Express Entry
What is Express Entry
Express Entry is an online system introduced on January 1, 2015, to process the following permanent residency programs:
– Federal Skilled Worker (FSW),
– Federal Skilled Trades (FST),
– Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and
– Express Entry streams of provincial nominee programs.
Foreign nationals who are eligible for any of the three federal programs may create a profile to enter the Express Entry pool. IRCC regularly issues the Invitation to Apply (ITA) to the candidates with the highest scores in the EE pool to apply for permanent residency. The average processing time for EE program applications is six months.
All three programs require candidates to intend to reside in a province other than Quebec.
Federal Skilled Worker
The minimum selection criteria for FSW include
– one-year full-time (or full-time equivalent) continuous work experience in a NOC 0, A, or B occupation within the last ten years;
– CLB 7;
– high-school education;
– 67 points out of 100 of the FSW point grid; and
– adequate settlement funds unless having a job offer and authorized to work in Canada.
Federal Skilled Trades
This program only accepts the following occupations in the NOC:
– Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades
– Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades
– Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
– Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
– Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
– Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers
The minimum selection criteria for FST (also known as FSTP, FSTC) include
– two-year full-time (or full-time equivalent) work experience in an eligible occupation within the last five years;
– CLB 5 in speaking and listening, and CLB 4 in reading and writing;
– meeting the employment requirements except for obtaining a certificate of qualification issued by a provincial authority;
– a valid job offer or having obtained a certificate of qualification;
– adequate settlement funds unless having a job offer and authorized to work in Canada.
Canada Experience Class
The minimum selection criteria for CEC include
– one-year full-time (or full-time equivalent) Canadian work experience in NOC 0, A, or B occupations within the last three years;
– CLB 7 for NOC 0 and A, CLB 5 for NOC B.