Documents required for Express Entry

You will need certain documents at different points in the Express Entry process.

Documents for your Express Entry profile

You do not need to provide or upload documents in order to create an Express Entry profile and submit it, but you will have to refer to information from some or all of these documents:

  • Passport or travel document*
  • Language test results (i.e., the IELTS)
  • Proof of Canadian education or an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if:
  1. you are applying through the Federal Skilled Worker Program
  2. you want to claim points for education that you obtained outside Canada

*Venezuelans may have additional requirements

Follow these steps, if the printed expiry date has passed, and you’re creating a profile or submitting an application under Express Entry:

  1. Add 5 years to the printed expiry date shown on your passport and enter it in the expiry date field when creating your profile or submitting your online application.
  2. Include a letter of explanation with your application stating: “I am a Venezuelan national with a Venezuelan passport, which has been extended for five years.”

Warning: If your passport is still expired after adding 5 years to the printed expiry date, you cannot use it to create a profile or submit an application through Express Entry.

Before creating your profile, it will be particularly important for you to have the following documents for reference:

1. Language Test(s)

All Express Entry candidates are required to take an approved test to demonstrate their ability in English and/or French and must score an ability in English or French equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 across all four abilities (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking).

You can learn more about taking an approved English and/or French language test in module 3.

2. Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

If you completed your education outside Canada, you will need to have your credential (certificate, diploma, degree) evaluated against Canadian standards by undergoing an ECA if:

  1. you are applying under the Federal Skilled Worker Program
  2. you want to claim points for your education under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

If you obtained your certificate, diploma or degree in Canada, you do not need to undergo an ECA.

You can learn more about getting your ECA in module 4.

3. Passport or Travel Document

You will need a valid passport or travel document to submit an Express Entry profile. Your documents should be valid for the duration of the process.

You should renew your passport or travel document if it will expire within 6 months from the day you apply for permanent residence

Documents for your application for permanent residence

If you are invited to apply for permanent residence, you will have to upload the documents listed above.

In addition, most candidates will also need to upload the following at this stage of the process:

  • Proof of work experience (such as reference letters, pay slips and employment contracts)
  • Proof of Canadian work experience (if applicable, such as tax information, a copy of your work permit or employment authorization)
  • Copies of certificates, degrees or diplomas for which you are claiming points in your profile
  • Police certificates
  • Medical Exams
  • Proof of funds
  • Birth certificate (required if you are declaring dependent children)
  • Use of representative form (required if you have hire a representative)
  • Common-law union form (required if your marital status is "common-law")
  • Marriage certificate (required if your marital status is "married")
  • Divorce certificate and legal separation agreement (required if your marital status is "divorced")
  • Death certificate (required if your marital status is "widowed")
  • Adoption certificate (required if your dependent child is listed as "adopted")

The specific documentation required to submit an application for permanent residence will depend on the program you are applying to, your civil status, your nationality, your work and education history, and other factors.

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If you are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence, you will receive a personalized document checklist through your online account. This checklist will tell you exactly what documents you need to provide for your particular case, as well as the program you are applying under.

In some cases, your personal document checklist may require you to submit additional documentation to check if you meet the requirements for the program you are applying for.

You may also be required to provide the following:

However, your application will not necessarily be refused if you do not provide these documents.

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You will not necessarily be required to provide all the documentation listed above. There is no “one size fits all” approach and the documents required will vary depending on your particular situation

You will learn more about documentation in modules 6 and 8. For now, you should simply be aware of what you may need to provide so you can begin organizing yourself accordingly.

Our next module will explain how the Canadian government measures your work experience using a system called the National Occupational Classification, or "NOC" for short.

Determining the skill type/level of your work experience is the first real step of the Express Entry process.

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