Express Entry: the federal skilled-worker system
Skilled workers who may qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, or the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and who want to be invited to apply for permanent residence.
Steps, in order
- Check which of the three federal programs you meet, including language, education, and work-experience requirements.
- Get your foreign education assessed if required, and take an approved language test.
- Create an Express Entry profile and receive a CRS score; the site's CRS calculator follows the current grid.
- Wait for an invitation round for your category. If invited, submit the full permanent residence application with all supporting documents before the deadline.
Who is eligible — the essentials
- Express Entry is not itself a program: it manages applications under the three federal programs listed above.
- Candidates are ranked by CRS score and invited by round and category; a high score does not guarantee an invitation in any given round.
- Job-offer points in the CRS grid changed in 2025 and are currently zero; the calculator on this site already reflects that.
Documents you will usually need
- Approved language test results
- Educational credential assessment, where required
- Work reference letters matching the claimed occupations
- Police certificates and medical exams after invitation
- Proof of funds, where the program requires it
Common mistakes
- Creating a profile before meeting a program's minimum requirements.
- Claiming work experience that does not match the occupation's duties or that lacks reference letters.
- Missing the post-invitation deadline or submitting an incomplete application.
Check before you apply: IRCC's program-finder hub is linked above as the verified entry point. Use the CRS calculator on this site for the current grid — it already reflects the 2025 change that made job-offer points zero.
Official source
General information only — not legal advice. Immigration rules change. Always check the official source above before applying.