Express Entry
Canada is changing its economic immigration programs to give more opportunities to prospective skilled immigrants. Starting January 2015, skilled foreign workers will have access to Express Entry, which will cover Canada’s key economic immigration programs:
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the Federal Skilled Worker Program,
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the Federal Skilled Trades Program,
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the Canadian Experience Class, and
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A portion of Provincial Nominee Programs
Candidates who are invited to apply for permanent residence under the Express Entry system will benefit from fast processing times of six months or less.Express Entry will also provide a pathway for skilled workers to connect with potential job opportunities in Canada prior to arrival.Express Entry will ensure that the candidates who are most likely to succeed economically – not simply those first in line – are able to immigrate to Canada.
How Express Entry Works
Step 1
Potential candidates create an online Express Entry profile
Express your interest in coming to Canada as a skilled foreign worker. Starting in January 2015, create an online Express Entry profile and tell us about your skills, work experience, language ability, education and other details.
Before doing this, you will need to take a language test in English or French. If you were educated outside of Canada, you may also need to have your education assessed against Canadian standards. More information on language and education assessments is available online.
If you meet the criteria of one of the federal economic immigration programs subject to Express Entry, you will be placed in a pool of pre-screened candidates.
If you do not already have a Canadian job offer or a nomination from a province/territory, you must register with the Government of Canada’s Job Bank. Job Bank is an easy, online search tool that will help you get matched with jobs in Canada based on your skills, knowledge and experience.
Express Entry Pool
You will be given a score to determine your place in the Express Entry pool using a Comprehensive Ranking System that includes factors known to contribute to economic success (such as language, education, and work experience).
There will be regular draws of candidates from the Express Entry pool, inviting them to apply for permanent residence. Candidates with the highest scores, including those who have a valid job offer or a provincial/territorial nomination, will be invited to apply.
Your Express Entry profile will be valid for 12 months. During that time, you will need to update your profile if circumstances change, such as your level of education or language test results.
Important: Filling out an online Express Entry profile is not a guarantee that you will qualify for permanent residence. If you are invited to apply for permanent residence, information provided in your Express Entry profile will be verified at that time.
Step 2
Selected candidates are invited to submit an electronic application for permanent residence
You will receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence if you:
- have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada (subject to the Labour Market Impact Assessment process in place at that time);
- have been nominated by a province or territory; or
- are among the top ranked in the pool based on your skills and experience.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete permanent residence applications received within six months or less.
Candidates in the Express Entry pool who do not receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence after 12 months can resubmit their profile and re-enter the pool if they still meet the criteria.
Express Entry – Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria
A. Core / human capital factors | Points per factor – With a spouse or common-law partner | Points per factor – Without a spouse or common-law partner |
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Age | 100 | 110 |
Level of education | 140 | 150 |
Official languages proficiency | 150 | 160 |
Canadian work experience | 70 | 80 |
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors | Maximum 40 points | |
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Level of education | 10 | |
Official language proficiency | 20 | |
Canadian Work Experience | 10 | |
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors | Maximum 500 points (with a spouse or common-law partner) | Maximum 500 points (without a spouse or common-law partner) |
C. Skill Transferability factors | Maximum 100 points |
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Education | Maximum 50 points |
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree | 50 |
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree | 50 |
Foreign work experience | Maximum 50 points |
With good/strong official languages proficiency and foreign work experience | 50 |
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience | 50 |
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations) | Maximum 50 points |
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification | 50 |
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors | Maximum 600 points |
D. Additional points | (maximum 600) |
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Arranged employment | 600 |
PN nomination | 600 |
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. = Grand total – 1,200 |
CRS – Core factors
Core / human capital factors | With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 460 points) | Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 500 points) |
---|---|---|
Age | Number of points (100 maximum) | Number of points (110 maximum) |
17 years of age or less | 0 | 0 |
18 years of age | 90 | 99 |
19 years of age | 95 | 105 |
20 to 29 years of age | 100 | 110 |
30 years of age | 95 | 105 |
31 years of age | 90 | 99 |
32 years of age | 85 | 94 |
33 years of age | 80 | 88 |
34 years of age | 75 | 83 |
35 years of age | 70 | 77 |
