Express Entry for skilled immigrants who want to settle in Canada permanently.
How it works:
If you meet the minimum requirements based on questions we asked you about your:
- nationality
- age
- language ability
- family members
- education
- work experience
- details on any job offer
Based on your answers, we will tell you what programs you may be eligible for and if you are eligible for Express Entry, we will ask you for a list of documents. Then we will put you in a pool of candidates for immigration, and possibly you will get invited to apply to immigrate.
Skilled workers based on their skills and ability to contribute to Canada’s economy.
Express Entry manages applications for three economic immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to meet local labour market needs.
To explain and for your better understanding, we compare a key difference between three Express Entry programs:
| Eligibility criteria | Canadian Experience Class | Federal Skilled Worker Program | Federal Skilled Trades Program |
| Language skills | English or French skills CLB 7 if your NOC is 0 or A CLB 5 if your NOC is B | English or French skills CLB 7 | English or French skills CLB 5 for speaking and listening CLB 4 for reading and writing |
| Type/Level of work experience | Canadian experience in 1 of these NOCs: 0 A B | Canadian or foreign experience in 1 of these NOCs: 0 A B | Canadian or foreign experience in a skilled trade under key groups of NOC B |
| Amount of work experience | One year in Canada in the last 3 years (either combination of full-time or part-time work) | One year continuous within the last 10 years (combination of part-time, full-time or more than 1 job in your primary occupation) | Two years within last 5 years (either combination of full-time or part-time work) |
| Job offer | Not required. | Not required. But you can get selection criteria (FSW) points for having a valid job offer. | Required: A valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority |
| Education | Not required. | Secondary education is required. You can get more selection criteria (FSW) points for your post-secondary education. | Not required. |
*Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)
The CLB is the Canadian standard used to describe, measure and recognize the English language ability of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants who plan to live and work in Canada or apply for citizenship.
The Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens is used to assess abilities in the French language.
There are 4 language ability tests:
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
**National Occupation Classification (NOC) code
The NOC is a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labor market. It describes each job according to skill type and skill level. For immigration purposes, these are the main job groups:
- Skill Type 0 (zero): Management jobs
- Skill Level A: Professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university
- Skill Level B: Technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice
- Skill Level C: Intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or job-specific training
- Skill Level D: Labour jobs that usually give on-the-job training
Language test equivalency charts
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) – General Test score equivalency chart
| CLB Level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – General Training – Test score equivalency chart
| CLB Level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
| 10 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| 9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 4 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |