Express Entry

Conditions you must meet

• You must qualify for one of the three programs Express Entry managesCanadian Experience Class — for skilled workers with eligible Canadian work experience. Federal Skilled Worker Program — for skilled workers with eligible foreign or Canadian work experience. Federal Skilled Trades Program — for skilled workers qualified in a skilled trade.

  Express Entry is an online system that we use to manage immigration applications for 3 programs: Canadian Experience Class For skilled workers with eligible Canadian work experience Federal Skilled Worker Program For skilled workers with eligible foreign or Canadian work experience Federal Skilled Trades Program For skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade

• Meet the language ability threshold for your programMeasured on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB), the Canadian standard for measuring an immigrant's English language ability. Canadian Experience Class: CLB 7 for TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupations, CLB 5 for TEER 2 or TEER 3. Federal Skilled Worker Program: CLB 7. Federal Skilled Trades Program: CLB 5 for speaking and listening, CLB 4 for reading and writing.

  Language skills Canadian Experience Class CLB 7 for TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupations CLB 5 for TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations Federal Skilled Worker Program CLB 7 Federal Skilled Trades Program CLB 5 for speaking and listening CLB 4 for reading and writing

• Hold the type of work experience your program requiresOccupations are classified by the National Occupational Classification (NOC), whose six TEER categories are based on the education and training an occupation needs. Canadian Experience Class: Canadian work experience in an occupation in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. Federal Skilled Worker Program: work experience in an occupation in one of TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. Federal Skilled Trades Program: work experience in a skilled trade under key groups of TEER 2 or 3 — major group 72 (technical trades and transportation officers and controllers, excluding sub-major group 726), major group 73 (general trades), major group 82, major group 83, major group 92, major group 93 (excluding sub-major group 932), minor group 6320 (cooks, butchers and bakers) and unit group 62200 (chefs).

  Type of work experience Canadian Experience Class Canadian work experience in an occupation listed in 1 or more of these NOC TEER Categories: TEER 0 TEER 1 TEER 2 TEER 3 Federal Skilled Worker Program Work experience in an occupation listed in 1 of these NOC TEER Categories: TEER 0 TEER 1 TEER 2 TEER 3 Federal Skilled Trades Program Work experience in a skilled trade under key groups of TEER 2 or TEER 3:

• Hold the amount of work experience your program requiresCanadian Experience Class: 1 year in Canada in the last 3 years, in any combination of full-time or part-time work. Federal Skilled Worker Program: 1 year continuous within the last 10 years, which may combine part-time, full-time or more than one job in your primary occupation. Federal Skilled Trades Program: 2 years within the last 5 years, in any combination of full-time or part-time work.

  Amount of work experience Canadian Experience Class 1 year in Canada in the last 3 years (either combination of full-time or part-time work) Federal Skilled Worker Program 1 year continuous within the last 10 years (combination of part-time, full-time or more than 1 job in your primary occupation) Federal Skilled Trades Program 2 years within the last 5 years (either combination of full-time or part-time work)

• Job offer — required only for the Federal Skilled Trades ProgramCanadian Experience Class: not required. Federal Skilled Worker Program: not required, but a valid job offer earns selection criteria points. Federal Skilled Trades Program: required — either a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year, or a certificate of qualification in the skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.

  Job offer Canadian Experience Class Not required. Federal Skilled Worker Program Not required, but you can get selection criteria points for having a valid job offer. Federal Skilled Trades Program Required: a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year, or a certificate of qualification in the above skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority

• Education — required only for the Federal Skilled Worker ProgramCanadian Experience Class: not required. Federal Skilled Worker Program: secondary education required, with more selection criteria points available for post-secondary education. Federal Skilled Trades Program: not required.

  Education Canadian Experience Class Not required. Federal Skilled Worker Program Secondary education required. You can get more selection criteria points for your post-secondary education. Federal Skilled Trades Program Not required.

• IRCC's summary of the documents to get readyThe Express Entry landing page names five document categories: language test, education, job offer, funds and police certificates. This is that summary, not an upload: each document is its own checklist item, quoted from the get-your-documents-ready page.

  Get your documents ready Language test, education, job offer, funds, police certificates

Documents you must provide

• Passport or travel documentThe passport (or travel document) you will use for your profile and application. IRCC advises that if it expires within 6 months of the day you apply, you should renew it, and then update the passport details in your application. Venezuelan passport holders with an expired passport have extra rules on the same page.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: a passport or travel document If your passport expires within 6 months from the day you apply, you should renew it.

