Express Entry is an online selection system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to evaluate candidates and invite them to immigrate based on their likelihood for economic success in Canada. First introduced in 2015, the program has ushered in many improvements to Canadian immigration, including quicker processing times, greater accessibility to applicants from a wider variety of fields, and an increased focus on the quality of applications.
How does Express Entry Work?
Potential candidates must first meet the requirements for one of the following programs in order to apply for Express Entry:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: Applicants from one of 50 National Occupational Classification (NOC) categories with secondary education and at least 1 year of continuous work experience are eligible. A job offer is not required.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program: Applicants must have at least 2 years of work experience in the past 5 years in a skilled trade. They must have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, or a certification of qualification in their trade issued by a Canadian authority.
- Canadian Experience Class: Applicants must be skilled workers with at least 1 year of Canadian work experience and a valid job offer from a Canadian employer.
- Provincial Nominee Programs: An Express Entry option is available for provincial immigration programs. Each province or territory has its own criteria – inquire on their website.
All of these programs utilize these terms to classify eligibility criteria:
- Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB):
- Measurement of English and French ability in adults
- 4 ability tests: writing, reading, listening and speaking
- National Occupation Classification (NOC):
- List of all occupations in Canadian labour market
- Classifies jobs according to skill type and level
If a candidate is eligible for one of these programs, they may complete an online Express Entry profile identifying their skills and qualifications. The system ranks all profiles against other applicants in the pool on a points-based system considering a variety of factors, including:
- Age
- Education
- Language proficiency in English and French
- Canadian work experience
Candidates with the highest rankings are invited to apply for permanent residence through one of the economic immigration programs. If applicants are tied in rank, those who submitted applications first will win. Therefore it is best to apply as early as possible.
