Express Entry is the online system that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to manage permanent residence applications from skilled workers. You create a profile, receive a points score and wait to be invited to apply. Law Wise, based in Mississauga, helps candidates in Canada and abroad check eligibility, build an accurate profile and file a complete application.
How Canada Express Entry works
- EligibilityYou must meet the minimum requirements of at least one of the three programs managed through Express Entry.
- ProfileYou create an online profile using your language test results and, where needed, an educational credential assessment. Once started, a profile must be completed and submitted within 60 days.
- Pool and scoreYour profile enters the pool and is given a score under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
- InvitationIRCC holds rounds of invitations and invites the highest-ranking candidates who are eligible for that round.
- ApplicationAn invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only. The full application for permanent residence must be submitted in that time.
- DecisionIRCC reviews the application, including medical examinations and police certificates, and makes a decision.
The three Express Entry programs
Two terms appear throughout. The Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) is the standard used to measure language ability. The National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups occupations into six TEER categories, based on the training, education, experience and responsibilities a job requires.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- one year of skilled work experience in Canada in the last three years, in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation
- CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 occupations
- no job offer and no minimum education required
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- one year of continuous skilled work experience in the last ten years, in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation
- CLB 7 in all four language abilities
- secondary education, with an educational credential assessment for education completed outside Canada
- at least 67 points out of 100 on the program’s selection grid, which scores language, education, work experience, age, arranged employment and adaptability
- proof of settlement funds, unless you are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- two years of work experience in a skilled trade in the last five years
- CLB 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing
- a valid full-time job offer for at least one year, or a certificate of qualification in the trade from a Canadian authority
- proof of settlement funds, unless you are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer
CRS score: how candidates are ranked
The Comprehensive Ranking System has four parts: core factors (age, education, ability in English and French, and Canadian work experience), factors for a spouse or common-law partner, skill transferability, and additional points. The additional points are:
- 600 points for a provincial or territorial nomination
- 25 or 50 points for French-language skills
- 15 or 30 points for post-secondary education completed in Canada
- 15 points for a brother or sister who lives in Canada as a citizen or permanent resident
Points for a job offer were removed from the CRS on 25 March 2025. There is no fixed pass mark. The score needed changes with every round, and IRCC publishes the results of past rounds.
Rounds of invitations
IRCC holds three types of rounds. General rounds invite the top-ranking candidates from all three programs. Program-specific rounds invite candidates eligible for one program, for example provincial nominees. Category-based rounds invite candidates who meet a category set by the Minister. On IRCC’s page, last modified on 22 June 2026, the categories were:
- French-language proficiency
- healthcare and social services occupations
- science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations
- trade occupations
- education occupations
- transport occupations
- physicians, senior managers and researchers with Canadian work experience
- skilled military recruits
For most occupation categories, a candidate needs at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or the same amount part-time, in a listed occupation within the past three years. Categories and their lists change, so check IRCC’s page on the day you rely on it. If candidates are tied at the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time their profiles were submitted.
After an invitation to apply
You have 60 days. If you decline the invitation, your profile returns to the pool. If you do nothing, the invitation expires and your profile is removed from the pool. Most applicants must upload police certificates and proof of funds, and you and your family members need an immigration medical examination.
Every answer in a profile must be true and provable
A person who misrepresents or withholds material facts in an immigration application can be found inadmissible to Canada for five years. Work history, job duties, dates, education and family details in the profile must match the documents filed after an invitation.
This comes from section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, SC 2001, c 27, as it read on 10 October 2026.
Provincial nomination and Express Entry
Many provinces can nominate candidates who are in the Express Entry pool. A nomination adds 600 points, which normally leads to an invitation. See our page on the Provincial Nominee Program.
How Law Wise helps with Express Entry
- confirming which program or programs you qualify for
- matching your work experience to the correct NOC code and checking the evidence for it
- reviewing your CRS score and the realistic ways to raise it
- preparing an accurate profile
- assembling and reviewing the full application within the 60 days
- responding to IRCC requests and advising if an application is refused
You are not required to use a representative, IRCC’s forms and guides are free, and no representative can promise an invitation or an approval. Your file is handled by a Law Wise lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. Service is available in English, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi, and, if you retain the firm, fees are explained and confirmed in writing before work starts.
Common questions about Express Entry
What CRS score do I need?
There is no fixed score. Each round has its own cut-off, which depends on the type of round and on who is in the pool that day. IRCC publishes the results of past rounds, and nobody can predict the next one with certainty.
Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?
Not for the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Program. The Federal Skilled Trades Program requires a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification. A job offer has not added CRS points since 25 March 2025, although arranged employment still counts on the Federal Skilled Worker selection grid.
Can my spouse and children be included?
Yes. Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children can be included in the application for permanent residence, and a spouse’s education, language ability and Canadian work experience are part of the CRS.
My occupation is in a category. Am I certain to be invited?
No. A category-based round still invites only the highest-ranking candidates in that category, and IRCC decides when rounds are held and how many people are invited.
How long does Express Entry take?
IRCC publishes its current processing times, and they vary by program. We do not promise a processing time, because IRCC controls it.
What can I do if my application is refused?
Options depend on the reason. Some refusals can be challenged in the Federal Court, where the deadline to start is short: 15 days for a decision made in Canada and 60 days for a decision made outside Canada. See immigration and refugee appeals.
Speak with an immigration lawyer about Express Entry
Your first consultation is free for 15 minutes, by appointment. Call us or send a message, and have your language test results, education and work history ready.
This page is general legal information, current as of 10 October 2026. Immigration programs and instructions change often, so confirm the current rules on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. This page is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For advice about your situation, please speak with a lawyer.