How Express Entry works
Express Entry is an online system that we use to manage immigration applications from skilled workers.
On this page
- Immigration programs
- Provincial Nominee Program
- Find out if you’re eligible
- Check your score
- Get your documents ready
- Fill out your profile
- Get an invitation and apply
Immigration programs
There are 3 immigration programs managed through Express Entry:
Canadian Experience Class
- for skilled workers with eligible Canadian work experience
- work experience must have been gained in the 3 years before you apply
Federal Skilled Worker Program
- for skilled workers with foreign or Canadian work experience
- must meet criteria for education and other factors
Federal Skilled Trades Program
- for skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade
- must have a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification
Provincial Nominee Program
If you’re eligible for one of the above programs, you can also apply through Express Entry for the Provincial Nominee Program. If you’re nominated, you’ll get extra points so you can be invited to apply quickly.
Find out more about the Provincial Nominee Program.
Step 1: Find out if you’re eligible
There are 2 ways to find out if you’re eligible for a program that is part of Express Entry:
- answer a few questions to see if you meet the minimum requirements
- read the detailed requirements for each program
Step 2: Check your score
If you’re eligible for one or more of the Express Entry programs and submit your profile, you’ll be ranked in the Express Entry pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The CRS is a points-based system we use to
- assess and score your profile and
- rank it in the Express Entry pool
To be invited, you need to have a score above the minimum points score for your round of invitations.
Step 3: Get your documents ready
If you decide to fill out a profile, you’ll need documents, such as language test results, to show you’re eligible for Express Entry.
Some documents take a long time to get, so you should get them ready early.
Step 4: Fill out your profile
Your Express Entry profile is where you give us information about yourself.
If you’re eligible, we’ll accept you into our pool of candidates and give you a CRS score.
Step 5: Get an invitation and apply
We send invitations to apply to the candidates with the highest scores in the pool. If we invite you to apply, you’ll have 60 days to submit your application.
We’ll process most complete applications that have all supporting documents in 6 months or less.
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