Express Entry is Canada’s primary system for processing applications from skilled professionals seeking permanent residency. Eligible candidates must register on the website of the Canadian government. Canada invites the top-ranked immigration hopefuls to apply for permanent residence every two weeks. Every year, Canada hopes to welcome around 110,000 immigrants through Express Entry.
Express Entry is an automated system for managing skilled worker applications to become permanent residents of Canada.
The federal government evaluates whether a candidate is eligible for a program operated by Express Entry once the candidate provides an online profile. Candidates who meet the requirements are allowed into the Express Entry pool and ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS is a point-based system that the government uses to evaluate and rank Express Entry candidates. The CRS score is determined by a number of elements, including a candidate’s age, education, work experience, language skills, and other criteria.
The Canadian government picks the top-scoring individuals from the Express Entry pool every two weeks and sends them an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
To be eligible for Express Entry, candidates must meet the criteria of at least one of the following federal economic immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: The FSWP is Canada’s primary economic immigration pathway. The minimum requirements include at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B; validated intermediate or better language ability in English or French; for candidates educated outside of Canada, an educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report. In addition to meeting the FSWP’s minimum work, language ability, and education requirements, candidates must also obtain at least 67 points under its points grid.
- Canadian Experience Class: The CEC provides international students and foreign workers who have Canadian experience with the opportunity to obtain permanent residence. Candidates must have obtained at least one year of skilled, professional, or technical work experience in Canada within 3 years of the application date and also meet language proficiency criteria.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program: The FSTP is available to candidates who want to become permanent residents on the basis of qualifying for a skilled trade. Eligibility criteria include having a minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the 5-year period of submitting an application; meet the job requirements of the skilled trade; have a full-time job offer in Canada for a period of at least 1 year or possess a certificate of qualification in the skilled trade that has been provided by an official Canadian authority, and meet language proficiency criteria.