The Express Entry programme in Canada
The system through which skilled workers apply for permanent residence. It covers federal programmes for specialists with experience abroad, for those who have already worked in the country and for skilled tradespeople, as well as provincial nominees. A candidate creates a profile, enters a common pool and is awarded points for age, education, language and experience. Invitations go to the candidates with the highest scores.
Who can be in line for an invitation
Express Entry brings several programmes together in one pool — which of them fits a candidate is determined by the system, not by the candidate.
Specialists without Canadian experience
- At least a year of work experience in their own occupation within the last ten years
- Language at CLB 7 across all four abilities at once — speaking, listening, reading, writing
- Secondary education is mandatory; a higher education qualification earns more CRS points
Candidates with work experience in the country
- At least a year of work inside the country within the last three years
- Language at CLB 7 for management and professional positions, CLB 5 for the rest
- There is no need to have an educational qualification assessed
Skilled tradespeople
- Two years of work in a skilled trade within the last five years
- Language at CLB 5 in the speaking parts and CLB 4 in the written parts
- A validated one-year job offer or a certificate of qualification from a province is required
Provincial and territorial nominees
- A province or territory issues a nomination under its own separate programme
- A nomination adds 600 points to the CRS score at once — all but a guarantee of an invitation
- Even so, the candidate must still meet the requirements of one of the three federal programmes
When this programme is not suitable
There is no language certificate, no experience in the required occupation and no credential assessment, and none of them can be obtained quickly
Take the language test and obtain the educational credential assessment (ECA) first, and submit the profile with those results — otherwise the CRS score may not even be enough to be among those invited
The occupation does not fall within any of TEER levels 0–3 and is not on the list of skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program
Look at the separate provincial nominee programmes (PNPs) outside Express Entry or at temporary pilot programmes — they have their own selection logic
The candidate wants to move with a large family but cannot prove settlement funds and has no job offer
Obtain a validated job offer from a Canadian employer first — then proof of funds is not required for the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programmes
The candidate has a low CRS score because of age or the absence of Canadian education, and has no provincial nomination as yet
Submit the profile and approach the provincial nominee programmes in parallel — a nomination adds 600 points and almost always secures an invitation
What it costs
| Application processing — principal applicant | 990 CAD |
|---|---|
| Application processing — spouse or partner | 990 CAD |
| Application processing — dependent childfor each child | 270 CAD |
| Right of permanent residence (ROPR)paid separately for each adult — for the principal applicant and for the spouse or partner | 600 CAD |
| Biometrics — one person | 85 CAD |
| Biometrics — a family of two or more peoplethe upper limit of the fee for the whole family, where payment is made as a single package | 170 CAD |
| Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. the “Biometrics — a family of two or more people” branch replaces the “Biometrics — one person” line — 3 020 CAD. Charges with no official price list are in the list below. | 2 935 CAD |
Paid separately
- The educational credential assessment (ECA) — paid directly to the assessing organisation; not part of the IRCC fee
- The language test — paid to the test centre — IELTS, CELPIP and others from the approved list
- The medical examination — paid separately to a doctor from the IRCC list of panel physicians
- Police certificates — obtained and paid for in every country where the applicant has lived long enough
Documents to gather
Some documents are needed as early as the profile stage, others only after the invitation to apply.
- A passport — if it expires within the next six months it is better to renew it before filing
- Language test results from the list approved by IRCC
- An educational credential assessment (ECA) — mandatory for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and for any CRS points for education obtained outside the country
- Police certificates from every country where the applicant has lived long enough
- Proof of settlement funds — for the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programmes, except where there is a work permit and a validated job offer
- A medical report from a doctor on the IRCC list of panel physicians — taken after the invitation, and the result must be valid at the time the application is filed
How the process runs
The route from creating a profile to a decision on the permanent residence application.
- 1
Check which programme the candidate qualifies under
The candidate compares the language, experience and education requirements of the three federal programmes — which of them applies is determined by the system when the profile is submitted, and cannot be chosen by the candidate.
