How to Get Canada PR as skilled immigrant by Express Entry

The Express Entry System is a faster way for skilled immigrants to gain permanent residence in Canada! In this system, there are three different pathways:

Federal Skilled Worker Program
Federal Skilled Trades Program
Canadian Experience Class

Eligibility to apply as a Federal Skilled Worker (Express Entry)

This program is for skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to immigrate to Canada permanently.

In this article:

Selection factors
Minimum requirements
Proof of funds
Admissibility
Where you can live in Canada

1. Selection factors

IRCC will then assess your application based on:

age
education
work experience
whether you have a valid job offer
English and/or French language skills
adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)

These factors are part of a 100-point grid used to assess eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. You earn points for how well you do in each of the 6 factors.

The current pass mark is 67 points and these points are calculated according to the Selection factor point grid. IRCC uses the selection factor points to assess your eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Once you’re in the Express Entry pool, IRCC will use a different system to rank your profile. IRCC selects the highest-ranking candidates from the pool and invite them to apply for permanent residence.

2. Minimum Requirements

2.1 Skilled work experience

Skilled work experience means you’ve worked in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) job groups:

Managerial jobs (skill type 0)
Professional jobs (skill level A)
Technical jobs and skilled trades (skill level B)

You must show that while working in your primary occupation you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.

Your skilled work experience must be:

in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)
within the last 10 years
paid work (This means you must have been paid wages or earned commission. Volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count.)
at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week). You can meet this in a few different ways:
- full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- equal amount in part-time: 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- full-time at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)

For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. IRCC does’t count any hours you work above 30 hours/week.

See Selection factor point grid to know points awarded according to the number of years of work experience

2.2 Language Ability

You must:

take approved language tests in English or French for writing, reading, listening, speaking and get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities

Your language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence. See Selection factor point grid to know points awarded according to the Band Score in IELTS test.

2.3 Education

If you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:

secondary institution (high school) or
post-secondary institution

If you have foreign education, you must have:

a completed credential, and
an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution

See Selection factor point grid to know points awarded according to your level of education.

3. Proof of Funds

You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada, unless you:

are currently able to legally work in Canada
have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada

4. Admissibility

You must be admissible to Canada.

Some people aren’t allowed to come to Canada. They’re “inadmissible” under Canada’s immigration law. A Canadian immigration officer will decide if you can enter Canada when you:

apply for a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or
when you arrive at a port of entry.

There are different reasons we may not let you into Canada, such as security, criminal or medical reasons:

security reasons, including
- espionage
- subversion (attempts to overthrow a government, etc.)
- violence or terrorism
- membership in an organization involved in any of these
human or international rights violations, including
- war crimes
- crimes against humanity
- being a senior official in a government engaged in gross human rights violations or subject to international sanctions
committing a crime, including driving while under the influence of drugs or alcoholFootnote1
organized crime, including membership in an organization that takes part in organized criminal activity, people smuggling or money laundering
medical reasons – this includes medical conditions that:
- endanger public health
- endanger public safety or
- causes excessive demand on health or social services (some applicants are exempt)
financial reasons – if you’re unable or unwilling to support yourself and your family members
misrepresentation, which includes providing false information or withholding information directly related to decisions made under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA)
failure to comply with any provision of IRPAFootnote2 or
having an inadmissible family member.

5. Where you can live in Canada

You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information. When you fill out your profile, IRCC ask you where you plan to live in Canada. You don’t have to settle in that province or territory.

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How to Get Canada PR as skilled immigrant by Express Entry