Express Entry · Canadian Permanent Residence
Express Entry rewards the best-prepared profile, not the first one filed.
Canada selects skilled workers for permanent residence by ranking them against each other. Your score, the rounds you are eligible for, and the evidence behind every point you claim decide whether you are invited, and whether the application survives review once you are.
Find out where your profile stands
Member in good standing
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How the system works
Not a queue. A competition.
Express Entry is not a visa and not a waiting list. It is the selection system Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada uses to decide which skilled workers are invited to apply for permanent residence. Filing early earns nothing. Ranking high does.
Three programs, one pool
The Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program each have their own entry requirements. Meet one and your profile joins the same pool as everyone else's.
Ranked out of 1,200
The Comprehensive Ranking System scores age, education, language ability, and skilled work experience, then adds points for factors such as French, Canadian study, or a provincial nomination.
Invited in rounds
IRCC holds rounds of invitations throughout the year: general, program-specific, and category-based. Each round sets its own cut-off, and only candidates at or above it may apply.
Who can enter
Skilled experience, inside Canada or out.
Candidates already working in Canada usually enter through the Canadian Experience Class, which asks for at least one year of skilled Canadian work in the past three years. Candidates abroad usually enter through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, which asks for a year of continuous skilled work, language results at Canadian Language Benchmark 7, an assessed education credential, and 67 points on its own selection grid.
Many people qualify under more than one program. Which one you are invited under changes what you have to prove, including whether you must show settlement funds.
Tell us about your backgroundFrom profile to permanent residence
Gather the evidence first
Approved language test results and, for education earned outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment. Both must exist before a profile can be created, and both expire.
Enter the pool
You submit a profile, IRCC confirms you meet at least one program, and you receive a CRS score. The profile stays active for up to 12 months and can be updated as your situation improves.
Receive an invitation to apply
If your score meets the cut-off in a round you are eligible for, IRCC issues an invitation. From that day you have 60 days to submit the complete application.
File, and become a permanent resident
The application carries police certificates, medical exams, employment letters, and proof of funds where required. Once approved, you and your included family members land as permanent residents.
What this means for you
Your score is a starting point, not a verdict.
Most candidates calculate their points once and treat the number as final. It rarely is. There are two separate ways to reach an invitation: raise the score, or qualify for a round where the cut-off is lower.
Raising the score
A stronger language result, French as a second language, a spouse's credentials, or another year of skilled work can each move the number. A provincial nomination adds 600 points on its own. A job offer no longer adds any: those points were removed on March 25, 2025.
Qualifying for a category
Category-based rounds invite candidates with strong French or with experience in targeted fields such as healthcare, STEM, trades, and education. Their cut-offs often sit far below general rounds, so the occupation code you claim, and whether your duties truly match it, can matter as much as the score.
Why it's worth doing right
The profile takes an hour. The proof takes a plan.
Nothing is verified when you create a profile. Everything is verified after you are invited. An officer compares each point you claimed against the documents you file, and a claim that cannot be supported can cost the invitation, the application, or more.
Work experience that holds up
Employer letters have to show duties, hours, and pay that match the occupation code you claimed. We draft to the standard officers apply.
No accidental misrepresentation
An undeclared refusal, family member, or gap in history can bring a five-year ban. We review your full record before anything is submitted.
A score strategy, not a guess
We model which changes are worth your time and which partner should be the principal applicant, against the rounds you can realistically enter.
A complete file, on time
Police certificates from every country, medicals, and funds letters are planned before the invitation arrives, not after the clock starts.
After the invitation
60
days to submit the complete application
The deadline is not extended because a police certificate is slow or an employer will not sign a letter. Miss it and the invitation lapses. Candidates who prepare their documents while still in the pool are the ones who file comfortably inside the window.
Start preparing nowCommon questions
What candidates ask us about Express Entry.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is the online system Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to manage permanent residence applications from skilled workers. It covers three federal programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Candidates who meet the requirements of at least one program enter a pool, are ranked by a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, and the highest-ranked are invited to apply in rounds held throughout the year.
What CRS score do I need to be invited?
There is no fixed passing score. Each round of invitations sets its own cut-off, which depends on the type of round and who is in the pool that day. Category-based rounds, such as those for French speakers or healthcare workers, regularly cut off well below general and Canadian Experience Class rounds. The practical question is which rounds you are eligible for and how your score compares with recent cut-offs in those rounds.
Do I need a job offer to apply through Express Entry?
No. A job offer is not required for the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class. Since March 25, 2025, a job offer also no longer adds points to a CRS score. A valid job offer can still matter for meeting the requirements of the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
How long does Express Entry take?
There are two waits. The first is the time spent in the pool before an invitation, which depends on your score and can range from days to never; a profile stays in the pool for up to 12 months. The second begins once you submit the full application: IRCC's service standard is to process 80% of complete Express Entry applications within six months, although actual times vary by program.
How can I raise my CRS score?
The most common gains come from higher language test results, adding French, having a spouse or partner's language results and education assessed, completing another credential, and gaining more skilled work experience. A provincial nomination adds 600 points, which in practice guarantees an invitation. Couples should also compare which partner scores higher as the principal applicant.
What is a category-based round?
A category-based round invites candidates who meet a specific economic goal set by the Minister, such as strong French ability or work experience in a targeted occupation group. As of September 2026 the categories include French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, and education occupations. Categories are reviewed and can change, so eligibility should be checked against the current list.
Can my spouse and children be included?
Yes. A spouse or common-law partner and dependent children can be included in the same application and become permanent residents with you. Family members must be declared and examined even if they are not coming to Canada, and leaving someone off can permanently affect your ability to sponsor them later.
What happens if my application has an error?
It depends on the error. An application missing a required document can be rejected as incomplete, which costs you the invitation: you would need to submit a new profile and wait to be invited again, with no guarantee that you will be. If you were invited on a score you cannot prove, the application can be refused. An inaccurate statement on a material fact, even an unintentional one, can lead to a finding of misrepresentation and a five-year ban on applying to Canada.
Founding Partner
Joshua Schachnow, B.Com., J.D.
Josh is a Toronto-based lawyer who has been practicing immigration law for more than 9 years. More specifically, he's helped thousands of individuals and companies navigate Canadian immigration - from work permits to permanent residence, study permits, citizenship, LMIAs and more. Josh always puts his clients first, and believes quick and thoughtful communication is most important to making the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Called to the Ontario Bar. Member of the Law Society of Ontario, and the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association.
Know before you enter
See how you rank for Canadian permanent residence.
Send us your age, education, occupation, work history, and any language results. Within one business day, a licensed immigration lawyer will tell you which program fits, how your profile compares with recent rounds, and what the next step is.