Federal Skilled Worker

Express Entry will manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

IMMIGRATION SERVICES

• Federal Skilled Worker Program,
• Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
• Canadian Experience Class.

Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry system through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet local labour market needs.

THE EXPRESS ENTRY SYSTEM HAS TWO STEPS:

STEP 1:

• Potential candidates complete an online EXPRESS ENTRY PROFILE
  Potential candidates will complete an online Express Entry profile. This is a secure form that they will use to provide information about their:
  SKILLS, WORK, EXPERIENCE, LANGUAGE ABILITY, EDUCATION, and other details that will help us and CIC assess them.
  Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs listed above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.

STEP 2:

• The high-ranking candidates in the pool will be invited to apply for permanent residence
  Candidates will be ranked against others in the pool using a point-based system called the

COMPREHENSIVE RANKING SYSTEM (CRS)

• Points are awarded using the information in their profile.

• Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply. Candidates will be awarded points for:

• A JOB OFFER, and/or

• A NOMINATION FROM PROVINCE or territory, and/or

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE FACTORS.

• A candidate can get additional points for:

• A job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or

• A nomination by a province or territory

• These additional points will make a candidate rank high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.

• If someone is invited to apply, they will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete applications (meaning those with all the necessary supporting documents) in six months or less.

• Candidates can stay in the pool for up to 12 months. If they do not get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence within 12 months of submitting an Express Entry profile, they may submit a new profile. If they still meet the criteria, they can re-enter the pool. This will prevent backlogs and ensure quick processing times.