Express Entry

Minimum Eligibility Criteria

Foreign nationals may begin the process of immigration under the Federal Skilled Worker Program if they meet the minimum requirements of the program. The minimum requirements are:

• One year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation classified under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B;
• Validated language ability equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or French across all abilities (reading, writing, listening, and speaking); and
• Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) or foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report.

IRCC determines candidates’ eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program based on its unique points grid. However, only the highest-ranked candidates in the Express Entry pool are issued invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence. 

Candidate profiles in the Express Entry pool, which also includes Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class candidates, are ranked based on the CRS. 

In order to be eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, potential candidates must meet the minimum requirements for work, language ability, education and obtain at least 67 points under the program’s 100-point grid. The program’s selection factors grid assesses candidates based on factors that include age, education, work experience, arranged employment, language ability and adaptability.