Express Entry
/Express Entry/
Introduction:
Express Entry is Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) system for managing the intake of economic immigration applications submitted on or after January 1, 2015, for the three classes:
- Federal skilled worker class (FSWC)
- Federal skilled trades class (FSTC)
- Canadian experience class (CEC)
Categories chosen for 2023
For 2023, we chose these categories:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
Applicants need to create a profile in Express Entry system, which ranks their human capital, spousal factor, adaptability, and other factors. Applicants have higher score may receive the invitation.
The Express Entry System also manages a portion of the provincial nominee class (PNC). In order to quickly select eligible applicants, some provinces have added some immigration streams under their provincial nomination class to the system. In addition to going through the provincial nomination process, it also needs to be screened by the Express Entry system to achieve the goal of rapid immigration, such as EEBC-Skilled Worker, EEBC-International Graduate, OINP-EE Human Capital Priorities Stream, French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream and Skilled Trades Stream. In November 2016, the Canadian government tweaked Express Entry to give bonus points to international graduates.
Immigration Process under Express Entry System:
- Prepare application supporting documents (It usually takes one to two months for language exam preparation, get your foreign credentials assessed according to Canadian standards)
- Create and Complete an online Express Entry profile
- Wait for invitation in EE pool (invite regularly every month; candidates in the Express Entry pool who do not receive an Invitation to Apply for PR in Canada after 12 months may resubmit their profile and re-enter the pool)
- Receive an Invitation to Apply
- Submit completed application package in 60 days for Canadian permanent residence
- IRCC will debit the processing fee, review all documents and transfer the responsible visa office、background check、 physical examination check etc. IRCC will prove or refuse the application within six months
Canadian Experience Class:
The CEC provides international students and foreign workers who have Canadian experience with the opportunity to obtain permanent residence. Candidates must have obtained at least one year of skilled, professional, or technical work experience in Canada within 3 years of the application date and also meet language proficiency criteria.
Federal Skilled Trades Program:
The FSTP is available to candidates who want to become permanent residents on the basis of qualifying for a skilled trade. Eligibility criteria include having a minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the 5-year period of submitting an application; meet the job requirements of the skilled trade; have a full-time job offer in Canada for a period of at least 1 year or possess a certificate of qualification in the skilled trade that has been provided by an official Canadian authority; and meet language proficiency criteria.
Federal Skilled Worker Program:
The FSWP is Canada’s primary economic immigration pathway. The minimum requirements include at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B; validated intermediate or better language ability in English or French; for candidates educated outside of Canada, an educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report. In addition to meeting the FSWP’s minimum work, language ability, and education requirements, candidates must also obtain at least 67 points under its points grid.
Six selection factors – Federal Skilled Worker Program (Express Entry)：
| 1. Language skills （English/French） You must get a minimum level of CLB 7 or NCLC 7 for 1 official language in all 4 language areas. To get points for the second official language, you must meet the minimum level of CLB 5 or NCLC 5 in all 4 language areas. | Maximum 28 points |
| first official language CLB level 9 or higher | 6/ability |
| first official language CLB level 8 | 5/ability |
| first official language CLB level 7 | 4/ability |
| second official language CLB5 | 1/ability |
| 2. Education If you have foreign education, you must have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report 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 | Maximum 25 points |
| University-level credential at the doctoral level | 25 |
| University-level credential at the master’s level or an entry-to-practice professional degree; or Entry-to-practice professional degrees | 23 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials (three-year or longer post-secondary credential required) | 22 |
| Three-year or longer post-secondary credential | 21 |
| Two-year post-secondary credential | 19 |
| One-year post-secondary credential | 15 |
| Secondary school | 5 |
| 3. Work experience You can get points for the number of years you’ve spent doing full-time paid work (at least 30 hours per week, or an equal amount of part-time [15 hours per week for 24 months]) at skill type 0, or skill levels A or B of the 2016 National Occupational Classification. | Maximum 15 points |
