Canada Federal Express Entry

Eligibility requirements

• Federal Skilled Worker: at least one continuous year of paid qualifying TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 work within ten years, CLB 7 in all four abilities, qualifying education and at least 67 selection-factor points. Foreign education normally requires an Educational Credential Assessment.
• Canadian Experience Class: at least one year of eligible, paid and authorised Canadian skilled work within three years. Full-time student work and most self-employment are excluded. Language minimums are CLB/NCLC 7 for TEER 0–1 and 5 for TEER 2–3; there is no minimum education requirement.
• Federal Skilled Trades: normally two years of eligible trade experience within five years, relevant occupational competence, and either a qualifying one-year job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification. Language minimums are CLB/NCLC 5 for speaking/listening and 4 for reading/writing.
• Meet admissibility and family disclosure requirements and plan to settle outside Quebec. A provincial nomination carries its own provincial-intention requirements.
• Show settlement funds where required. Entry to the pool does not assure an invitation; category-based rounds add specific criteria without replacing the underlying programme tests.

Legal framework

Build the evidence

Prepare records that substantiate the relevant criteria. The final checklist depends on the applicant, route and filing authority.

• Approved language-test results and, when relevant, education credentials with an immigration-purpose ECA.
• Employer letters, pay and tax records that establish actual duties, hours, pay and dates; map duties accurately to the National Occupational Classification.
• Passports, civil-status and dependant records, police certificates and medical evidence according to the personalised application checklist.
• Bank evidence where required and any relied-on job offer, nomination or trade certificate. Maintain a claim-to-document checklist before entering the pool.

How to apply

1. 01

   Screen the underlying programme

   Compare FSW, CEC and FST requirements against the employee's record. Calculate programme eligibility and CRS separately; identify document expiry dates.

2. 02

   Create an accurate profile

   Enter verified employment, education, language and family information. Keep the profile current when circumstances change. An uninvited profile normally expires after 12 months.

3. 03

   Review each invitation

   Confirm the programme, round and any category conditions. Reconcile the claims used for selection with the documents available before accepting a filing strategy.

4. 04

   Submit the residence application

   Complete the online application within the invitation deadline, upload supporting evidence, pay applicable fees and respond to requests. An invitation is not a final approval.

5. 05

   Coordinate the transition

   Follow IRCC's confirmation and landing instructions if approved. Keep a separate work-authorisation plan until permanent residence is actually obtained.

After approval & family planning

• Eligible accompanying family members are assessed as part of the residence process; disclose non-accompanying family members as required.
• Permanent residents must comply with the ongoing residency obligation. Citizenship has separate physical-presence and other requirements.
• An Express Entry profile or pending residence application alone does not authorise work or extend temporary status.

Frequently asked questions

Points to consider

• Recheck the scheduled November 2026 reform and the live invitation instructions before submission. Do not reuse outdated job-offer point assumptions.
• Forecasts of future draw scores cannot establish entitlement to an invitation.