In 2015, Canada introduced a system for managing and processing applications for Canadian permanent residence called "Express Entry".
The first important thing to understand is that Express Entry is not a Canadian immigration program, but rather a system that helps Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) process applications for qualified skilled workers through three economic immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
In addition to the three programs above, Canadian provinces and territories are able to select individuals from the Express Entry pool through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to meet Canada’s labour market needs.
In module 7 (Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)) of this course, we will explore the topic of PNPs in greater detail, as well as their connection to Express Entry.
To enter the Express Entry pool, you have to meet the eligibility criteria of one of the Canadian immigration programs listed above.
What is the Express Entry eligibility criteria?
Every program under Express Entry has a set of requirements that you must satisfy to be considered "eligible" for the program.
To get a better sense of where you stand, start by reviewing the requirements of the following programs to familiarize yourself with the eligibility criteria:
- You must intend to live outside the province Quebec, which has its own pathway for selecting skilled workers.
- You must score at least 67 points out of 100 on the Federal Skilled Worker selection factor points grid. The points are broken down as follows:
Education | Points |
|---|---|
Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) | 25 |
Masters or professional degree | 23 |
Two or more post-secondary credentials (one must be for a program of at least 3 years) | 22 |
Post-secondary credential of 3 years or longer | 21 |
Post-secondary credential of 2 years | 19 |
Post-secondary credential of 1 year | 15 |
Secondary/High school diploma | 0 |
Age | Points |
|---|---|
Under 18 | 0 |
18-35 | 12 |
36 | 11 |
37 | 10 |
38 | 9 |
39 | 8 |
40 | 7 |
41 | 6 |
42 | 5 |
43 | 4 |
44 | 3 |
45 | 2 |
46 | 1 |
47 or older | 0 |
First official language | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CLB 9 or higher | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
CLB 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
CLB 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Below CLB 7 | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible |
Second official language:
You can claim up to an additional 4 points for second official language if you have a score of at least CLB 5 in each of the language abilities.
To claim points for your work experience, it must have been full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) paid work experience within the last 10 years in an occupation classified as Skill Type 0, or Skill Levels A or B of the 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) (you will be able to determine your NOC in module 2).
Experience | Points |
|---|---|
1 year | 9 |
2-3 years | 11 |
4-5 years | 13 |
6 or more years | 15 |
You can claim 10 points for a job offer from a Canadian employer. The job offer must be:
- for continuous, full-time, paid work that is not seasonal and is for at least 1 year
- in an occupation listed as skill type 0 or skill level A or B
To get points for a valid job offer under arranged employment, one of the following scenarios must apply:
Scenario | Points |
|---|---|
You currently work in Canada on a work permit and you meet all the following conditions:
| 10 |
You currently work in Canada in a job that is exempt from the LMIA requirement because of an international agreement (i.e. North American Free Trade Agreement) or because it is of significant benefit to Canadian interests or because it is under a federal-provincial agreement. You must also meet all the following conditions:
| 10 |
You must meet all the following conditions:
| 10 |
You must meet all the following conditions:
| 10 |
You (and your spouse/common-law partner who will be immigrating to Canada with you) can earn points under the Adaptability factor.
Between the two of you (for any combination below), you can earn a total of 10 points.
Adaptability | Points |
|---|---|
Your spouse or partner's language level Your spouse or common-law partner has a language level in either English or French at CLB 4 level or higher in all 4 language abilities (speaking, listening, reading and writing). To get these points, you must submit your spouse or common-law partner’s test results from an approved agency when you apply. The language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence. | 5 |
Your past studies in Canada You completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study (in a program at least 2 years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week. You must have stayed in good academic standing (as set out by the school) during that time. | 5 |
Your spouse or partner's past studies in Canada Your spouse or common-law partner completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study (in a program at least 2 years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. | 5 |
Your past work in Canada You did at least 1 year of full-time work in Canada:
| 10 |
Your spouse or partner's past work in Canada Your spouse or partner did at least 1 year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit or while authorized to work in Canada. | 5 |
Arranged employment in Canada You earned points for having arranged employment. | 5 |
Relatives in Canada You, or your spouse or common-law partner, have a relative who is:
The relative must be a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, your or your spouse’s sibling (child of your or your spouse’s parent), your or your spouse’s aunt or uncle (by blood or marriage), your or your spouse’s niece or nephew (grandchild of your or your spouse’s parent). | 5 |
- Skilled Work Experience: You must have at least one year (or 1,560 hours total at 30 hours per week) of full-time, continuous paid work experience (or an equal amount in part-time) within the last 10 years in an occupation classified as NOC A, 0, or B according to the National Occupational Classification system.
