Express Entry is the fastest and most popular pathway to permanent residence for immigrants seeking a new life in Canada.
Canada welcomes around 110,000 skilled workers through the Express Entry system each year.
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What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an online system used by the Canadian government to organize and process applications for skilled workers who wish to immigrate to Canada and acquire Canadian permanent residence status. The system manages three main federal economic programs:
How can I apply for Express Entry?
Applying to Express Entry is a two-step process. The first step is to submit your profile which requires the following documents:
- Language test results
- Educational credential assessment report
- A passport or travel document
After you submit your profile and you receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence, you will need to provide a more substantial application that includes reference letters, additional identity documents, police clearance certificates, and results of a medical examination.
Who is eligible for Express Entry?
Individuals with university or college degrees, skilled work experience and moderate proficiency in English and/or French are ideal Express Entry candidates.
In order to submit a profile through the Express Entry system, candidates must also meet the eligibility requirements for one of the three federal programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
The easiest way to find out if your eligible is to use our free online assessment tool.
What are the requirements for Express Entry?
In general, to be eligible to apply to Express Entry as a skilled worker, you must:
- Have at least one year, in the last 10 years of continuous full-time (or equivalent part-time) work experience in a skilled occupation
- Be able to demonstrate on an approved language test a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) seven in either English or French
- Completed post-secondary education that is assessed against Canadian standards with an Education Credential Assessment
These are the minimum requirements to apply to Canada’s Express Entry system as a skilled worker. Meeting these requirements doesn’t mean you will receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Candidates with stronger profiles will always be selected over candidates that simply meet the minimum requirement.
How much does Express Entry cost?
The cost of immigrating to Canada through Express Entry is about $2,300 CAD for a single applicant, or about $4,500 CAD for a couple. The breakdown of costs include,
- Language tests: Average cost – $300
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): Average cost – $200
- Biometrics: $85/person
- Government fees: $1,325/adult & $225/child
- Medical examination fees: average cost – $450/adult & $250/child
- Police clearance certificates: average cost – $100/country
No government fees are required to submit your initial Express Entry profile. The fees are only requested when you are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. In addition to the government processing fees, you may also need to pay provincial immigration fees if you apply through a PNP.
You should also be aware that unless you are applying under the Canadian Experience Class program or have a valid arranged employment offer, you will need to demonstrate you have sufficient funds to support your resettlement in Canada. These settlement funds are not fees paid to the government but you must have access to them to be approved for a permanent residence visa. The amounts per family size are mentioned in the table below:
| Number of Family Members | Funds Required |
|---|---|
| 1 | $13,310 |
| 2 | $16,570 |
| 3 | $20,371 |
| 4 | $24,733 |
| 5 | $28,052 |
| 6 | $31,638 |
| 7 | $35,224 |
| For each additional family member | $3,586 |
| Required amount as of June 9, 2022 |