Express Entry to Canada

Express Entry is an online system used by the Canadian government to organize and process applications from skilled workers wishing to immigrate to Canada and obtain permanent resident status. It manages three main federal economic programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
• Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The application process for Express Entry consists of two steps.

1. First Step: Submit your profile online by providing the following documents:
   • Language test results
   • Educational credential assessment report
   • Passport or travel document
2. Second Step: If you receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residency, you will need to submit a more complete application including:
   • Reference letters
   • Additional identification documents
   • Police certificates
   • Medical exam results

Ideal candidates for the Express Entry program generally have a university or college degree, skilled work experience, and an intermediate proficiency in English and/or French.

To submit a profile through the Express Entry system, candidates must meet the eligibility criteria of one of the following three federal programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
• Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The easiest way to check your eligibility is to use our free online assessment tool.

To be eligible to apply for Express Entry as a skilled worker, you generally must:

• Have at least one year of continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in a skilled occupation within the last 10 years.
• Obtain a score of at least level 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) during an approved language test in English or French.
• Have completed post-secondary education, with credentials assessed according to Canadian standards.

These criteria represent the minimum requirements to submit an application through the Express Entry system. However, meeting these requirements does not guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residency. Candidates with a more comprehensive profile will generally be favored.

The cost to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry program is approximately CAD 2,300 for a single person and about CAD 4,500 for a couple. The breakdown of costs is as follows:

• Language tests: approximately CAD 300
• Educational credential assessment (ECA): approximately CAD 200
• Biometrics: CAD 85 per person
• Government fees: CAD 1,325 per adult and CAD 225 per child
• Medical examination: approximately CAD 450 per adult and CAD 250 per child
• Police certificates: approximately CAD 100 per country

There are no government fees for submitting your initial profile in the Express Entry system. Fees are only required when you receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency. In addition to government processing fees, you may have to pay provincial immigration fees if you apply through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Furthermore, unless you are applying under the Canadian Experience Class or have a valid job offer, you will need to prove that you have sufficient funds to support your settlement in Canada. These settlement funds are not fees paid to the government, but you must have them available for your permanent residency application to be approved.

You do not need a job offer to participate in the Express Entry program. In fact, the majority of candidates selected through this program do not have an official Canadian job offer.

However, if you have a valid job offer in Canada, you can earn up to 200 additional points in your score.

Processing through the Express Entry program can take as little as six months, from the submission of your profile to the issuance of your permanent resident visa. However, timelines can vary, and not all cases proceed this quickly.

Your Express Entry profile will remain active in the candidate pool for 12 months. If you do not receive an invitation to apply within that time frame, you can resubmit your profile to stay in the pool.

Here is the typical process timeline:

• Your profile will be valid for 12 months in the Express Entry pool.
• After receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA), you will have 60 days to submit a complete application with the required documents.
• Once your complete application is received by immigration authorities, IRCC generally processes your permanent resident visa application in about six months.

When people refer to “Express Entry points” in Canada, they are generally referring to the score from the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Canada uses the CRS score to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool based on a series of factors, including:

• Age
• Level of education
• Proficiency in French or English
• Work experience both abroad and in Canada
• Spousal factors
• Connections to Canada

The minimum score in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) required to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency in Canada varies from draw to draw. Therefore, it is crucial to take steps to improve your ranking in the candidate pool to increase your chances of receiving an invitation.

Language points for Express Entry are determined based on the candidate’s scores from an official French or English language test recognized by Canada. A high proficiency in either language allows the candidate to maximize the points awarded for the language factor in their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Your score on the IELTS or CELPIP can significantly impact your CRS score. By achieving at least a 9 in each section of the exam, you can double the points awarded for skill transferability, which can considerably increase your score in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Candidates for Express Entry can demonstrate their proficiency in either of Canada’s official languages—French or English. If you are more proficient in French, you may choose to take a French exam instead of the IELTS or CELPIP. In this case, aim for a minimum score of 9 CLB in each section of the French exam to maximize your language points.

If your Express Entry score is zero, it indicates that your profile does not meet the eligibility criteria. This can happen immediately after submitting your profile or after several months in the candidate pool. The most common reasons a profile may lose its eligibility are:

• Expired language test results or Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report
• Failure to meet minimum settlement funds requirements
• Loss of points for the age factor (for federal skilled workers)
• Non-compliance with work experience requirements (less than one year of experience in the last 10 years)
• Less than one year of work experience in the primary NOC code.

The Global Ranking System (GRS) threshold to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency in Canada varies with each draw. The Canadian government does not publish the targeted GRS threshold in advance for each Express Entry draw.

An Express Entry profile is an electronic form submitted by eligible candidates, containing personal information such as age, work experience, education, proficiency in French and English, as well as details about family and connections to Canada.

Canada uses this information to evaluate and rank profiles in the Express Entry pool to determine who will receive an invitation to apply.

Pour créer un profil d’Entrée Express, vous devez d’abord ouvrir un compte sécurisé auprès d’IRCC. Si un représentant soumet le profil en votre nom, il le fera via son portail de représentants autorisés.

To create an Express Entry profile, you first need to open a secure account with IRCC. If a representative is submitting the profile on your behalf, they will do so through their authorized representatives’ portal.

