Immigration Overview & Express Entry Process

• Express your interest in coming to Canada as a skilled worker by creating an Express Entry profile and providing information about your skills, work experience, language ability, education and any other details.
• To qualify for the Express Entry pool, you must meet the criteria of at least ONE of three federal economic immigration programs:
• the Federal Skilled Worker Program
• the Federal Skilled Trades Program
• the Canadian Experience Class

• Once you submit your profile, you will get a score to determine your place in the pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System. The system considers skills, work experience, language ability, education and other factors (e.g., strong French language skills, having a sibling in Canada, or a valid job offer in Canada, etc.) that contribute to economic success for immigrants once in Canada.
• While in the pool, update your profile to reflect changes in status, e.g. language, education, family members, etc.
• IRCC regularly invites top ranking candidates from the Express Entry pool to apply for permanent residence.

Need help finding a job?

• You can start your job search by creating a Job Match account with Job Bank.
• Once in Canada, you can continue using Job Bank to find a job.
• A Job Match account with Job Bank is an easy, online tool to help match you with employers looking for workers with your skills.

• You will be invited to apply if you:
• are nominated by a province or territory or
• are among the top ranked in the Express Entry pool based on your skills and experience.
• If you are invited to apply you have 90 days to submit an online application for permanent residence in one of these programs:
• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class
• Express Entry streams of the Provincial Nominee Program
• As per thier official website; IRCC will process the majority of complete applications received within six months, however you should not make plans based on this time line, the time is just an estimated and average time, your application may take longer to process depending upon your situation.

• You may qualify for a provincial or territorial nomination as part of Express Entry.
• Provinces and territories are able to nominate candidates who meet their regional labour market needs. Some provinces and territories search in the pool for candidates, while others require you to apply directly. Check their immigration website for your intended province of destination for more information on their requirements and to learn how to be considered for a nomination.
• If you are nominated through a Provincial Nominee Program, you will be invited to apply for permanent residence.

• You do not need to hire an immigration representative to take part in Express Entry.
• To complete an Express Entry profile, you must submit valid language test results and Educational Credential Assessments (if your education was completed outside of Canada and you want to receive Comprehensive Ranking System points towards and/or to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program).
• Express Entry profiles are valid for one year. If you still want to come to Canada as a skilled immigrant, and are not invited to apply for permanent residence after 12 months, you can re-submit your profile and re-enter the pool (as long as you still meet the criteria).

Express Entry is used to manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

• the Federal Skilled Worker Program,
• the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
• the Canadian Experience Class.

Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from the Express Entry system through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet local labour market needs.

If you are invited to apply for permanent residence under Express Entry, you will benefit from fast processing times of six months or less.

Express Entry ensures that candidates who are most likely to succeed economically – not simply those first in line – are able to immigrate to Canada.

Potential candidates create an online Express Entry profile

To express your interest in coming to Canada as a skilled foreign worker:

1. Take a language test in English and/or French. If you were educated outside of Canada, you may also need to have your education assessed against Canadian standards. Learn more about language and education assessments.
2. Create an online Express Entry profile and provide details about your skills, work experience, language ability, education and other details.
3. If you meet the criteria of one of the federal economic immigration programs under Express Entry, you will be placed in a pool of pre-screened candidates.

If you have a valid job offer, you can get additional points.

If you are in the Express Entry pool, you can start your job search by creating a Job Match account with Job Bank. If you don’t have a job when you come to Canada, you can continue using Job Bank to find a job.

A Job Match account with Job Bank is an easy, online tool to help match you with employers looking for workers with your skills.

Express Entry pool

You will be given a score to determine your place in the Express Entry pool using a Comprehensive Ranking System. This system includes factors known to contribute to economic success (such as language, education and work experience).

There are regular rounds of invitations to apply for permanent residence sent to candidates in the Express Entry pool. Candidates with the highest scores will be invited to apply.

Your profile in the Express Entry pool will be valid for 12 months. During that time, you will need to update your profile if anything changes, such as your level of education or language test results.

Filling out an online Express Entry profile is not a guarantee that you will qualify for permanent residence. If you are invited to apply for permanent residence, the details in your Express Entry profile will be verified at that time.

Selected candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence online

You will be invited to apply for permanent residence if you:

• have been nominated by a province or territory or
• are among the top ranked in the pool based on your skills and experience

We will process the majority of complete permanent residence applications within six months or less.

If you are in the Express Entry pool and are not invited to apply for permanent residence after 12 months, you can re-submit your profile and re-enter the pool if you still meet the criteria.