How Express Entry works
Express Entry is an online system that we use to manage immigration applications from skilled workers.
Immigration programs
There are 3 immigration programs managed through Express Entry:
Canadian Experience Class
- for skilled workers with eligible Canadian work experience
- work experience must have been gained in the 3 years before you apply
More about the Canadian Experience class
Federal Skilled Worker Program
- for skilled workers with foreign or Canadian work experience
- must meet criteria for education and other factors
More about the Federal Skilled Worker Program
Federal Skilled Trades Program
- for skilled workers who are qualified in a skilled trade
- must have a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification
More about the Federal Skilled Trades Program
Provincial Nominee Program
If you’re eligible for one of the above programs, you can also apply through Express Entry for the Provincial Nominee Program. If you’re nominated, you’ll get extra points so you can be invited to apply quickly.
Find out more about the Provincial Nominee Program.
Step 1: Find out if you’re eligible
There are 2 ways to find out if you’re eligible for a program that is part of Express Entry:
- answer a few questions to see if you meet the minimum requirements
- read the detailed requirements for each program
Step 2: Check your score
If you’re eligible for one or more of the Express Entry programs and submit your profile, you’ll be ranked in the Express Entry pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The CRS is a points-based system we use to
- assess and score your profile and
- rank it in the Express Entry pool
To be invited, you need to have a score above the minimum points score for your round of invitations.
Step 3: Get your documents ready
If you decide to fill out a profile, you’ll need documents, such as language test results, to show you’re eligible for Express Entry.
Some documents take a long time to get, so you should get them ready early.
Step 4: Fill out your profile
Your Express Entry profile is where you give us information about yourself.
If you’re eligible, we’ll accept you into our pool of candidates and give you a CRS score.
Step 5: Get an invitation and apply
We send invitations to apply to the candidates with the highest scores in the pool. If we invite you to apply, you’ll have 60 days to submit your application.
We’ll process most complete applications that have all supporting documents in 6 months or less.
Immigrate through Express Entry: Documents
You need certain documents at different stages of the Express Entry application process.
I need help filling out and signing forms
Documents for your profile
You don’t need to upload documents to submit a profile, but you may need information from some or all of these documents:
- a passport or travel document
- Venezuelan passport holders: You may need to complete extra steps when you create a profile or fill out your application.
- language test results
- proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes if
- you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program, or
- you want to get points for the education you got outside Canada
- provincial nomination (if you have one)
- written job offer from an employer in Canada (if you have one)
- proof of work experience
- certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory (if you have one)
- proof of funds
Documents for your application for permanent residence
As of October 1, 2023, you no longer have to get an upfront medical exam before you submit your application for permanent residence through Express Entry. Find out when to get your medical exams and what documents you need to submit.
If we invite you to apply, you’ll need to upload copies of the documents you used for your profile (see list above). Most applicants will also need to upload the following:
- police certificates
- proof of funds
- birth certificate, if you’re declaring dependent children
- Use of a Representative form (PDF, 137 KB), if you’ve hired a representative
- common-law union form (PDF, 2.22 MB), if you’ve declared your marital status as “common-law”
- marriage certificate, if you’ve declared your marital status as “married”
- divorce certificate and legal separation agreement, if you’ve declared your marital status as “divorced”
- death certificate, if you’ve declared your marital status as “widowed”
- adoption certificate, when a dependent child is listed as “adopted”
Other documents
You only need to submit these if we included them in your personalized document checklist. Your application may not be refused or rejected if you don’t submit these documents. They’re only used to check if you meet the requirements of the program you’re applying for.
- proof of relationship to a relative in Canada
- digital photos to confirm your identity
- other name to confirm aliases
- authority to release personal information to a designated individual form (PDF, 1.74 MB)
- any other documents that you feel are relevant to your application
Create an Express Entry profile
If you want to come to Canada as a skilled immigrant, your first step is to create your profile and submit it to the Express Entry pool.
If you’re eligible, we’ll:
- place you in a pool with others who are also eligible
- give you a score and rank you using several factors
- invite you to apply to be a permanent resident of Canada (if you’re one of the top candidates)
Completing an online Express Entry profile or entering the pool doesn’t guarantee that we’ll invite you to apply for permanent residence. You can only apply if we send you an invitation.
Step 1: Check if you’re eligible
Use one of our online tools to find out if you’re eligible to apply through Express Entry. It’ll take you about 15 minutes.
If you’re married or have a common-law partner, one of you must be the main or principal applicant. This person will submit a profile and list the spouse or partner.
