Apply for Express Entry into Canada

JUMP TO SECTION: Federal Skilled Worker Class | Canadian Experience Class | Federal Skilled Trades Program

What is Express Entry?

Canada’s Federal skilled worker programs are completed through an online points-based system called Express Entry. This is a two-step process. The initial stage is to submit your profile into the pool of candidates where you have assumed a set of points, called the Comprehensive Ranking System (“CRS”) score. You will receive points for your age, level of education, official language proficiency (in English and French) and work experience.

Your express entry profile is valid for one year from the date of submission. If you do not receive an Invitation to Apply (“ITA”) within your year period, your profile will expire. You can renter the pool if you are still interested in applying for permanent residence in Canada. Remember, submitting an express entry profile does not mean you have applied for permanent residence. There is no processing time. 

To be eligible to enter the pool, you must be eligible for one of Canada’s economic programs: Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC).

 What Happens After I Receive An ITA?

Step two requires that you receive an ITA from the Canadian government. This is your formal application for permanent residence in Canada, and you will have 60 days to provide all supporting documentation and information to apply. 

In order to receive an ITA, your CRS score must be higher than the government selected cut-off. Invitations are issued frequently under the FSWC and CEC programs, usually every two weeks. 

Your ITA will indicate one of four classes of economic programs you are eligible to apply for: Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) or the Provincial Nominee Class (PNC). It’s important to note; some provinces have express entry linked provincial nominee programs. If you have received a provincial nomination from one of the participating provinces, you will receive your ITA through the PNC category.

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada aims to process 80 percent of applications in these programs in six months (from the submission of the ITA). 

 Do I Need A Job offer/Arranged Employment?

This question comes up frequently when discussing express entry. Arranged employment in the context of express entry means that you have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer. This should not be confused with a “regular” offer of employment. While arranged employment is not mandatory to be eligible for express entry, it will give applicants an additional 50-200 CRS points in the express entry system. 

To be eligible to obtain points for arranged employment, you must: 

• Have a new Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) OR

• Be currently working in Canada in a skilled position on an LMIA based work permit OR

• Be on an LMIA exempt work permit and have worked for one full year for your Canadian employer 

And:

• Have a valid offer of employment for a full-time permanent skilled position for at least one year after your permanent resident visa is issued.

Open work permits are not eligible work permits for job offer/arranged employment points.