Express Entry will manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:
- the Federal Skilled Worker Program,
- the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
- the Canadian Experience Class.
Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry system through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet local labour market needs.
Ministerial Instructions set out the rules for governing the Express Entry application management system.
The Express Entry system has two steps:
Step 1) Potential candidates complete an online Express Entry profile
Potential candidates will complete an online Express Entry profile. This is a secure form that they will use to provide information about their:
- skills,
- work experience,
- language ability,
- education, and
- other details that will help us assess them.
Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs listed above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.
Anyone who does not already have a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (if you need one), or a nomination from a province or territory, must register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. Job Bank will help connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in Canada.
Candidates are also encouraged to promote themselves to employers in other ways, such as using job boards, recruiters etc.
In most cases when there is a job being offered to a candidate, employers will need an LMIA from ESDC. The LMIA process ensures employers have made an effort to hire Canadians for available jobs. There will be no LMIA fee for permanent resident applications.
Step 2) The highest-ranking candidates in the pool will be invited to apply for permanent residence
Candidates will be ranked against others in the pool using a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Points are awarded using the information in their profile.
Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply. Candidates will be awarded points for:
- a job offer, and/or
- a nomination from a province or territory, and/or
- skills and experience factors.
A candidate can get additional points for:
- a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or
- a nomination by a province or territory
These additional points will make a candidate rank high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.
If someone is invited to apply, they will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete applications (meaning those with all the necessary supporting documents) in six months or less.
Candidates can stay in the pool for up to 12 months. If they do not get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence within 12 months of submitting an Express Entry profile, they may submit a new profile. If they still meet the criteria, they can re-enter the pool. This will prevent backlogs and ensure quick processing times.
Express Entry – Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria
| A. Core / human capital factors | Points per factor – With a spouse or common-law partner | Points per factor – Without a spouse or common-law partner |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 100 | 110 |
| Level of education | 140 | 150 |
| Official languages proficiency | 150 | 160 |
| Canadian work experience | 70 | 80 |
| B. Spouse or common-law partner factors | Maximum 40 points | |
|---|---|---|
| Level of education | 10 | |
| Official language proficiency | 20 | |
| Canadian Work Experience | 10 | |
| A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors | Maximum 500 points (with a spouse or common-law partner) | Maximum 500 points (without a spouse or common-law partner) |
| C. Skill Transferability factors | Maximum 100 points |
|---|---|
| Education | Maximum 50 points |
| With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree | 50 |
| With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree | 50 |
| Foreign work experience | Maximum 50 points |
| With good/strong official languages proficiency and foreign work experience | 50 |
| With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience | 50 |
| Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations) | Maximum 50 points |
| With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification | 50 |
| A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors | Maximum 600 points |
| D. Additional points | (maximum 600) |
|---|---|
| Arranged employment | 600 |
| PN nomination | 600 |
| A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. = Grand total – 1,200 | |
CRS – Core factors
| Core / human capital factors | With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 460 points) | Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 500 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Number of points (100 maximum) | Number of points (110 maximum) |
| 17 years of age or less | 0 | 0 |
| 18 years of age | 90 | 99 |
| 19 years of age | 95 | 105 |
| 20 to 29 years of age | 100 | 110 |
| 30 years of age | 95 | 105 |
| 31 years of age | 90 | 99 |
| 32 years of age | 85 | 94 |
| 33 years of age | 80 | 88 |
| 34 years of age | 75 | 83 |
| 35 years of age | 70 | 77 |
| 36 years of age | 65 | 72 |
| 37 years of age | 60 | 66 |
| 38 years of age | 55 | 61 |
| 39 years of age | 50 | 55 |
| 40 years of age | 45 | 50 |
| 41 years of age | 35 | 39 |
| 42 years of age | 25 | 28 |
| 43 years of age | 15 | 17 |
| 44 years of age | 5 | 6 |
| 45 years of age or more | 0 | 0 |
| Level of Education | With a spouse or common-law partner – Number of points (140 maximum) | Without a spouse or common-law partner – Number of points (150 maximum) |
| Less than Secondary school (high school) credential | 0 | 0 |
| Secondary school (high school) credential | 28 | 30 |
| One-year post-secondary program credential | 84 | 90 |
| Two-year post-secondary program credential | 91 | 98 |
| Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer | 112 | 120 |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 119 | 128 |
| University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required. | 126 | 135 |
| University-level credential at the Doctoral level | 140 | 150 |
| Official languages proficiency – first official language Reading, writing, speaking and listening total points for each ability:
|
With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 128 points | Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 136 points |
| For each ability | 32 | 34 |
| Less than CLB 4 | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4 or 5 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 6 | 8 | 9 |
| CLB 7 | 16 | 17 |
| CLB 8 | 22 | 23 |
| CLB 9 | 29 | 31 |
| CLB 10 or more | 32 | 34 |
| Official languages proficiency – second official language Reading, writing, speaking and listening total points for each ability:
|
With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 22 points | Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 24 points |
| For each ability | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 4 or less | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | 1 |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | 3 |
| CLB 9 or more | 6 | 6 |
| Canadian work experience | With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 70 points | Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 80 points |
| None or less than a year | 0 | 0 |
| 1 year | 35 | 40 |
| 2 years | 46 | 53 |
| 3 years | 56 | 64 |
| 4 years | 63 | 72 |
| 5 years or more | 70 | 80 |
| Subtotal – Core / human capital factors | Out of 460 points | Out of 500 points |
CRS – Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)
| Spouse or common-law partner factors | With spouse or common-law partner – number of points per factor | Without spouse or common-law partner (0 points – does not apply) |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education | 10 | 0 |
| Less than secondary school (high school) credential | 0 | |
| Secondary school (high school) credential | 2 | |
| One-year post-secondary program credential | 6 | |
| Two-year post-secondary program credential | 7 | |
| Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer | 8 | |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 9 | |
| University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required. | 10 | |
| University-level credential at the Doctoral level | 10 | |
| Spouse’s or common-law partner’s official languages proficiency – first official languageReading, writing, speaking and listening– total points for each ability | Maximum 20 points | 0 (does not apply) |
| For each ability | 5 | |
| CLB 4 or less | 0 | |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | |
| CLB 9 or more | 5 | |
| Canadian work experience | Maximum 10 points | 0 (does not apply) |
| None or less than a year | 0 | |
| 1 year | 5 | |
| 2 years | 7 | |
| 3 years | 8 | |
| 4 years | 9 | |
| 5 years or more | 10 | |
| Subtotal – Core / human capital + Spouse or common-law partner factors | 500 | 500 |
CRS – Skill transferability factors
| Skill Transferability factors | Maximum 100 points for this section | |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Maximum 50 points for Education | |
| With good official language proficiency and a post-secondary degree | Maximum 50 points | |
| Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9 | Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities | |
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1 & 2) | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5) | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (levels 6,7 & 8) | 25 | 50 |
| With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree | Maximum 50 points | |
| Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience | Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience | |
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1 & 2) | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5) | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (levels 6,7 & 8) | 25 | 50 |
| Foreign work experience | Maximum 50 points for Foreign work experience | |
| With good official language proficiency and foreign work experience | 50 points | |
| Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 9 | Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first OL abilities | |
| No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
| With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience | Maximum 50 points | |
| Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience | Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience | |
| No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
| Certificate of qualification (trade occupations) | Maximum 50 points for this section | |
| With good official language proficiency and a certificate of qualification | Maximum 50 points | |
| Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 7 | Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first OL abilities | |
| With a certificate of qualification | 25 | 50 |
| Subtotal: A. Core + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors |
600 | |
| Additional points | Maximum 600 points | |
| 1) Arranged employment OR | 600 | |
| 2) Provincial or territorial nomination | 600 | |
| Grand total | Maximum 1,200 points | |