Express Entry
Overview
Express Entry is the online system IRCC uses to manage applications for permanent residence from skilled workers. Candidates create an online profile, enter a pool, and are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). IRCC periodically holds draws and issues Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to the highest-scoring candidates.
Express Entry is not a visa category — it is an application management system. Three federal immigration programs feed into the pool:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) — foreign nationals with qualifying skilled work experience (IRPR r.75)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST) — workers in qualifying skilled trade occupations
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC) — workers with qualifying Canadian work experience
Provincial nominees who receive a nomination through a PNP Enhanced stream and enter the Express Entry pool receive 600 additional CRS points, effectively guaranteeing an ITA.
Eligibility
To enter the Express Entry pool a candidate must first establish eligibility under one of the three federal programs or hold a valid provincial nomination. Each program has its own eligibility criteria set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Federal Skilled Worker
The FSW program requires a minimum of one year of continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) skilled work experience in the past ten years, a qualifying job offer or arranged employment, or a Canadian educational credential. Candidates must also meet the minimum points threshold on the FSW six-factor selection grid (IRPR r.76): education, official language proficiency, Canadian work experience, age, arranged employment, and adaptability.
Canadian Experience Class
The CEC requires at least one year of qualifying skilled Canadian work experience in the three years before the application. No minimum points threshold applies — only the CRS ranking determines invitation.
Federal Skilled Trades
The FST program requires two years of full-time paid skilled trade experience and either a qualifying job offer for at least one year or a certificate of qualification in the relevant trade issued by a Canadian authority.
Selection criteria
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) assigns each profile a score out of 1,200. The CRS has two components:
- Core / Human capital factors — age, education, official language ability, Canadian work experience. Assessed with or without a spouse/common-law partner present.
- Additional points — post-secondary study in Canada, Canadian sibling, French-language proficiency, arranged employment, and provincial or territorial nomination.
IRCC conducts regular draws from the pool. Each draw has a minimum CRS cut-off score. All candidates at or above the cut-off receive an ITA. Draw types include all-program draws, program-specific draws (e.g., FSW-only, CEC-only), and category-based draws targeting occupations in sectors such as healthcare, STEM, trades, transport, agriculture, and French-language proficiency.
A provincial or territorial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Arranged employment with a qualifying offer typically adds 50–200 points depending on the NOC category and whether the employer is an approved employer.
Application process
- Check eligibility — confirm you meet the minimum requirements for FSW, FST, or CEC (or hold a PNP nomination).
- Create an Express Entry profile — enter the pool by submitting a complete profile on the IRCC online portal. Language test results (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF Canada, TCF Canada) must be recent (within two years). Educational credentials must be assessed by a Designated Organization where applicable.
- Receive an ITA — if your CRS score meets or exceeds the cut-off at a draw, you receive an Invitation to Apply.
- Submit a permanent residence application — after receiving an ITA, submit a complete application within 60 days, including police certificates, medical exams, and supporting documents.
- Processing — IRCC's service standard for Express Entry applications is six months from the date of a complete application. Actual processing times vary.
- Decision — IRCC grants or refuses permanent residence. Eligibility and inadmissibility are assessed under IRPA s.11, s.34–s.35, and s.36.
Related programs
Notes
CRS cut-off scores and draw frequencies change based on IRCC policy and application volumes. Category-based draws were introduced in 2023 and expanded in 2024, allowing IRCC to target specific occupation and language groups independently of the all-program pool ranking.
Express Entry profiles that do not receive an ITA expire after 12 months. Candidates may re-enter the pool immediately after expiry.
This page describes the framework established under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and is current to 2025. IRCC retains discretion to adjust program parameters without legislative amendment.