Information for immigrants

Information for immigrants (Express Entry)

On January 1, 2015, completing an Express Entry profile will be the first step in immigrating to Canada permanently as a skilled worker under the:
Under the Express Entry system, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will invite people to apply for permanent residence based on the information they enter in an online profile. You cannot apply directly to any of these programs unless CIC sends you an invitation to apply (ITA).
If you are planning to apply to one of these programs after December 31, 2014, you can learn more about how Express Entry works.

Getting ready to complete your Express Entry profile:

1) You will need to take a language test. CIC will use your test results to see whether you are eligible to immigrate to Canada under one of the federal programs that are part of Express Entry.
2) If you were educated outside Canada, you may need to have your educational credentials (your foreign degree, diploma or certificate) assessed against Canadian standards.
You may not need an assessment if:
  • you have at least one year of recent work experience in Canada, or
  • your work experience is in a skilled trade (skilled manual work).
Note: Even if you don’t think you need to have your foreign education assessed to be eligible under Express Entry, you may want to do so to increase your chances of being invited to apply.
3) You need to know the skill type of the job your work experience is in (as well as the job you plan to have in Canada, if they are different). You will use Canada’s job classification system (the National Occupational Classification, or NOC) to find out whether your work experience is valid under one of the three federal programs.

Entry criteria and the Comprehensive Ranking System

The Express Entry system will create a pool of candidates for immigration to Canada. We will assess candidates based on a number of criteria, and will invite the highest-ranked to apply to immigrate to Canada.
There are requirements not only to get into the pool, but also to be chosen from it.

To find your job title, code and skill type

Go to the NOC's website and
  1. Search your job title.
  2. Find the closest match in the list.
  3. Make sure the main duties listed match what you did at your job (if they don’t you will need to find a different job title with duties that match yours).
  4. Write down the numeric code and job title (example: 7253 Gas fitters).
  5. Write down the skill level or type according to the lists below.
    • If your four-digit code begins with "0" (example: 0211), your job is NOC Skill Type 0.
    • If your four-digit code begins with any of these: 11, 21, 30, 31, 40, 41, or 51, your job is NOC Skill Level A.
    • If your four-digit code begins with any of these: 12, 13, 22, 32, 42, 43, 52, 62, 63,72, 73, 82 or 92, your job is NOC Skill Level B.
This job code is referred to as your "NOC code" in the Express Entry profile.

If you apply before January 1, 2015:

We will process your application under the rules in place at the time you applied.
Find out how long it will take for CIC to process your application.
Additional resources:

Information for Employers

Hire permanent workers

In January 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will launch a new electronic system called Express Entry. It will be used to manage applications in these economic immigration programs:
Foreign workers will be able to use our online tool, Come to Canada, to see if they meet the criteria to get into the Express Entry pool.
If you are a Canadian employer, you can hire Express Entry candidates to meet your labour needs when you are not able to find Canadians or permanent residents to fill job vacancies. You will be able to use the same recruiting and hiring practices you use now.
You will also have access to candidates through private sector job boards and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in some cases. In addition, later in 2015, Job Bank will introduce a matching function to connect eligible employers with Express Entry candidates.
If your business is outside Quebec, CIC's new Employer Liaison Network (ELN) can provide guidance on how to use Express Entry efficiently. ELN officers will be located across Canada.

Choose Canada

Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, with clean and friendly cities, world-class universities, and business and job opportunities. Canada has led all G-7 countries in economic growth from 2003-2012Footnote1, and has the second highest standard of living in the G-20, as measured by GDP per capita.

Strong and stable economy

Canada has a great job market and plenty of opportunities for skilled workers like you. We have a strong economy that is poised to keep growing. Employment levels are high and our low annual inflation rate means that it's relatively affordable for you and your family.
We are leaders in research and innovation and also support businesses and entrepreneurs through low taxes and other incentives. All in all, Canada is a great place to work and do business.
Read more about our Strong and stable economy.

High quality of life

If you come to Canada as a skilled immigrant, you and your family will benefit from world-class education and high quality of life.
Canada is a diverse and multicultural country with plenty of support to help you and your family achieve success when you arrive in Canada.
Freedom is the foundation of Canadian life. We are a peaceful nation with low crime rates. We promote equal opportunity for all, in all areas of life.
Read more about our High quality of life.

How Express Entry works

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 assess them.
Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs listed above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.
Anyone who does not already have a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (if you need one), or a nomination from a province or territory, must register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. Job Bank will help connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in Canada.
Candidates are also encouraged to promote themselves to employers in other ways, such as using job boards, recruiters etc.
In most cases when there is a job being offered to a candidate, employers will need an LMIA from ESDC. The LMIA process ensures employers have made an effort to hire Canadians for available jobs. There will be no LMIA fee for permanent resident applications.
Note: Entry into the Express Entry pool does not guarantee a candidate will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Invited candidates still have to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).

Step 2) The highest-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. 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 a 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.

Canada Express Entry 2015

In January 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will launch a new electronic system called Express Entry to manage applications for permanent residence under certain economic immigration programs.

The Express Entry system will be the first step to immigrate to Canada under these programs. Potential candidates will be able to complete an Express Entry profile at any time once the system is online. Note that there will be no deadline to complete a profile and there will be no caps on the number of candidates that will be accepted to the pool.

Anyone who is accepted into the Express Entry pool could get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence. Draws to invite candidates to apply are expected to take place at regular intervals over the course of each year. We will only pick the top ranking candidates regardless of when they were accepted into the pool. If you have been invited to apply, you will have 60 days to submit a complete Application for Permanent Residence online.

Express Entry will launch at 12 noon EST January 1st, 2015. The first draw for an invitation to apply is planned for the last week of January.
How Express Entry works
Find out how the system works, how the Comprehensive Ranking System is used and how a candidate can be invited to apply for permanent residence.
Choose Canada
Discover how you and your family can benefit from Canada’s strong and stable economy and high standard of living.
Information for employers
With Express Entry, you can fill labour market shortages permanently with skilled foreign nationals. Let us tell you how.
Information for immigrants
Get ready for the launch of Express Entry in January 2015. Learn about what you will need to complete your profile.


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