- 2
Gather the documents for the profile
Language test results are required and, where applicable, an educational credential assessment and proof of settlement funds. Details of dependent children are not requested at this stage.
- 3
Submit the profile and enter the pool
a profile is valid for 12 monthsThe profile is submitted through the IRCC account; the system awards points under the Comprehensive Ranking System and ranks the candidate against the other members of the pool.
- 4
Wait for the invitation to apply
Invitations are issued in rounds: by overall CRS ranking, by provincial nomination or under one of the category-based selections — for example French-language proficiency, healthcare, STEM or the skilled trades.
- 5
Take the medical examination
After the invitation an appointment must be made with a panel physician from the IRCC list; the result must still be valid on the date the application is filed online.
- 6
File the permanent residence application
60 daysThe form must be completed, the documents uploaded — including police certificates and proof of funds — and the fees paid. All of this must be done within 60 calendar days of the invitation, otherwise it expires.
- 7
Give biometrics
After the application is filed most applicants have to provide fingerprints and a photograph — processing will not start without them.
- 8
Receive the decision on the application
IRCC checks the application and the documents and may ask for further papers. Once approved, the confirmation of permanent residence is issued.
Timelines and rights
Work
An approved application gives permanent resident status. A resident works and studies in any province without a separate permit.
Who you can bring with you
All family members must be listed in the permanent residence application, even those who do not intend to move with the applicant.
A spouse or partner — married or in a common-law union
Dependent children under 22
Children aged 22 and over
Trips, renewal and the grace period
A permanent resident spends 730 days in Canada in every 5 years. The days do not have to be consecutive.
If no invitation arrives within 12 months of the profile being submitted, the profile automatically disappears from the pool — the expiry date is visible in the account. To try again, the old profile is first withdrawn and then an entirely new one is created: with a new number and a new job seeker validation code. While waiting, a candidate can recalculate their CRS score, update the profile if circumstances change, or approach a provincial nominee programme in parallel — although none of this guarantees another invitation.
How it differs from the routes next to it
The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.
| The Express Entry programme | Asylum and refugee status | Refugees referred by the UN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa term | A profile stays in the pool for 12 months | Not a status that is renewed; if the claim is accepted the person becomes a protected person | Arrivals come straight in as permanent residents (PR) |
| Money | Processing costs CAD 990 for the principal applicant, the same for a spouse and CAD 270 for a child | No income or savings requirement | GAR: government support for about 1 year; PSR: sponsors for about 12 months |
| Work | An approved application gives permanent resident status | The 2026 reforms speed up the issue of a work permit | As a PR — the right to work immediately, with no permit |
| Residence | A permanent resident spends 730 days in Canada in every 5 years | The claim is made from inside Canada or at a port of entry | The PR obligation: 730 days in every 5 years |
What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship
Route to citizenship
Citizenship is applied for after 1,095 days of presence within the 5 years before the application is signed. Days before permanent residence count as half, and no more than 365 such days are credited.
Frequently asked questions about The Express Entry programme
How much does it cost to apply through Express Entry?
What happens if no invitation arrives within a year?
How long is allowed to file the application after an invitation?
What is the difference between the three programmes within Express Entry?
What is category-based selection?
How much money has to be proved in order to move under Express Entry?
Other ways to move to Canada
- In-Canada Asylum ProgramAsylum / refugee status
- Convention Refugees Abroad ClassAsylum / refugee status
- Rainbow Refugee Assistance PartnershipAsylum / refugee status
- Humanitarian and Compassionate GroundsHumanitarian protection
- Federal Skilled Worker ProgramPermanent residence through work
- Canadian Experience ClassPermanent residence through work
- Provincial Nominee ProgramProvincial permanent residence
- Family SponsorshipFamily permanent residence
- Employer-specific work permitWork permit
- Study permitStudy permit
- Canadian citizenshipCitizenship
- Start-up Visa ProgramBusiness permanent residence
- Self-Employed Persons ProgramSelf-employed permanent residence
Every route in one list — migration programmes: Canada.
The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.