| 6 or more years | 15 |
| 4-5 years | 13 |
| 2-3 years | 11 |
| 1 year | 9 |
| 4. Age | Maximum 12 points |
| 18-35 | 12 |
| 36 | 11 |
| 37 | 10 |
| 38 | 9 |
| 39 | 8 |
| 40 | 7 |
| 41 | 6 |
| 42 | 5 |
| 43 | 4 |
| 44 | 3 |
| 45 | 2 |
| 46 | 1 |
| 5. Arranged employment in Canada You can get points if you have a job offer of at least 1 year from a Canadian employer. You must get the job offer before you apply to come to Canada as a Federal Skilled Worker. | Maximum 10 points |
| A valid job offer has to be: for continuous, paid, full-time work (minimum of 30 hours/week) that is not seasonal, for at least 1 year, and in an occupation listed as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NOC. | 10 |
| 6. Adaptability | Maximum 10 points |
| You did at least 1 year of full-time work in Canada: In a job listed in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). And, with a valid work permit, or while authorized to work in Canada. | 10 |
| You completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study (in a program at least 2 years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week. You must have stayed in good academic standing (as set out by the school) during that time. | 5 |
| You earned points for having arranged employment. | 5 |
| You, or your spouse or common-law partner, have a relative who is: living in Canada, 18 years or older and, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. This relative must be a: parent/ grandparent/ child/ grandchild your or your spouse’s sibling (child of your or your spouse’s parent)/ your or your spouse’s aunt or uncle (by blood or marriage)/ your or your spouse’s niece or nephew (grandchild of your or your spouse’s parent). | 5 |
| Your spouse or common-law partner completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study (in a program at least 2 years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Canada. Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week, and your spouse or partner must have stayed in good academic standing (as set out by the school) during that time. | 5 |
| Your spouse or partner did at least 1 year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit or while authorized to work in Canada. | 5 |
| Your spouse or common-law partner has a language level in either English or French at CLB 4 level or higher in all 4 language abilities (speaking, listening, reading and writing). | 5 |
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Criteria – Express Entry
Introduction:
The Comprehensive Ranking System ranks eligible candidates for immigration to Canada through Express Entry. There is a total of 1,200 points available under the Comprehensive Ranking System.
Click for evaluation on official website
The CRS is a points-based system that IRCC use to assess and score the profile and rank it in the Express Entry pool. It’s used to assess the candidate:
- Education
- Language ability
- Work experience
- Skills
- Transferability
Comprehensive Ranking System Points Breakdown:
Core Human Capital Factors: Age、Level of education、Language ability、Canadian work experience
| Age (in years) | With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 100) | Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 110) |
| under 18 | 0 points | 0 points |
| 18 | 90 | 99 |
| 19 | 95 | 105 |
| 20-29 | 100 | 110 |
| 30 | 95 | 105 |
| 31 | 90 | 99 |
| 32 | 85 | 94 |
| 33 | 80 | 88 |
| 34 | 75 | 83 |
| 35 | 70 | 77 |
| 36 | 65 | 72 |
| 37 | 60 | 66 |
| 38 | 55 | 61 |
| 39 | 50 | 55 |
| 40 | 45 | 50 |
| 41 | 35 | 39 |
| 42 | 25 | 28 |
| 43 | 15 | 17 |
| 44 | 5 | 6 |
| 45 or older | 0 | 0 |
| Level of education | With an accompanying spouse(maximum points available: 140 ) | Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 150) |
| Less than secondary (high school) | 0 points | 0 points |
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | 28 | 30 |
| One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 84 | 90 |
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 91 | 98 |
| Bachelor’s degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 112 | 120 |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 119 | 128 |
| Master’s degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree,” the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) | 126 | 135 |
| Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.) | 140 | 150 |
First Language Ability (English or French)
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 128) | Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 136) |
| CLB 3 or lower | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 4 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 5 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 6 | 8 | 9 |
| CLB 7 | 16 | 17 |
| CLB 8 | 22 | 23 |
| CLB 9 | 29 | 31 |
| CLB 10 or higher | 32 | 34 |
Points in the chart above are for each language ability: speaking, writing, reading and listening, respectively.
