Express Entry

Express Entry is the application process for skilled workers in Overseas or Canada who want to settle in Canada permanently. This is the fastest and most popular pathway for newcomers seeking a new life in Canada. Interested Candidates are required to submit an online application to express their interest by creating Express Entry (EE) profile and, providing information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education, and some other details. After submitting the profile, candidates get a score to determine their place in the pool using the point-based system called Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS system considers skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other factors (e.g. having a sibling in Canada, Canadian education or a valid job offer in Canada, etc.) to award points. Highest ranking candidates from Express Entry pool are regularly invited to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence. Express Entry manages applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

How Express Entry Works?

Step 1

  • Create an Express Entry Profile
  • Be accepted into the Express Entry Pool and get a score

Step 2

  • Get an invitation to apply (ITA) if your score is above the score of lowest-ranked candidate invited.)
  • Apply for permanent residence online.

Processing Time

Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to process the application within 6 months. Application may be delayed or returned if it is not complete.

Important Points

  • To complete an Express Entry profile, you must submit valid language test results and Educational Credential Assessments (if your education was completed outside of Canada and you want to receive Comprehensive Ranking System points towards and/or to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program).
  • Express Entry profiles are valid for one year.
  • If you are invited to apply you have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence

Express Entry FAQ’s

What is express entry?

Express Entry is an electronic management system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to manage and process applications received through four of Canada’s federal economic immigration programs for skilled workers.

Interested Candidates are required to submit an online application to express their interest by creating Express Entry (EE) profile and, providing information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education, and some other details. After submitting the profile, candidates get a score to determine their place in the pool using the point-based system called Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS system considers skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other factors (e.g. having a sibling in Canada, Canadian education or a valid job offer in Canada, etc.) to award points. Highest ranking candidates from Express Entry pool are regularly invited to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence.

What is express entry profile?

Potential candidates make an expression of interest (EOI) by creating an Express Entry profile and providing information about their education, skills, experience, language ability, and other personal information.

Is there a Government fee to create an Express Entry profile?

No Government fee is required to submit an Express Entry profile. The fee is only requested when you are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

How much does Express Entry cost?

There are several layers of cost to consider for Express Entry.

Language tests

Cost varies by test and location, but typically between $200 CAD and $500 CAD per exam

Educational Credentials Assessment

Cost varies by service provider and service selected, but typically between $200 CAD and $400 CAD.

Application & Processing Fees

These fees are only charged after you receive an ITA and once you are ready to submit your final permanent residence application.

Processing fees

$825 CAD per adult; $225 CAD per child

Right of Permanent Residence Fee

$500 CAD per adult, dependent children are not required to pay this fee

Biometrics

$85.00 CAD per person

Unless you are applying under the Canadian Experience Class program or have a valid arranged offer of employment from a Canadian employer, you will need to demonstrate you have sufficient funds to support your resettlement in Canada. These settlement fees are not fees paid to the Government, but you must have access to them to be approved for a permanent residence visa. The amount of money you need to support your family depends on the size of your family. To calculate the size of your family you must include yourself, your spouse or partner, your dependent children and, your spouse’s dependent children. You must also include your spouse or dependent children even if they are permanent residents or Canadian Citizens not coming to Canada with you. This table shows the minimum amount you need to immigrate to Canada. If you have more money, you should list the full amount in your profile or application.

Number of
family members
Funds required
(in Canadian dollars)
1 $12,960
2 $16,135
3 $19,836
4 $24,083
5 $27,315
6 $30,806
7 $34,299
For each additional family member $3,492

What happens if the information declared by a potential candidate going into the pool turns out to be false?

If the information provided by the potential candidate turns out to be false, this is known as misrepresentation and, depending on the nature and severity of the false claim, carries penalties. A potential candidate who has been found to have provided false information going into the Express Entry pool can be banned from re-entering the pool for five years. Therefore, it is important to provide accurate and correct information while creating the profile.

What is Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)?

All candidates who create their Express Entry profile are given a score, out of 1,200, based on factors that play an important role in the economic success of the newcomers once they migrate to Canada. The Comprehensive Ranking System ranks eligible candidates through Express Entry under the following components:

Core human capital factors

Candidates are awarded points for their age, education, language proficiency and Canadian work experience. These are considered as key to economic success for immigrants.

Spouse or common-law partner factors

Candidate’s are awarded points for education, language proficiency and Canadian work experience of their accompanying spouse or common-law partner.

