Express Entry is an electronic management application system for immigration to Canada. It is not an immigration program. Rather, it facilitates the selection and processing of Canada’s economic immigration programs:
- the Federal Skilled Worker Class (formerly the Federal Skilled Worker Program)
- the Federal Skilled Trades Class (formerly the Federal Skilled Trades Program)
- the Canadian Experience Class, and
- a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs.
Applicants make an "expression of interest" (EOI) in immigrating to Canada and, if they are eligible for at least one of the aforementioned programs, they then enter the Express Entry pool. The federal government and provincial governments, as well as Canadian employers, are then able to select candidates from this pool who will then receive an Invitation To Apply (ITA) for immigration to Canada under one of the programs. Express Entry moves Canada from a first come, first served (or supply-driven) system to an invitation to apply (or demand-driven) system. Modeled on similar systems in use in Australia and New Zealand, Express Entry aims to fast track the processing of skilled immigrants deemed most likely to succeed in Canada.
The Express Entry system applies to the following Canadian economic immigration programs:
- the Federal Skilled Worker Class,
- the Federal Skilled Trades Class,
- the Canadian Experience Class, and
- a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs.
Provinces and territories are able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry system for a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs in order to meet local labor market needs.
Potential candidates make an expression of interest (EOI) in coming to Canada by creating an Express Entry profile and providing information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other personal information. This profile is self-declared; that is to say that the material provided by the potential candidate is based on his or her own assessment of his or her personal information.
Potential candidates who create an Express Entry profile and are eligible for one of Canada’s economic immigration programs enter the Express Entry pool. These programs are the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class, the Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs. The federal government and provincial governments, as well as Canadian employers, are able to select candidates from this pool. Candidates who are selected then receive an ‘Invitation to Apply’ (ITA) for immigration to Canada under one of the programs.
An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is offered to any candidate in the Express Entry pool who has been selected to apply for immigration to Canada by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). A candidate who receives an ITA will have meet the requirements in one of IRCC’s draws from the pool. This includes meeting the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off threshold for that draw.
Yes, all candidates need to take a language test in order to determine their language abilities. There are a set number of points available for language ability for each of the economic immigration programs that come under Express Entry, and ability must be proven by candidates taking a standardized language test approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC, formerly known as CIC). The most popular are IELTS for English and TEF for French.
As part of their Express Entry profile, candidates must submit valid language test results obtained in the past two years. Once a candidate enters the Express Entry pool, he or she can earn extra points and increase his or her rank by taking another language test and obtaining better results. As of June 6, 2017, additional points are also available to candidates who prove French language ability in addition to English language ability. Candidates can practice IELTS before taking the test.