Express Entry

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

Ministerial Instructions set out the rules for governing the Express Entry application management system.

The Express Entry system has two steps:

Step 1) Potential candidates complete an online Express Entry profile

Potential candidates will have to be entered into the Express Entry pool and for this process we would require their:

complete an online Express Entry profile by providing information about their:

  • skills,
  • work experience,
  • language ability,
  • education, and
  • other details that will help CIC assess them.

Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs listed above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.

Step 2) The highest-ranking candidates in the pool will be invited to apply for permanent residence

Candidates will be ranked against others in the pool using a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Points are awarded using the information in their profile.

Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply. Candidates will be awarded points for:

  • a job offer, and/or
  • a nomination from a province or territory, and/or
  • skills and experience factors.

A candidate can get additional points for:

These additional points will make a candidate rank high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible round of invitations.

If someone is invited to apply, they will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete applications (meaning those with all the necessary supporting documents) in six months or less.