Second Language Ability (English or French)
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) | With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 22) | Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 24) |
| CLB 4 or lower | 0 | 0 |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 | 1 |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 | 3 |
| CLB 9 or higher | 6 | 6 |
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 |
Test d’évaluation de français pour le Canada (TEF Canada) Test score equivalency chart
| CLB Level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
| 10 | 263-300 | 393-450 | 316-360 | 393-450 |
| 9 | 248-262 | 371-392 | 298-315 | 371-392 |
| 8 | 233-247 | 349-370 | 280-297 | 349-370 |
| 7 | 207-232 | 310-348 | 249-279 | 310-348 |
| 6 | 181-206 | 271-309 | 217-248 | 271-309 |
| 5 | 151-180 | 226-270 | 181-216 | 226-270 |
| 4 | 121-150 | 181-225 | 145-180 | 181-225 |
Canadian Work Experience
| Number of years | With an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 70) | Without an accompanying spouse (maximum points available: 80) |
| Less than 1 | 0 points | 0 points |
| 1 year | 35 | 40 |
| 2 years | 46 | 53 |
| 3 years | 56 | 64 |
| 4 years | 63 | 72 |
| 5 years or more | 70 | 80 |
Spouse or Common-Law Factors
| Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education | maximum points available: 10 |
| Less than secondary school (high school) | 0 |
| Secondary school (high school graduation) | 2 |
| One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 6 |
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institute | 7 |
| Bachelor’s degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 8 |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 9 |
| Master’s degree, or professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree”, the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) | 10 |
| Doctoral level university degree (PhD) | 10 |
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s official languages proficiency- first official language
| Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening ) | maximum points available: 20 |
| CLB 4 or less | 0 |
| CLB 5 or 6 | 1 |
| CLB 7 or 8 | 3 |
| CLB 9 or more | 5 |
Spouse’s or common-law partner’ Canadian work experience
| Spouse’s Canadian work experience | maximum points available: 10 |
| None or less than a year | 0 |
| 1 year | 5 |
| 2 years | 7 |
| 3 years | 8 |
| 4 years | 9 |
| 5 years or more | 10 |
Skill Transferability factors (Maximum 100 points for this section)
Education and language proficiency
| With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher) and a post-secondary degree | Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9 | Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities |
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 25 | 50 |
Education and Canadian work experience
| With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree | Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience | Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience |
| Secondary school (high school) credential or less | 0 | 0 |
| Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer | 13 | 25 |
| Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer | 25 | 50 |
Foreign work experience and language proficiency
| Years of experience | Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9 | Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities |
| No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
Foreign work experience and Canadian work experience
| Years of experience | Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience | Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience |
| No foreign work experience | 0 | 0 |
| 1 or 2 years of foreign work experience | 13 | 25 |
| 3 years or more of foreign work experience | 25 | 50 |
Trade certificate and Language Proficiency
| Certificate of qualification (trade occupations) – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 5 or higher) | Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 7 | Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities |
| With a certificate of qualification | 25 | 50 |
Additional points
| Factor | Points |
| Brother or sister living in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada | 15 |
| Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 4 or lower in English (or didn’t take an English test) | 25 |
| Scored NCLC 7 or higher on all four French language skills and scored CLB 5 or higher on all four English skills | 50 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada – credential of one or two years | 15 |
| Post-secondary education in Canada – credential three years or longer | 30 |
| Arranged employment – NOC 00 | 200 |
| Arranged employment – any other NOC 0, A or B | 50 |
| Provincial or territorial nomination | 600 |
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