36 years of age | 65 | 72 |
37 years of age | 60 | 66 |
38 years of age | 55 | 61 |
39 years of age | 50 | 55 |
40 years of age | 45 | 50 |
41 years of age | 35 | 39 |
42 years of age | 25 | 28 |
43 years of age | 15 | 17 |
44 years of age | 5 | 6 |
45 years of age or more | 0 | 0 |
Level of Education | With a spouse or common-law partner – Number of points (140 maximum) | Without a spouse or common-law partner – Number of points (150 maximum) |
Less than Secondary school (high school) credential | 0 | 0 |
Secondary school (high school) credential | 28 | 30 |
One-year post-secondary program credential | 84 | 90 |
Two-year post-secondary program credential | 91 | 98 |
Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer | 112 | 120 |
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 119 | 128 |
University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required. | 126 | 135 |
University-level credential at the Doctoral level | 140 | 150 |
Official languages proficiency – first official language Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening):
|
With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 128 points | Without a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 136 points |
Less than CLB 4 | 0 | 0 |
CLB 4 or 5 | 6 | 6 |
CLB 6 | 8 | 9 |
CLB 7 | 16 | 17 |
CLB 8 | 22 | 23 |
CLB 9 | 29 | 31 |
CLB 10 or more | 32 | 34 |
Official languages proficiency – second official language Maximum points for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening):
|
With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 22 points | Without a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 24 points |
CLB 4 or less | 0 | 0 |
CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | 1 |
CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | 3 |
CLB 9 or more | 6 | 6 |
Canadian work experience | With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 70 points | Without a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 80 points |
None or less than a year | 0 | 0 |
1 year | 35 | 40 |
2 years | 46 | 53 |
3 years | 56 | 64 |
4 years | 63 | 72 |
5 years or more | 70 | 80 |
Subtotal – Core / human capital factors | Out of 460 points | Out of 500 points |
CRS – Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)
Spouse or common-law partner factors | With spouse or common-law partner – number of points per factor | Without spouse or common-law partner (0 points – does not apply) |
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Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education | 10 | 0 |
Less than secondary school (high school) credential | 0 | |
Secondary school (high school) credential | 2 | |
One-year post-secondary program credential | 6 | |
Two-year post-secondary program credential | 7 | |
Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer | 8 | |
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 9 | |
University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required. | 10 | |
University-level credential at the Doctoral level | 10 | |
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s official languages proficiency – first official languageReading, writing, speaking and listening– total points for each ability | Maximum 20 points | 0 (does not apply) |
For each ability | 5 | |
CLB 4 or less | 0 | |
CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | |
CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | |
CLB 9 or more | 5 | |
Canadian work experience | Maximum 10 points | 0 (does not apply) |
None or less than a year | 0 | |
1 year | 5 | |
2 years | 7 | |
3 years | 8 | |
4 years | 9 | |
5 years or more | 10 | |
Subtotal – Core / human capital + Spouse or common-law partner factors | 500 | 500 |
CRS – Skill transferability factors
Skill Transferability factors | Maximum 100 points for this section | |
---|---|---|
Education | Maximum 50 points for Education | |
With good official language proficiency and a post-secondary degree | Maximum 50 points | |
Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9 | Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities | |
Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1 & 2) | 0 | 0 |
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5) | 13 | 25 |
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (levels 6,7 & 8) | 25 | 50 |
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree | Maximum 50 points | |
Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience | Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience | |
Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1 & 2) | 0 | 0 |
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5) | 13 | 25 |
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (levels 6,7 & 8) | 25 | 50 |
Foreign work experience | Maximum 50 points for Foreign work experience | |
With good official language proficiency and foreign work experience | 50 points | |
Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 9 | Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first OL abilities | |
No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience | Maximum 50 points | |
Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience | Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience | |
No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
Certificate of qualification (trade occupations) | Maximum 50 points for this section | |
With good official language proficiency and a certificate of qualification | Maximum 50 points | |
Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 7 | Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first OL abilities | |
With a certificate of qualification | 25 | 50 |
Subtotal: A. Core + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors |
600 | |
Additional points | Maximum 600 points | |
1) Arranged employment OR | 600 | |
2) Provincial or territorial nomination | 600 | |
Grand total | Maximum 1,200 points |
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One of our licensed immigration consultants can speak with you in person, online or on the phone about your unique immigration situation and give you a breakdown of your options.