The principal applicant should be the one of you most likely to:
- meet the eligibility requirements
- earn the most points in the selection factors (if applying under the Federal Skilled Workers Program)
- earn the most points in Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System
To check if you’re eligible, you have 2 options.
Find out if you’re eligible using the Come to Canada tool
Answer a few questions using an online tool to assess your eligibility.
The tool gives you a number at the end (a personal reference code) similar to this: JM1234567890. You will use this number to move your information from the tool to your Express Entry profile.
Fill out the questionnaire in your secure account
- Sign in to your account and choose Apply to come to Canada under Start an application.
- Choose “Express Entry” under I do not have a Personal Reference Code.
- Answer the questions.
Sign in to your secure account
Step 2: Create your Express Entry profile
If you used the online tool
If you’re eligible, the online tool will send you to your online account to fill out an Express Entry profile.
- Follow the instructions to create an account (if you don’t already have one).
- Enter your personal reference code when it prompts you (only if you have one).
- Enter your personal details.
If you filled out the questionnaire in your secure account
To complete your profile, you’ll need:
- information from certain documents (for example, language test results)
- your NOC job title and code
You may exit the profile at any time. Your information will be saved in your account.
You have 60 days to complete and submit your Express Entry profile. Otherwise, you’ll have to start again.
You won’t be asked to enter information about your dependent children when you create an Express Entry profile. We’ll only ask you for this information if you’re invited to apply for permanent residence.
Step 3: Submit your Express Entry profile
Once you’ve filled out your profile, you can submit it online. Based on the information you enter, we’ll figure out which program(s) under Express Entry you’re eligible for and may be invited to apply to.
You can’t choose the program you prefer when you create your profile.
Find out what happens if you’re eligible for more than one program.
Create an Express Entry profile: Rounds of invitations
We rank candidates in the pool using a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). When we hold Express Entry rounds of invitations, we
- choose the type of round we’ll hold
- decide the number of candidates we need to invite
- identify the highest-ranking candidates from the pool who are eligible for the chosen round type
- invite these candidates to apply for permanent residence
Types of rounds of invitations
We hold different types of rounds of invitations throughout the year.
1. General rounds of invitations
In general rounds of invitations, we invite top-ranking candidates in the pool who are eligible for 1 of the 3 programs managed through Express Entry.
2. Program-specific rounds of invitations
In program-specific rounds of invitations, we invite top-ranking candidates who are eligible for a specific Express Entry program.
For example, if we’re holding a round specifically for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), we would only invite candidates who are eligible for the PNP.
3. Category-based rounds of invitations
For category-based rounds of invitations, the Minister establishes a category to meet a specific economic goal. We then invite top-ranking candidates in the pool who are eligible for this category.
You must be eligible for 1 of the 3 programs managed through Express Entry to be placed in the pool.
Category-based rounds add to general and program-specific rounds by inviting top-ranking candidates who can help us meet specific economic goals.
Find out how category-based rounds of invitations work.
Candidates with a provincial or territorial nomination
We’ll continue to invite candidates with a provincial or territorial nomination through general and Provincial Nominee Program-specific rounds. These candidates have demonstrated they have the skills, education and work experience to contribute to the province’s or territory’s economy.
Instructions for rounds of invitations
Each round of invitations has a set of instructions that are
- posted online at the time of the round
- used by the Express Entry system to invite candidates from the pool
The instructions include
- the date and time of the round
- the number of candidates that will get an invitation to apply
- the round type (general, program-specific or category-based)
- which immigration program(s) are included in the round, if this applies (for program-specific rounds)
- eligibility for the category, if this applies (for category-based rounds)
Check your score and then use this information to see how likely you are to get an invitation in the next round.
Apply for permanent residence through Express Entry
Before you apply
You can only apply for permanent residence through Express Entry if you’ve received an invitation to apply.
Once you have your invitation
Your Express Entry invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only. You should start filling out the online form right away so that you can get all the information and documents you need before your invitation expires.If you took a French test from TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français between December 11, 2023 and May 6, 2024
To fill out the online form:
- sign in to your account.
- go to “Continue my profile / application, not yet submitted”
- on the right-hand side of the row with “application type” as “permanent residency,” choose the blue “Continue application” button
Who has applied to IRCC before
The form will ask if you’ve applied to IRCC before. This means a full application – for example, for a visa, a work permit, another immigration program. Filling out an Express Entry profile doesn’t count.
It will also ask if you’ve applied for Express Entry before. Similarly, you should only answer “yes” if you filled out a permanent residence application and submitted it electronically. A profile on its own, even if you got an ITA, doesn’t count as applying.
Sign in to your IRCC secure account
When filling out the form:
- make sure you submit all of the required documents
- all of your answers must be complete and true
- make sure all the mandatory fields are completed, or you won’t be able to submit your application
- you can save your information on the form and go back as often as you need to
Fees
For your application: $1,525
Include your spouse: $1,525
Include a dependent child: $260
Processing time ?
You may need to give biometrics with your application. This processing time includes the time you need to give your biometrics.
If your work permit will expire soon
If your work permit expires before you submit your application and you didn’t apply for a new one yet, it may cause your score to drop.
This could happen if you got points for a job offer but the work permit associated with the job offer expired before you submitted your application. This could cause you to not be eligible anymore.
If your score has dropped below the minimum cut-off for your round of invitations, you should decline the invitation. If you submit your application anyway, we’ll refuse it.
If you decline, you’ll be put back in the pool. You should update your Express Entry profile to show the change in your work status.
If your Express Entry application is approved
If we approve your application, we’ll mail you a
- confirmation of permanent residence (COPR)
- a permanent resident (PR) visa (if you’re from a country that needs a visa)
Your COPR will have information about who you are, as well as your photograph.
Check to make sure your information is correct. It should be the same as the information on your passport. If there is a mistake on your COPR, contact us through your account.
We can’t extend your COPR, so you should make sure to use it before it expires.
If you’re already in Canada
Make sure you keep your information up to date
Use the web form if you need to update your contact information or tell us about changes to your family situation (for example, marriage, birth, divorce or death).
You need to confirm your permanent resident status virtually
In most cases, we can confirm permanent resident (PR) status
- without in-person interviews
- through a secure online portal
You don’t have to do anything until we contact you using the email or phone number you provided.
Confirm your permanent resident status through the Permanent Residence Portal
You’ll get emails from a mailbox ending in cic.gc.ca
- Asking you to confirm your email address
- Asking you to confirm you’re physically in Canada
- Giving you information about the Permanent Residence Portal (and options if you can’t use it)
The portal is separate from your Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada secure account. Don’t create your own account in the Permanent Residence Portal as this can delay the process. We’ll create an account for you. Follow the instructions in the email we send you.
Learn more about the Permanent Residence Portal.
You must tell us if you leave Canada before we grant you permanent resident status.
Permanent resident cards
Once you become a permanent resident, we’ll make an electronic confirmation of permanent residence (e-COPR) available to you in the Portal so that you can provide proof of your new status in Canada. In this portal, we’ll also ask you to provide a photo so we can start the process of issuing your first permanent resident card. You don’t need to apply for your first PR card.
While you wait for your PR card, you can use your printed and signed e-COPR to
- prove you’re a permanent resident in Canada
- apply for government benefits and services for which you’re eligible (for example, to apply for your social insurance number so you can work)
If you’re outside Canada
Before you arrive in Canada
There are things you can do to prepare for life in Canada
- use free pre-arrival services, which help you
- find out more about living and working in Canada
- take steps to get recognition in Canada for your
- read about living and finding work in Canada
When you arrive in Canada
You must have
- your valid passport or travel documents
- Your passport must be a regular, private citizen passport.
- You can’t immigrate to Canada with a diplomatic, government service or public affairs passport.
- your COPR and your permanent resident visa (if we gave you one)
- proof you have the funds to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada
When you arrive in Canada, you’ll meet an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The officer will
- make sure you’re entering Canada before or on the expiry date shown on your COPR
- make sure you’re the same person who was approved to travel to Canada (we may use your biometrics to do this)
- ask to see your passport and other travel documents
- ask you a few questions to make sure you’re still eligible to immigrate to Canada
- The questions will be similar to the ones you answered when you applied.
To help speed up your entry to Canada, keep your passport and other documents with you at all times. Don’t pack them in your luggage.
We won’t allow you into Canada if you
- give false or incomplete information
- don’t satisfy the officer that you meet the conditions to enter Canada
If you’re admissible and there are no problems when you arrive, the officer will
- allow you to enter Canada as a permanent resident
- confirm your Canadian mailing address where we’ll mail your PR card
If you change your address within 180 days of arriving in Canada, you must tell us using our web form.
Disclosure of funds
If you arrive in Canada with CAN$10,000 or more, you must tell the CBSA officer. If you don’t tell them, you could be fined and your funds could be seized.
What you can bring into Canada
Before you travel to Canada, check the CBSA website to find out what you can and can’t bring into the country.
After you arrive in Canada
- find immigrant services in Canada to help you settle and adapt to life in Canada
- read the Welcome to Canada guide to help you adjust