improving language test scores 
• Acquiring additional education or work experience

Note: Adding a spouse or common-law partner to an application can affect the CRS score based on their language skills, education, and potential for successful establishment in Canada. 

Applicants must keep their profiles updated if: 

• Work experience changes 
• New language test results are obtained 
• A new educational diploma is received 
• Family composition changes (e.g., birth, death, marriage, divorce, or a child becoming independent)

Failure to update profiles can result in misrepresentation, which may lead to application refusal and potential inadmissibility to Canada, with a five-year entry ban.

3. Receive an Invitation to Apply 

Applicants who receive an ITA are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada. They will also receive guidance from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on which skilled immigration program to apply under and how to proceed.