- For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours in total.
- If you gained work experience while studying, it can be counted if it was continuous and you were paid by wages or commissions.
- Language Ability: You must take an approved language test in English or French and get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all four factors (Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening). Language tests are valid for two years.
- Education:
- If you went to a school in Canada, you must have a degree, diploma or certificate from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or a post-secondary institution.
- If you have a foreign education, you must complete an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization (i.e. World Education Services (WES)) showing that your education is equal to a Canadian degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Proof of funds: You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada. You do not need to provide proof of funds if you are currently able to legally work in Canada or have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer.
- You must be admissible to Canada.
- You must intend to live outside the province Quebec, which has its own pathway for selecting skilled workers.
- Language Ability: You must take an approved language test and get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in Listening and Speaking, and CLB 4 in Reading and Writing. Language tests are valid for two years.
- You must have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount in part-time) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply.
- You must meet the job requirements for your skilled trade, as it is described in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. Your skilled trade must fall under one of the following groups:
- Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades
- Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades
- Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
- Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
- Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers
- You must have either a:
- valid full-time job offer from a Canadian employer for a period of at least 1 year; or
- certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority
- Education: While education is not a requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you may be able to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool in the following ways:
- If you went to a school in Canada, you can claim points if you have a degree, diploma or certificate from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or a post-secondary institution; or
- If you have a foreign education, you can claim points for an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated organization (i.e. World Education Services (WES)) showing that your education is equal to a Canadian degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Proof of funds: You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada. You do not need to provide proof of funds if you are currently able to legally work in Canada or have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer.
- You must be admissible to Canada.
- You must intend to live outside the province Quebec, which has its own pathway for selecting skilled workers.
- Language Ability: You must take an approved language test and get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all four factors (Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening) if your occupation is NOC 0 or A, or CLB 5 if your occupation is NOC B. Language tests are valid for two years.
- Education: While education is not a requirement for the Canadian Experience Class, you may be able to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool in the following ways:
- If you went to a school in Canada, you can claim points if you have a degree, diploma or certificate from a Canadian secondary institution (high school) or a post-secondary institution; or
- If you have a foreign education, you can claim points for an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated organization (i.e. World Education Services (WES)) showing that your education is equal to a Canadian degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Canadian Work Experience: You must have at least one year of full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada within the last 3 years before you apply. This work experience must have been gained by working in Canada legally. You work experience must have been in an occupation classified as NOC A, 0, or B.
- You must be admissible to Canada.
For a comparison of these programs and their requirements at a glance, click here.
If any of these requirements seem confusing to you, or you are unfamiliar with some of the terms (like "NOC" or "CLB"), don’t worry! You will learn what each of these terms mean as you progress through the course.
In module 5 (Create your Express Entry profile), you will be able to determine your eligibility for Express Entry using the Canadian government’s "Come to Canada tool".
This short assessment form evaluates your human capital profile (factors such as your education, work experience, language ability, etc.) to determine whether you would be a good candidate for Express Entry.
The Come to Canada tool will require you to provide your language test scores, as well as the results of an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), to complete the evaluation. If you have this information on hand, you can check to see if you may be eligible for Express Entry by using the tool. If you have not done a language test or ECA yet, you will not be able to use this tool to accurately determine your eligibility for Express Entry.
For now, just become familiar with the requirements of each program by reviewing the criteria tabs earlier in this lesson to get a better sense of where you stand.
The entire Express Entry process can essentially be broken down into the following steps:
Let’s explore what some of these terms (CRS, ITA) mean in greater detail.
