Express Entry

Canada’s Express Entry is not an immigration program. It’s an online management system for selection of immigration applicants used for three federal and several Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs). The system selects applicants who meet eligibility requirements and score most points based on calculation of selection factors. It is, therefore, a competitive system of selection.  

The Canadian government uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assign merit-based score/points according to an applicant’s age, education, language skills, work experience and adaptability criteria.   

About every two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducts Express Entry draws to select permanent residence applicants. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is used to rank candidates who score higher than the cut-off score. The successful candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and are required to submit an electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR) within 60 days.  

The Express Entry draws are used to select candidates in the following categories:  

• Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)  
• Federal Skilled Trades (FST)  
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC) 
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)  

The Canadian government establishes an annual quota for immigrants it plans to receive. Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2021-2023 targets welcoming 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022, and 421,000 in 2023. The new Immigration Levels Plan schedule to be announced on February 10, 2022 is expected to enhance even more the number of immigrants in Canada.