Express Entry, in Plain English — How It Works

Express Entry is Canada’s main way to bring in skilled workers. It is not one program. It is a system that runs three programs at the same time:

• FSW — Federal Skilled Worker. For people with foreign skilled work experience.
• CEC — Canadian Experience Class. For people with 1+ year of skilled work inside Canada.
• FSTP — Federal Skilled Trades Program. For people in trades (plumbers, electricians, welders, chefs, etc.).

You only need to qualify for one of these three to get into the Express Entry pool.

Think of Express Entry as a waiting room. You make a profile. The government scores you on a 1,200-point scale called CRS (we will explain that next). Your score puts you somewhere in the room.

Every 2–3 weeks, the government holds a “draw.” They invite everyone above a certain score that day. That score is called the cutoff.

If your score is above the cutoff, you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA). You have 60 days to send your full application. After that, IRCC (Canada’s immigration department) currently estimates about 7 months to approve or reject you. This number changes often — check IRCC’s processing-times page for today’s figure.

If your score is below the cutoff, you stay in the pool. Profiles last 12 months. After that, you have to make a new one.

CRS stands for Comprehensive Ranking System. It is a 1,200-point score. The higher, the better.

Points come from things you can change and things you cannot:

• Age (12-110 points; best between 20-29).
• Education (up to 150 points; PhD is highest).
• Language test scores (up to 160 for one language, more if you have French + English).
• Work experience (up to 80 points outside Canada, more for inside Canada).
• Spouse factors (if you have one and they accompany you).
• Canadian study or work history (big bonuses).
• A provincial nomination (a flat 600 points — for most candidates this is enough to clear the cutoff in the next general draw).

Note on job offers (changed Nov 2024). Canada used to award 50 or 200 extra CRS points for a qualifying Canadian job offer. IRCC removed those points in November 2024 — a job offer no longer adds CRS points. It still matters indirectly, because it can unlock a provincial nominee program or strengthen a specific PNP application.

Most invited candidates score between 480 and 540. Some category-based draws (healthcare, STEM, trades, French) invite people with scores in the 400-470 range.

The cutoff changes every draw. In 2024-2025, regular draws cut at 480-540. Category-based draws cut at 410-470.

Here is a rough guide:

• 500+ — You will likely get invited in a few months.
• 450-500 — You need a category-based draw, or a small boost (better language test, job offer, PNP).
• 400-450 — Hard to win on Express Entry alone. PNPs or improving your profile is the better path.
• Under 400 — Express Entry probably will not work for you right now. Look at PNPs, study in Canada, or improving your profile.

Our free tool calculates your CRS and tells you which lever (language, work, PNP) gives you the biggest boost.

You need three things to enter:

1. A valid language test taken in the last 2 years. IELTS, CELPIP, or PTE for English. TEF or TCF for French.

2. An ECA (Educational Credential Assessment) if your degree is from outside Canada. WES is the most common provider. Takes 4–10 weeks.

3. At least 1 year of full-time skilled work experience (TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3) in the last 10 years.

If you have all three, you can make an Express Entry profile online for free. The profile takes about 30-60 minutes.

In 2023, Canada added “category-based draws.” These invite people with specific skills even if their CRS is lower. As of 2025, the categories are:

• Healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, etc.).
• STEM workers (some engineers, some IT roles).
• Trades workers.
• Transport workers.
• Agriculture and agri-food.
• Strong French speakers (CLB 7+ in French).
• Education workers (newer, narrower).

If you fit one of these, you can get invited with a score 50-100 points below the regular cutoff. The French category in particular has been inviting people in the 400s.

Almost every score can be improved. In order of biggest gain:

• Get a provincial nomination. Adds 600 points — usually enough to clear the next general draw cutoff.
• Improve your language test. Going from CLB 7 to CLB 9 is worth 50-100 points.
• Get 1 year of Canadian work. Unlocks CEC and adds big points.
• Take a French test. Even modest French (CLB 5+) adds points.
• Get a job offer. A Canadian job offer no longer adds CRS points directly (IRCC removed those points in Nov 2024), but it can unlock a provincial nominee program — and a PNP nomination still adds 600 points.

The right lever depends on your profile. Our paid report runs the math for each option and tells you which one gives the biggest gain for you.