Express Entry
IRCC invites the highest-ranked candidates in the pool to apply, in rounds. Read on IRCC’s page on November 9, 2026.
Express Entry is the online system IRCC uses to manage applications for three federal economic programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. You create a profile, IRCC ranks the pool, and you may apply for permanent residence only if you are invited.
Who is eligible
- You must meet the requirements of at least one of the three programs it manages (see the program pages linked below).
- Provincial nominees can also be invited through Express Entry; IRCC says a nomination adds 600 points to a profile.
- Ranking rules, invitation rounds and cut-off scores are set by ministerial instructions and change often — read them on IRCC’s rounds page, not from a summary.
Steps
- Check which program you qualify for and get the required language test and, if you studied abroad, an educational credential assessment.
- Create an Express Entry profile; it enters the pool and is ranked.
- If IRCC invites you, submit the full application for permanent residence within the period stated in your invitation.
- IRCC examines the application, including admissibility, and makes a decision.
Documents you’ll usually need
- Approved language test results (English or French).
- Educational credential assessment for education completed outside Canada, if you are claiming it.
- Proof of work experience (reference letters describing duties, hours and dates).
- Proof of funds, unless you are exempt (for example, under the Canadian Experience Class).
- After an invitation: police certificates, medical exam, identity documents.
What the law says
“may make an application for permanent residence only if the Minister has issued them an invitation to do so”
For classes covered by ministerial instructions, you can apply for permanent residence only once IRCC has invited you.
“The Minister may give instructions governing any matter relating to the application of this Division”
The Minister sets the Express Entry rules — which classes are covered, how profiles are submitted and ranked — by instruction, not by regulation.
“A foreign national may be selected as a member of the economic class on the basis of their ability to become economically established in Canada.”
Economic immigrants are selected on their ability to become economically established in Canada.
Official IRCC pages
Program rules not written in the statute, plus current fees and processing times, are on IRCC’s own pages:
- IRCC: Express Entry
- IRCC: Express Entry rounds of invitations (live cut-offs)
- IRCC: Provincial Nominee Program
- IRCC fee list (current fees)
- IRCC processing times (live)
Common mistakes
- Treating Express Entry as a program. It is the intake system; you must still meet one program’s requirements.
- Relying on an old cut-off score. Invitation rounds and category draws change; check the live rounds page.
- Claiming work experience your reference letters don’t support. Misstating a material fact can lead to a five-year inadmissibility for misrepresentation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Express Entry the same as permanent residence?
No. A profile is not an application. You can apply for permanent residence only after IRCC issues you an invitation (IRPA s 10.1(1)).
What CRS score do I need?
There is no fixed score in the law. Cut-offs depend on each invitation round, which IRCC publishes on its rounds-of-invitations page. We don’t quote a number because it changes.
Does a provincial nomination help?
Yes. IRCC says a provincial nomination adds 600 points to an Express Entry profile. See the Provincial Nominee Program page.
Questions answered in depth
- How long are you banned from Canada for misrepresentation — and what the Act actually says
Five years, under IRPA s 40(2)(a). When the five years start, what counts as misrepresentation, the innocent-mistake exception, and what to do next.
Policy analysis
- Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan: what changed, and what it means if you’re already here
The 2027–2029 plan holds permanent admissions at 380,000 a year and new temporary arrivals at 370,000, and adds a one-time 2027 measure for up to 200,000 people already in Canada.
Related streams
- Federal Skilled Worker Program Invitation-only
Permanent residence for skilled workers with foreign or Canadian work experience, through Express Entry.
- Canadian Experience Class Invitation-only
Permanent residence for people with at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program Invitation-only
Permanent residence for qualified tradespeople with a certificate of qualification or a job offer.
- Provincial Nominee Program Open
A province or territory nominates you for permanent residence based on its own labour needs.