Express Entry is the online system Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to manage permanent residence applications from skilled workers. It covers three federal programs and part of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). IRCC ranks every profile, and only candidates who receive an invitation to apply (ITA) can apply for permanent residence.
The three Express Entry programs
Meeting a program's minimum requirements puts you in the pool, but that alone does not lead to an invitation. All three programs require you to plan to live outside Quebec and to be admissible to Canada.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- 1 year (1,560 hours) of paid skilled work in Canada in NOC TEER 0–3, in the 3 years before you apply, while authorized to work under temporary resident status.
- CLB/NCLC 7 for TEER 0–1 jobs, or CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 2–3 jobs.
- No education requirement and no proof of funds.
- Work during full-time studies and self-employment don't count (a temporary policy covers some physicians).
Details: Canadian Experience Class.
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- 1 year of continuous paid work (1,560 hours) in your primary occupation, in TEER 0–3, within the last 10 years.
- CLB/NCLC 7 in all four abilities.
- Secondary education or higher. Foreign studies need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
- At least 67/100 on the FSWP selection grid (separate from the CRS).
- Proof of funds, unless you are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer.
Details: Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- 2 years (3,120 hours) of paid work in an eligible trade within the last 5 years, in a place where you were qualified to practise.
- CLB/NCLC 5 for speaking and listening, and 4 for reading and writing.
- A full-time job offer of at least 1 year, or a Canadian certificate of qualification.
- No education requirement. Proof of funds applies as for the FSWP.
Details: Federal Skilled Trades Program.
If you qualify for more than one program, IRCC invites you under the CEC first, then the FSWP, then the FSTP. Check your occupation with our NOC finder and your levels with our CLB/NCLC converter.
How the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) works
Each profile is scored out of 1,200:
- Core human capital (up to 500, or 460 with an accompanying spouse or partner): age, education, official languages and Canadian work experience.
- Spouse or partner factors (up to 40).
- Skill transferability (up to 100): combinations of language, education and work experience.
- Additional points (up to 600): provincial or territorial nomination (600), French skills (up to 50), Canadian post-secondary education (up to 30), a sibling in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident (15).
Language is often the factor you can improve most. Ties at a round's cut-off go to the earliest profile submitted. Estimate your score with our CRS calculator, and see the full breakdown on our CRS score page.
Job offers no longer add CRS points
Since 25 March 2025, job offers no longer earn CRS points (previously 50 or 200), including for candidates already in the pool. A valid offer still counts for FSTP eligibility, the FSWP grid, the proof-of-funds exemption and some PNP streams, so keep it in your profile.
Rounds of invitations and the 2026 categories
IRCC holds general rounds, program-specific rounds (for example, CEC only or PNP only) and category-based rounds. Each one invites the highest-ranked eligible candidates.
The 2026 categories
Announced on 18 February 2026:
- French-language proficiency (NCLC 7 in all four abilities)
- Healthcare and social services
- STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)
- Trades
- Education
- Transport (new)
- Physicians with Canadian work experience (new)
- Senior managers with Canadian work experience (new)
- Researchers with Canadian work experience (new)
- Skilled military recruits (new)
Except for military recruits, who have separate rules, occupation categories require 12 months of full-time work (or the part-time equivalent) in one listed occupation within 3 years, up from 6 months for renewed categories. Physicians, senior managers and researchers need that experience in Canada.
A listed category may have no rounds. No 2026 round had been held for STEM, education or researchers (IRCC, as of 12 October 2026). The latest round, #447 on 1 October 2026 (Trades), invited 3,500 candidates with a lowest CRS score of 476 (IRCC, as of 12 October 2026). Follow new rounds on IRCC's list of rounds, and see each category's rules and 2026 rounds on our 2026 categories page.
Proof of funds
FSWP and FSTP candidates must show settlement funds unless they are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer. CEC candidates are exempt. If you are exempt, upload a letter explaining why.
- The amount depends on family size (including members not coming with you) and is updated yearly. The table in force when we checked was dated 7 July 2025; always use IRCC's current table.
- The funds must be legally available to you both when you apply and when the visa is issued. Borrowed money and home equity don't count.
From profile to permanent residence
- Check your eligibility with IRCC's Come to Canada tool or in your IRCC secure account.
- Prepare an approved language test (CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada), an ECA for any foreign studies, and your NOC code.
- Submit your profile within 60 days of starting it. It stays in the pool for up to 12 months.
- Keep it updated (new test results, job, marriage, children) and explore provincial nominations.
- If you are invited, submit a complete application within 60 days, with your documents, police certificates, medical exam and fees.
- IRCC decides after checking eligibility, accuracy and admissibility and collecting biometrics. Approved applicants receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence.
Common pitfalls
- Choosing a NOC by job title. Your duties must match the NOC lead statement and most of its main duties, and your reference letters should show this.
- Expired documents. Language results must be under 2 years old and ECAs under 5, both when you submit your profile and when you apply; otherwise the application is refused. IELTS One Skill Retake isn't accepted. For TEF Canada, enter the "Équivalence ancien score" column.
- Experience that ages out. While you wait in the pool, your qualifying work can fall outside the 3-year window used by the CEC and the categories.
- A score that drops after an ITA. Recalculate before you apply. If you are now below the cut-off, decline the invitation.
- Misrepresentation. False or missing information can lead to refusal and a 5-year ban, even if someone else filled in your forms.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?
Not for the CEC or the FSWP. The FSTP requires a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification. Job offers no longer add CRS points.
What CRS score do I need?
There is no fixed pass mark. Each round sets its own cut-off. Compare your estimate with recent rounds on IRCC's list of rounds.
How long does my profile stay in the pool?
Up to 12 months. If you are not invited, it expires, and you can submit a new one if you are still eligible.
Do CEC candidates need proof of funds?
No. Upload a letter explaining your exemption instead.
How do I qualify for a category-based round?
First meet one program's requirements, then the category's criteria, such as NCLC 7 for French. Meeting a category's criteria makes you eligible for its rounds; it does not mean you will be invited.
Is ANAS CANADA recognized by IRCC?
Anasse Boulbaroud is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), licence #R706303. You can check his licence on the CICC public register. As a licensee, he is accredited by the Government of Canada to represent clients before IRCC and ESDC. As IRCC itself notes, using a representative doesn't speed up a file, give it special attention or guarantee approval.
How we can help
Anasse Boulbaroud, RCIC, can help you at each stage:
- Consultation: which program and category fit your profile, and what to improve first.
- Profile review: your eligibility, NOC choice, language and ECA results and documents, checked before you submit.
- Application preparation: a complete permanent residence application after an invitation, within the 60-day window.
Only IRCC decides who is invited and approved. Book a consultation.