Skill transferability factors

A maximum of 100 points are awarded for a candidate’s skill transferability factors. There are five combinations of such skill transferability, with a maximum of 50 points awarded for each combination. Even if a candidate scores more than 100 points in total, only 100 points will be awarded under the Comprehensive Ranking System.

Additional factors

This section awards 600 additional points for a Provincial nomination, and other additional points for a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, Canadian education/experience, a sibling in Canada, and/or French language ability.

What is CRS score?

After submitting the express entry profile, candidates get a score to determine their place in the pool using the point-based system called Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS system considers skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other factors (e.g. having a sibling in Canada, Canadian education or a valid job offer in Canada, etc.) to award points.

Can I change the information in my Express Entry profile?

Candidates are required to update their profile to reflect any changes in their status, such as in language ability, family composition, work experience, or education credentials.

How much CRS score is good enough to receive an ITA?

Highest ranking candidates from Express Entry pool are regularly invited to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence. If a candidate’s score is close to, equal or higher than the minimum CRS score cut-off in most recent Express Entry draws, then they will likely be competitive in the Express Entry pool candidates.

Will the CRS score cut-off will decrease in future Express Entry draws?

Usually, it is impossible to predict the minimum CRS score cut-off in future Express Entry draws. The CRS score cut-off is impacted by a range of factors, including difference between two consecutive draws, number of ITA’s issued in each draw, and how many new candidates have entered the pool or increased their CRS score. If more time passes between two consecutive draws, typically the minimum CRS score cut-off increases, as more candidates will have time to enter the pool and existing candidates have more time to improve their scores.

How can I improve my CRS score?

There are few factors under CRS which may help you in improving your CRS score.

Language Skills

This factor can award up to 260 CRS points for a single candidate and up to 270 points for a couple? Language is not only the most valued human capital factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System, but it is also a factor where incremental gains can make a huge difference. Extra points are awarded for each improvement in language test results across the four language abilities (reading, writing, listening & speaking). Highest threshold is obtained when a candidate achieves a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 9 in each ability. Higher CLB also triggers an increase in points under skills transferability factors (education and work experience).

To reach CLB 9 on the IELTS General Training exam, you must achieve the following minimum scores:

Listening 8.0 | Speaking 7.0 | Reading | 7.0 Writing 7.0

To reach CLB 9 on the CELPIP general exam, you must achieve a minimum score of 9 in each of the four abilities (reading, writing, listening & speaking).

Work Experience

If you are working outside Canada but have less than three years of full-time experience, keep working! Try to accumulate more than three years of work experience because, it will give you more points under skills transferability factors. If you are already working in Canada on a work permit the same applies. If you indicate that your employment is ongoing on your Express Entry profile, your CRS score will automatically update when you reach a new threshold of work experience. Although there are limits as to how many CRS points you can earn, however, more work experience and skills may be in demand in a specific province which could lead to a coveted Provincial Nomination.

Spouse

Candidates with a spouse, however, may have additional potential for improving their CRS score because the spouses’ level of education, language ability, and Canadian work experience may all be rewarded. You can add up to 20 points to your CRS through your partner’s first language scores. You can add up to 10 points to your CRS score by getting ECA done for your partner’s education.

Job Offer

A job offer from a Canadian employer will bring you 50 CRS points. If you are not currently in Canada, obtaining a job offer from a Canadian employer may be difficult, but there are plenty of online resources where you may find employment opportunities.

Provincial Nomination

If you want a 600 boost to your CRS score, plus the knowledge &b skills that you are being welcomed with open arms into your chosen destination province. A nomination from one of the provinces under Express Entry Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) adds 600 additional points to your overall CRS and in most cases will secure you an ITA in the next draw. Many Canadian provinces have been using their Express Entry aligned “enhanced” PNP streams in innovative, dynamic ways. Ontario has targeted specific occupation groups, notably in the Information Technology (IT) sector, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan have PNP streams for candidates across a range of occupations (no job offer required!), British Columbia continues to invite candidates to apply under its unique system; Alberta and Manitoba have entirely new Express Entry aligned streams and other provinces have also been on board, issuing nominations to candidates in the Express Entry pool

Are there any eligible occupations list for Express Entry?

There are no eligible occupation lists for any of the Express Entry programs. To be eligible for any of the programs under Express Entry, the candidate needs to have work experience in an occupation that has a National Occupation Classification (NOC) code of skill type 0, A or B.

Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?

You do not require to have a job offer for Express Entry. Most candidates selected for Express Entry do not have a job offer from a Canadian employer.

