Express Entry

Express Entry is the online system Canada uses to manage applications for three skilled-worker programs. It is not a separate immigration program. To enter the pool, you must qualify for one of those programs. Candidates are then ranked by their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for invitation rounds.

Who this is for

• Skilled workers eligible for one of the three programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Eligibility for one of these programs is required to enter the pool
• People with a provincial or territorial nomination, who continue to be invited through general rounds and Provincial Nominee Program-specific rounds
• Readers who want to understand cut-off scores: a cut-off is the lowest score among candidates invited in a round, not an eligibility requirement for entering the pool

Who this is not for

• People who do not qualify for any of the three programs: they cannot enter the pool or receive a pool ranking score
• People who meet category requirements but do not qualify for one of the three immigration programs: category-based rounds select candidates already in the pool
• People working in Canada without legal status, which can make them ineligible for Express Entry
• Anyone who gives false information or leaves out important details: the consequences are refusal, a finding of inadmissibility, and a five-year bar on applying to come to Canada

Requirements

Be eligible for one of the three programs source

Express Entry manages three immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. You must qualify for 1 of these 3 programs to enter the pool. Eligibility is assessed against the requirements of the relevant program; Express Entry has no separate eligibility criteria.

Create and submit a profile within 60 days source

Create a profile in your IRCC secure account, then complete and submit it within 60 days. If that deadline passes, you must start a new profile. Information about dependent children is requested after an invitation, not when creating the profile. The system uses your answers to determine which programs you qualify for.

CRS ranking in the pool source

Candidates in the pool receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and are ranked accordingly. Invitations go to the highest-ranking candidates at the time of the round. Entering the pool does not guarantee an invitation; you must be invited before applying for permanent residence.

Invitation order when eligible for multiple programs source

If you qualify for more than one program, the system invites you under the first eligible program in this order: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, then Federal Skilled Trades Program. You cannot select a different program. If you decline, you return to the pool and the same order applies to any later invitation; the system does not move to the next program.

Three types of rounds source

General rounds invite the top-ranking candidates who are eligible for one of the three programs. Program-specific rounds invite only candidates eligible for one named program, such as a Provincial Nominee Program round. Category-based rounds are held after the Minister establishes a category to meet an economic goal, and invite the top-ranking candidates in the pool who are eligible for that category. Every round has published instructions giving the date and time, the number of invitations, the round type, which programs are included, and the category eligibility where that applies.

How ties are broken source

When several candidates have the round’s lowest score, priority is determined by the date and time their Express Entry profiles were submitted. Earlier submissions take priority, so submitting even a day earlier can matter when scores are tied.

Update your profile when circumstances change source

Update your profile after a change in career, gaining or losing a job offer, new language results, marriage or divorce, or the birth or adoption of a child. Updates do not change the date and time the system first received your profile, so your position in a tie-break is unchanged.

A profile can become ineligible source

A profile may become ineligible for five common reasons: work experience no longer meets the program requirements (for example, experience required within the 3 years before applying falls outside that period while you wait); language results expire; the educational credential assessment expires; funds fall below the required amount; or the primary occupation changes. The funds table is updated annually at 50% of the low income cut-off totals, so changes to the standard may require updated proof of funds.

If your work permit expires while waiting source

Apply to extend your work permit before it expires. If it has expired, you can apply to restore your status. Leaving Canada does not remove your profile from the pool. If you do not apply for restoration, you must leave Canada as soon as the permit expires. Working in Canada without legal status can make you ineligible for Express Entry.

After an invitation source

After receiving an invitation, complete and submit your permanent residence application for IRCC to review. Processing times vary by program; the official page does not give a single timeframe.

Steps to follow

1. First, check which of the three programs you qualify for: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. The Canadian Experience Class is based on skilled work experience gained in Canada. Confirm your eligibility before creating an Express Entry profile.
2. Prepare your documents, sign in to your IRCC secure account, create your profile, and complete and submit it within 60 days to enter the pool.
3. While in the pool, you are ranked by CRS score and wait for an invitation. Ways to improve your score include contacting provinces and territories about nomination opportunities, improving your language results or education, and gaining more skilled work experience.
4. After an invitation, submit your application for permanent residence and wait for IRCC to review it and decide.

Important details

• Express Entry manages candidate profiles, rankings and invitations. After you receive an invitation, you apply for permanent residence under the relevant immigration program.
• Each round invites candidates in score order until the round’s invitation count is reached. The lowest score among those invited becomes that round’s cut-off. Cut-offs therefore vary by round and are not a fixed requirement for entering the pool.
• A low cut-off in a category-based round does not mean an easier route. Those rounds select only from people already in the pool who also meet that category’s own eligibility rules — the score is low because few people qualify, not because the bar is lower.
• The longer you sit in the pool, the more likely your work experience falls outside the three years before you apply — the first reason on the official list of ineligibility. Language results and educational credential assessments expire in the same way.
• Working in Canada without legal status can make you ineligible for Express Entry. If your permit has expired, apply to restore your status and do not continue working.
• False information or important omissions in your profile can lead to refusal, a finding of inadmissibility, and a five-year bar on applying to come to Canada.
• Declining an invitation returns you to the pool. Any later invitation follows the same order — Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, then Federal Skilled Trades Program — rather than switching to a different program.

This page is our summary of official pages and is for reference only. The official pages govern, and rules can change at any time; every point here links to its source, so please verify before you decide, or consult a licensed consultant (RCIC).