Once the account is created, you or your representative will need to fill out an eligibility questionnaire to verify if you qualify for an Express Entry program. If you are eligible, you will then complete an online form providing information such as your age, work experience, education, and language test results. After submitting the form, the Express Entry system will automatically calculate your score in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and the program for which you are eligible.

Most Express Entry programs require a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 in each area of the French or English language exam, which corresponds to a band 6 in each area of the IELTS exam.

However, there are some exceptions to this minimum requirement. For example, candidates applying under the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) or those in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) whose primary occupation falls under NOC skill level B may have different language requirements.

Adding a valid Canadian job offer to your Express Entry profile can increase your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score by 50 to 200 points. In most cases, to receive these additional points, a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required.

However, an informal job offer will not add any points to your score and should not be included in your application.

To submit a profile to Express Entry, you must meet the minimum requirements of one of the associated federal programs. If you are unable to submit your profile, it may be due to a mismatch with the program’s minimum criteria or the absence of proof of the required settlement funds.

An invitation to apply (ITA) is a summons sent to candidates who have submitted an Express Entry profile, inviting them to submit a permanent residence application. To accept this invitation, you must submit a complete permanent residence application within 60 days of receiving the ITA.

If you receive an invitation to apply (ITA), you must submit your permanent residence application within 60 days. If you do not meet this deadline or refuse the invitation, your ITA will be canceled, and you may not receive another invitation.

To prove each period of work experience indicated in your Express Entry profile, you must obtain a reference letter from each of your employers over the past ten years. Please refer to the dedicated page for instructions on writing a reference letter for Canadian immigration, as well as alternative documents that may be used if necessary.

To obtain a medical report for Express Entry, you must consult a physician authorized by IRCC. For more information on this requirement, please visit our dedicated page on the Medical Examination Report for immigration to Canada.

To prove that they have the necessary funds for Express Entry, applicants must provide a letter from their financial institution. This letter must:

• Be printed on the financial institution’s letterhead.
• Include the full contact details of the institution.
• State the applicant’s full name.
• List any outstanding debts or loans, if applicable.
• Include the following information for each account:
  • Account number
  • Date of opening
  • Current balance of each account
  • Average balance for the past six monthsTo prove that they have the necessary funds for Express Entry, applicants must provide a letter from their financial institution. This letter must:
    • Be printed on the financial institution’s letterhead.
    • Include the full contact details of the institution.
    • State the applicant’s full name.
    • List any outstanding debts or loans, if applicable.
    • Include the following information for each account:
      • Account number
      • Date of opening
      • Current balance of each account
      • Average balance for the past six months

If you do not have enough points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to be invited to a federal draw, a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) may be an option to increase your chances.

Most PNPs require you to have an Express Entry profile. Since creating a profile is free, it is beneficial to do so even if you have not yet achieved a sufficiently high score.

If you are selected in a federal Express Entry draw without having a PNP, it may be a better option, as you will avoid the additional delays associated with processing at the provincial level.

To determine whether a PNP or an Express Entry profile is best suited for your situation, we recommend completing our free online immigration assessment.

If you apply for permanent residence through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), you will eventually need to apply to the federal government for permanent resident status. How you submit this application will depend on whether your PNP aligns with the Express Entry system.

Enhanced PNP:

• If your PNP aligns with the Express Entry system (enhanced PNP), you can submit your permanent residence application through this system for expedited processing.
• Candidates who receive a nomination through an enhanced PNP will receive an additional 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which nearly guarantees an invitation to apply (ITA) in the next draw.
• The processing time for an Express Entry application is approximately 6 months.

Base PNP:

• If your PNP is a base PNP, you will need to submit your permanent residence application through the permanent residence portal, without going through Express Entry.
• Base PNPs are not aligned with the Express Entry system and typically have longer processing times.

For an accurate and personalized assessment of your situation, we recommend consulting our free online assessment.

Receiving a nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) can add 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in Express Entry. These additional points virtually guarantee that you will receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence in Canada.

Many Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), known as “enhanced” programs, are integrated into the Express Entry system. If you are selected through an enhanced PNP, you can submit your application for permanent residence through the Express Entry system.

Unlike some programs that open and close applications at specific times of the year, the Express Entry program is continuously accessible. Candidates can submit their Express Entry profile year-round.

Express Entry is a system that manages applications for permanent residence in Canada under three main immigration programs:

1. Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
2. Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
3. Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

There is no single profile eligible for Express Entry. Candidates are assessed using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which assigns a score based on various factors. Those with the highest scores are most likely to receive an invitation to apply. Factors influencing the CRS score include language proficiency, age, work experience, education level, and connections to Canada.

Ideal candidates for Express Entry typically:

• Are under 30 years old
• Hold at least two university degrees or a master’s degree
• Demonstrate moderate to high language proficiency in English and/or French (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level 9 or higher)
• Have at least three years of skilled work experience

To optimize your CRS score, here are other key factors to consider:

• High language proficiency in English and/or French
• Bilingualism in French and English
• A master’s degree or PhD
• Work or academic experience in Canada
• A sibling currently residing in Canada
• A validated job offer from a Canadian employer
• A provincial nomination under a provincial nominee program

Enhancing these aspects can significantly increase your chances of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada.