Canada is changing its economic immigration programs to give more opportunities to prospective skilled immigrants. Starting January 2015, skilled foreign workers will have access to Express Entry, which will cover Canada’s key economic immigration programs:
- the Federal Skilled Worker Program,
- the Federal Skilled Trades Program,
- the Canadian Experience Class, and
- A portion of Provincial Nominee Programs
How Express Entry Works
Step 1
Potential candidates create an online Express Entry profile
Express your interest in coming to Canada as a skilled foreign worker. Starting in January 2015, create an online Express Entry profile and tell us about your skills, work experience, language ability, education and other details.
Before doing this, you will need to take a language test in English or French. If you were educated outside of Canada, you may also need to have your education assessed against Canadian standards. More information on language and education assessments is available online.
If you meet the criteria of one of the federal economic immigration programs subject to Express Entry, you will be placed in a pool of pre-screened candidates.
If you do not already have a Canadian job offer or a nomination from a province/territory, you must register with the Government of Canada’s Job Bank. Job Bank is an easy, online search tool that will help you get matched with jobs in Canada based on your skills, knowledge and experience.
Express Entry Pool
You will be given a score to determine your place in the Express Entry pool using a Comprehensive Ranking System that includes factors known to contribute to economic success (such as language, education, and work experience).
There will be regular draws of candidates from the Express Entry pool, inviting them to apply for permanent residence. Candidates with the highest scores, including those who have a valid job offer or a provincial/territorial nomination, will be invited to apply.
Your Express Entry profile will be valid for 12 months. During that time, you will need to update your profile if circumstances change, such as your level of education or language test results.
Important: Filling out an online Express Entry profile is not a guarantee that you will qualify for permanent residence. If you are invited to apply for permanent residence, information provided in your Express Entry profile will be verified at that time.
Step 2
Selected candidates are invited to submit an electronic application for permanent residence
You will receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence if you:
- have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada (subject to the Labour Market Impact Assessment process in place at that time);
- have been nominated by a province or territory; or
- are among the top ranked in the pool based on your skills and experience.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete permanent residence applications received within six months or less.
Candidates in the Express Entry pool who do not receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence after 12 months can resubmit their profile and re-enter the pool if they still meet the criteria.
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Criteria – Express Entry
Summary of maximum points per factor for Express Entry candidates
| 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 |
| Factors | Points per factor (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 OR without a spouse or common-law partner)
| Education | Points per factor (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 | Points per factor (Maximum 50 points) |
|---|---|
| With good/strong official languages proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark [CLB] level 7 or higher) and foreign work experience | 50 |
| With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience | 50 |
| Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations) | Points per factor (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
| Factor | Points per factor |
|---|---|
| Post-secondary education in Canada | 30 |
| Arranged employment | 200 |
| PN nomination | 600 |
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. Additional points = Grand total – Maximum 1,200 points
Points breakdown, section by section
CRS – A. Core / human capital factors
- With a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 460 points total for all factors.
- Without a spouse or common-law partner: Maximum 500 points total for all factors.
| Age | With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 100 points) |
Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 110 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 (Maximum 140 points) |
Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 150 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than secondary school (high school) | 0 | 0 |
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | 28 | 30 |
| One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 84 | 90 |
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 91 | 98 |
| Bachelor’s degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 112 | 120 |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 119 | 128 |
| Master’s degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree,” the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) | 126 | 135 |
| Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.) | 140 | 150 |
Official languages proficiency – first official language
Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening):
- 32 with a spouse or common-law partner
- 34 without a spouse or common-law partner
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability | With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 128 points) |
Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 136 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening):
- 6 with a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 22 points)
- 6 without a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 24 points)
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability | With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 22 points) |
Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 24 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 partner (Maximum 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: A. Core / human capital factors
- With a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 460 points
- Without a spouse or common-law partner – Maximum 500 points
CRS – B. Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)
| Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education | With spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 10 points) |
Without spouse or common-law partner (Does not apply) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than secondary school (high school) | 0 | n/a |
| Secondary school (high school graduation) | 2 | n/a |
| One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 6 | n/a |
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institute | 7 | n/a |
| Bachelor’s degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 8 | n/a |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 9 | n/a |
| Master’s degree, or professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree”, the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) | 10 | n/a |
| Doctoral level university degree (PhD) | 10 | n/a |
Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s official languages proficiency – first official language
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening ) | Maximum 20 points for section Maximum 5 points per ability |
Without spouse or common-law partner (Does not apply) |
|---|---|---|
| CLB 4 or less | 0 | n/a |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | n/a |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | n/a |
| CLB 9 or more | 5 | n/a |
Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.
| Spouse’s Canadian work experience | Maximum 10 points | Without spouse or common-law partner (Does not apply) |
|---|---|---|
| None or less than a year | 0 | n/a |
| 1 year | 5 | n/a |
| 2 years | 7 | n/a |
| 3 years | 8 | n/a |
| 4 years | 9 | n/a |
| 5 years or more | 10 | n/a |
Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.
Subtotal : A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors = Maximum 500 points
CRS – C. Skill transferability factors (Maximum 100 points for this section)
Education
| With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher) and a post-secondary degree | Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9 (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer | 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 | 25 | 50 |
| With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree | Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 50 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer | 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 | 25 | 50 |
Foreign work experience – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher)
| Years of experience | Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9 (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Foreign work experience – With Canadian work experience
| Years of experience | Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 50 points) |
|---|---|---|
| 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) – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 5 or higher) | Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 7 (Maximum 25 points) |
Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities (Maximum 50 points) |
|---|---|---|
| With a certificate of qualification | 25 | 50 |
Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors – Maximum 600 points
CRS – D. Additional points (Maximum 600 points)
| Additional points | Maximum 600 points |
|---|---|
| Brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada | 15 |
| Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 4 or lower in English (or didn’t take an English test) | 15 |
| Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills | 30 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada – credential of one or two years | 15 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada – credential three years or longer | 30 |
| Arranged employment – NOC 00 | 200 |
| Arranged employment – any other NOC 0, A or B | 50 |
| Provincial or territorial nomination | 600 |
Subtotal: D. Additional points – Maximum 600 points
Grand total: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors + D. Additional points = Maximum 1,200 points
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One of our licensed immigration consultants can speak with you in person, online or on the phone about your unique immigration situation and give you a breakdown of your options.
i have scored 5.5 in listening, 6 reading, 6 writing, 6 speaking, overall 6 bands, i just want to confirm am i eligible for permanent residency for canada in express entry, i have 15 tears of work experience and i have got my education evaluated from Canadian govt.
please guide me what to do….
I got 6 band in speaking, 6.5 in writing, 7 in listening and 7.5 in reading. Plz tell me if I m eligible for express entry by these band scores???
Hi
If the age of an applicant for Express Entry changes during the process, how is it considered?
for example: I am 32 now, and I register now so after 4 month it will change to 33. how does it consider: 32 or 33? Does it change until I am invited or that will be fixed after registration?
thanks a lot.
I have got PGD and top up MBA from Glyndwr university from United Kingdom , and the call me as I have B2 level English language skill . My question is ; Do I need IELTS and GT scored certificate for express entry ?
Sorry for miss spelled “the” instead to “they “
My NOC is 6523, comes in level C, i have 3+ years experience into airlines.
will i be elegible for applying Canada express entry ?? please advise.
i read somewhere that only with skill level 0, a & b are elegible ???
Hi,
I have tried applying for express entry twice and each time it says ineligible. I am from the UK and have a valid job offer in AB, sufficient funds to support my self and family and over 15 years work experience in my trade. My education is not to good but I have done one year at college and got a trades certificate.
My Ielts scores are as followed
Listening 8.0
Reading 7.0
Writing 7.0
Speaking 8.5
If you could please give me some insight on why I’m ineligible I would appreciate it.
Many thanks
I want to apply Canadian immigration through express entry. I am married but I do not want to claim my spouse. Is it possible? If yes, can I add my spouse any time later in the application?
Can me and my spouse submit separate profiles for express entry?
I have 3 years and 10 months of work experience as mechanical design engineer. I am pursuing Masters in Engineering at a University in Canada. Do I need to have my Bachelor’s degree assessed for applying to Express Entry? Because as I am doing my Masters in Canadian University it proves that my Bachelor’s degree was assessed by a Canadian institution and was found appropriate.
I have done my MBA from England and lived there for about 6 years ,my questions is do i still need to give the ILETS test?
Could you please reply me on this query.
i am still married but separated.i dont have legal separation or annullment papers yet but i have court order for my childrens custody.will i apply as married status?
Dear Sir,
I was done with all the formalities except completing MyCIC profile. I had encountered a small problems
1) I did my ECA for post graduate, do I need to do for graduation as well?
2) Do I need to fill my bacholars degree details as well in qualification column?
3) I was filling my application, i have 3 members (includes me, my wife and daughter), however no where i was asked to fill the details about my daughter
Hi
I wanted to know am I eligible for express entry my over all score is 6
Reading 5.5
Writing 5.5
Listening 6
Speaking 6.5
Over all score 6
My wife has 5.5 score
I have MSC degree in Geology certified from ECA,13 years of experience I eligible?
Hi i would like to know of im eligible for this program. Im a nurse wokjng for 5 yrs now. Two yrs outside the country. My ielts is academic. R7 s 7.5 w 6 l 8.5 thank you!
hii cics immigration team, i have researched alot on express entry and knew almost everything about process and requirements, but still I can’t find minimum work experience required outside of canada.
I am 21 year old and just got my certificate of qualification in CARPENTER. I am doing full time job in india as carpenter and want to apply asap.
thanks in advance
You will need to have work experience in order to apply through the Express Entry system.
thanks for replying, and i have one year of experience . should I start collecting all documents to apply or I need more work experience? tyia
Hi,
I just recently completed my msc in the UK and i’m back in my home country Nigeria. I have four years work experience and my overall ielts band score is 7.5 with 8.5 highest and 6.5 lowest. How can you guys help proceed. Thanks
Hi cic team. When filling out the express entry application, if I put 1 year of foreign work experience, it says I don’t qualify, but when I change it to 2-3 years it then says that I do. Is this a known error? I mean, I have 14 applicable months of work experience, and the min requirement is 1 year, but it doesn’t accept it?
Hi, my scores at the ielts where 8,7.5, 8 and 8 I Am in the process of certifing throw a canidian legal company my degree and they say they are equivalents to a B A in business administration,how ever when I fill the form I dont have any state nomination and I dont have any invitation from any employer and the score it give me is around 300 points where the minimun is 461 and more, I read about the state nominations but almost all they requiere a better score than the one I have.
The reason my score it 300 basicly is because I have never work at Canada and of course never study there, and I am trying to get there in a legal way.
I also was checking to see if I can have go as a tourist and look for a job , get a LMIA and then go to the borders and then come back again, to gain some canadian working expereince and have a better score, but that option is ilegal and it take a few months to get a LMIA aprobal and it cost around US$1000 for the employer , which basicly is going to take me out of any employment process.
The other option is just to fill the express entry anyways and start looking for a job on line throw the job bank and other services and hope to find an employer that is interested in sending me and invitation letter.
Could you please let ne know what other option I might have?
Best regards
Hi! I read in your response that ECA is not required for spouse. My spouse is BE-Computers, and it seems the system has not calculated any points at all for his qualification… Is this normal or have i made a mistake in entering some details? Also if i am married but my spouse does not intend to join me in canada, and if our kids would be accompanying me…is it still mandatory for me to enter my spouse’s details in the form?
Hello CIC team,
I have a quick question in regards to the spouse’s credential assessment. My husband has completed high school and 2 year college degree (no certificate or diploma). Would it be recommended to get his secondary credentials assessed?
Thank you very much in advance.
Tina
Hello sir m navroop kaur from batala city . I have done 3year diploma in computer engg. And also i have 3year experience of data entry operator . Can i apply for pr in canada.
I am staff nurse I have 8 year job experience how can I make my profile to job in Canada
I´m 21 years old I have a multiple visa Type-1 , i have been two times canada on the last 2 years for a total of 6 months becouse my girlfriend is from Quebec, i study international trade and i speak English,French and Spanish, do im able to apply for a Express Visa?
Hello Cic team
Just a quick question.. My Ilets results are valid only till next week and I have not yet initiated the wes process.So, can I still make my express profile and can enter Ilets results and may be when the wes report comes will update it.
Your quick reply would be really appreciated.
Thanks
No.
I am staff Nurse just want to apply for job in Canada
How can I apply for job in Canada in nursing
I am from Pakistan and I am staff Nurse how can I join express entry
I have an experience of teaching in school for 3 to 4 years from 2007 to2011 am prepare my self for ielts I want to apply for PR in canada from India so plz tell me l am eligible or not if a l am then what should I do next and if am not then what I do
i have overall 6 bands in ielts but 5.5 in speaking.i have done mba and have a 2 years experience in bank as a assitant manager.am i eligible to apply for express entry?