A job offer from a Canadian employer for a skilled, full-time position can add 50 to 200 points to your Express Entry application. An informal job offer will not award any additional points to your Express Entry profile and should not be mentioned in the application.

How do provinces and territories use the Express Entry system?

All provinces and territories (except Quebec, Alberta, and Nunavut) currently use Express Entry. Provinces and territories can nominate a certain number of candidates through the Express Entry system to meet their local and provincial labour market needs. These are known as “enhanced” nominations. If an applicant gets an enhanced nomination from a province or territory, he or she is then given 600 additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence at a subsequent draw from the pool.

Which language tests are accepted for Express Entry?

Under Express Entry, there are two approved language tests for English (IELTS General Training (the Academic version is not accepted for Express Entry), and CELPIP General) and two approved language tests for French (Test d’évaluation du français (TEF)and Test de connaissance du français (TCF)).

What is the role of Canadian employers in Express Entry?

Canadian employers have a greater and more direct role in Canadian immigration under Express Entry. Candidates in the Express Entry pool may increase their chances of being invited to apply by promoting themselves directly to employers through the Canada Job Bank (As of June 6, 2017, registration in the Job Bank is voluntary).

Candidates can obtain 50 or 200 additional points (depending on the level of the job offered) through a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).Certain work permit holders may be awarded points for an LMIA exempt job offers:

  • Candidates with a work permit issued under an international agreement (e.g. Canada United States Mexico Agreement).
  • Candidates with a work permit issued under the ‘significant benefits to Canada’ criteria (e.g. Intra-Company Transfers).

In both above cases, the worker must have been working in Canada for at least one year and the job offer must be made by the same employer named on the work permit.

Are candidates required to get Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for Express Entry?

An ECA is required for candidates in the Express Entry pool who wish to be considered for draws related to the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSW) unless they received their post-secondary education in Canada. For candidates who are hoping to apply to the Federal Skilled Trades Class or Canadian Experience Class, an ECA is optional but may increase the points they receive on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and improve their chances of being drawn from the pool.

What happens to candidate who have a birthday after he/she receives an ITA?

An applicant may have a birthday after they receive an ITA but before they submit their e-APR. Their change in age may lower their CRS score below the lowest score in the round of invitations. It may also result in the applicant no longer meeting the minimum requirements of the FSWC and, consequently, no longer meeting the MEC, resulting in a refusal based on section A11.2.
When a change in age results in the candidate no longer meeting the Minimum Entry Criteria (MEC) or having their recalculated CRS points score fall below the lowest points score in that round of invitations, IRCC officer may consider applying the public policy to exempt applicants for permanent residence from certain age-based requirements between invitation to apply and application, based on section A25.2. This consideration can result in an exemption from the refusal of an application under section A11.2. The public policy also grants an exemption to applicants who may be refused for failing to meet FSWC program requirements when their birthday occurs between the ITA and e-APR.

What is the maximum age for Express Entry?

There is no maximum age for Express Entry applicants. However, the applicants who are between 20-29 years old, receive the highest points. Applicants who are 45 years or more do not get any points for age factor.

Are family members are included in Express Entry?

Express Entry allows the principle applicant to include his/her spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner and dependent children in the application. Upon approval applicant and accompanying family members receive permanent resident visa/status. For Canadian immigration, a dependent child is defined as the following:

  • under 22 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner, or.
  • 22 years of age or older and unable to support themselves financially due to a physical or mental condition.

Can I apply alone and then bring my family later?

Yes, you may choose to immigrate without your spouse and/or children and then sponsor them through a family sponsorship immigration program later. However, you must declare your spouse or partner and children on your application, even if they are not accompanying you. You can indicate in your Express Entry profile that they will not be accompanying.

Do I get more points if I include my spouse or partner on my Express Entry application?

The CRS score is made up of 1,200 points. 500 points are awarded for Human Capital Factors (age, education, language proficiency, Canadian work experience). If you apply without your spouse, you can receive up to 500 points for your Human Capital Factors. If you apply with your spouse, then you will receive up to 460 points for your Human Capital Factors. Rest of the 40 points will be awarded based on your spouse’s Human Capital Factors.

Whether you apply without your spouse, or with your spouse, there are still 500 points available. The only difference is in how these points are distributed. Therefore, you may receive slightly more or slightly fewer points depending on whether your spouse is or is not included as accompanying.

Note:  Even if your spouse or partner is not accompanying you to Canada, you still must include them on your application. Simply indicate that they are not accompanying you to Canada.