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Express Entry is an electronic system created by the Government of Canada to handle applications from skilled workers who want to become permanent residents of Canada.
Express Entry is the most common way for skilled workers to become permanent residents. Every year, the Government of Canada welcomes around 110,000 immigrants through the Express Entry system.
Express Entry is not an immigration program. Rather, it is a system you can use to apply for various immigration programs at the same time. These programs are:
- the Federal Skilled Worker Program,
- the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
- the Canadian Experience Class.
There are two main steps to the Express Entry process:
- Step one: You apply for Express Entry by submitting an online profile through the Government of Canada’s website. Your profile contains information about your education, work history, language ability, and more.
- Step two: Applicants selected from the pool of Express Entry are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to become permanent residents of Canada. Applicants are selected based on a point system that considers age, experience, language skills, and more.
How to apply for Express Entry
To apply for Express Entry, you must first confirm that you are eligible. You can do this using the Government of Canada’s online Express Entry eligibility tool.
The eligibility tool will tell you if you meet the criteria for any immigration programs included in the Express Entry system.
The eligibility tool will ask you questions about:
- language test results (even if your first language is English or French), and
- previous skilled work experience in Canada
If you are eligible, the Government of Canada will give you access to the Express Entry Profile Builder. The profile builder will ask you to provide more detailed information including:
- work experience
- language ability
- education
- family details (ex. spouse, children)
- skill transferability (i.e. how likely you are to find a job in Canada based on your current skills)
- any job offers you already have in Canada
To create an Express Entry profile, you also need to submit documents including official language test results, a passport or travel document, and educational credentials.
Based on all the information in your profile, the government will decide whether or not to invite you to become a permanent resident.
How the selection process works
Everyone who applies for Express Entry is ranked according to the Government of Canada’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS is a points-based system. This means that everyone who applies for Express Entry is given a score based on how many points they receive.
Your score depends on factors such as:
- your skills, work experience, and skill transferability,,
- your education,
- your language ability,
- your spouse’s or partner’s language ability, and
- whether or not you have already received a job offer from a Canadian employer.
The applicants with the highest scores will be invited to make an application for permanent residence in Canada. The applicants will have 90 days to make the application and submit all the required documents. A decision will be made within 6 months.
Important things to know about Express Entry
Like many immigration systems, the Express Entry system is complex and subject to change. There are many documents involved in the application process, and we recommend you start the process early and consult with a legal professional to avoid any problems.
Here are some important things to keep in mind before you apply for Express Entry:
- Express Entry is competitive. The most successful applicants often have years of skilled work experience, higher education (master’s degrees or PhDs), and a strong grasp of English and/or French,
- You have 60 days to complete your profile once you begin. If you take longer, your profile will be erased.
- Express Entry does not apply to the province of Quebec. Quebec has its own program.
- Express Entry is a good option for many applicants, but not everybody. People interested in immigrating to a particular province or territory can also apply for a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).