• Language test resultsResults of an approved language test. The minimum scores for each program are set out in the language-ability requirement.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: ... language test results

• Proof of work experience (e.g. a reference or experience letter from an employer)For example a reference or experience letter from an employer.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: ... proof of work experience (such as a reference or experience letter from an employer)

• Proof of fundsProof of the money you have available. The amounts are published on IRCC's proof-of-funds page, which is not quoted here.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: ... proof of funds

• Police certificatesWhich countries you need police certificates from is explained on IRCC's police-certificates page, which is not quoted here.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: ... police certificates

Steps in the process

• Answer the eligibility questionnaireIRCC offers two routes: the Come to Canada tool, which ends in a personal reference code used to move your information into your Express Entry profile, or the questionnaire inside your IRCC secure account.

  Answer a questionnaire to check if you’re eligible for the minimum requirements of Express Entry. To answer the questionnaire, you have 2 options: Option 1: Come to Canada tool Answer a few questions using the Come to Canada tool to assess your eligibility. The tool gives you a number at the end (a personal reference code).

• Create a profile and enter the poolIRCC invites the candidates with the most points in rounds; only an invited candidate fills out the application.

  How the Express Entry process works: Create a profile and enter the pool. We'll invite the candidates with the most points in rounds. If you're invited to apply, fill out the application. We'll review your application and make a decision.

• Calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scoreThe CRS score decides which candidates in the pool are invited. IRCC publishes the scoring tables and the cut-off for each round on separate pages that were not read.

  Check your score Calculate your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score

• Submit the online permanent residence applicationAvailable only after an invitation to apply. IRCC describes the step as submitting the online form, uploading documents and paying the fees.

  Apply for permanent residence Submit the online form, upload documents, pay your fees

• Give your biometrics after you applyIRCC lists biometrics as part of the after-you-apply stage. Neither page read states who must give them or what they cost for a permanent residence application, so no fee is recorded for this step.

  After you apply Biometrics, processing, application status

Government fees

• Permanent residence application fee (economic immigration, including Express Entry)CAD 1,590 · CAD 990 amount without rprfCAD 1,590.00, which IRCC states includes the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. CAD 990.00 is the same application without the right of permanent residence fee. IRCC lists this fee band for the Canadian Experience Class, federal skilled workers and federal skilled trades, alongside several other economic programs.

  Economic immigration (including Express Entry) These fees apply to: Atlantic immigration program Canadian experience class Federal skilled workers Federal skilled trades Provincial nominee Rural or francophone community immigration pilots Quebec-selected skilled workers Fees $CAN Your application This amount includes the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. 1,590.00 Your application (without right of permanent residence fee) 990.00

• Fee to include your spouse or partnerCAD 1,590 · CAD 990 amount without rprfCAD 1,590.00 including the right of permanent residence fee, or CAD 990.00 without it.

  Include your spouse or partner This amount includes the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. 1,590.00 Include your spouse or partner (without right of permanent residence fee) 990.00

• Fee to include a dependent childCAD 270CAD 270.00 per child.

  Include a dependent child 270.00 (per child)

• Right of permanent residence feeCAD 600CAD 600.00. It is already inside the CAD 1,590.00 amounts above — the CAD 990.00 variants are those amounts with this fee removed. IRCC states it is payable before you become a permanent resident, that paying it with the application fees avoids delays, that it is refunded if you withdraw or IRCC refuses the application, and that it does not apply to the dependent children of a principal applicant.

  Right of permanent residence fee Fees $CAN Right of permanent residence fee 600.00 For most permanent residence applications, you need to pay the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) when your application is approved. You will have to pay it before you can become a permanent resident.

Also stated by the authority

Not requirements in themselves. These are alternatives, exemptions, rights and warnings the authority publishes alongside the requirements — quoted here because they can change what applies to you.

• Proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment (ECA) report: Federal Skilled Worker applicants, or to claim points for education outside CanadaNeeded if you are applying through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, or if you want points for education you got outside Canada. Either proof of your Canadian education, or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: ... proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes if: you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program, or you want to get points for the education you got outside Canada

• Written job offer from an employer in Canada (if you have one)Only if you have a job offer from an employer in Canada.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: ... written job offer from an employer in Canada (if you have one)

• Certificate of qualification in a trade, issued by a Canadian province or territory (if you have one)Only if you hold a certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: ... certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory (if you have one)

• Provincial nomination (if you applied for the Provincial Nominee Program)Only if you applied for the Provincial Nominee Program.

  You may need information from some or all of these documents when you create a profile: ... provincial nomination (if you applied for the Provincial Nominee Program)

• Consider applying through the Provincial Nominee ProgramIRCC presents this as an option, not a requirement: a candidate eligible for one of the three Express Entry programs may also apply through Express Entry for the Provincial Nominee Program, and a nomination earns extra points. PNP criteria are set by each province and were not read. A route to consider, not a document: the nomination itself is the upload slot provincial_nomination.

  If you’re eligible for one of these 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.