Direct or Express Immigration
Express Entry is an online system that we use to manage immigration applications from skilled workers.
There are 3 immigration programs managssed through Express Entry:
Canadian Experience Class
Minimum requirements
You must
- meet the required language levels needed for your job for each language ability
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
- have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada, in the last 3 years before you apply—you can meet this in a few different ways:
- full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)
- equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement.
- full-time work at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- have gained your work experience by working in Canada while under temporary resident status with authorization to work
How we calculate work experience
Your skilled work experience must be paid work including paid wages or earned commission. We don’t count volunteer work or unpaid internships.
For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than 1 part-time job to get the hours you need to apply.
We don’t count any hours you work above 30 hours/week.
You’re not eligible for the Canadian Experience Class if
- you’re a refugee claimant in Canada
- you’re working without authorization
- your work experience was gained without temporary resident status in Canada
According to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC), skilled work experience means work experienced gained in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 job categories. Your work experience can be in 1 or more of these categories.
You must show that you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.
See Official Website to Continue Reading
Federal Skilled Worker Program
Minimum requirements
This program has minimum requirements for:
- skilled work experience
- language ability
- education
You must meet all the minimum requirements to be eligible.
If you meet all the minimum requirements, we’ll assess your application based on additional selection factors.
Skilled work experience
Skilled work experience means that you’ve worked in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER categories:
- TEER 0
- TEER 1
- TEER 2
- TEER 3
You must show that while working in your primary occupation, you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.
Your skilled work experience must be
- in the same type of job (have the same NOC) as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)
- within the last 10 years
- paid work (have been paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count)
- at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week)—you can meet this in a few different ways:
- full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)
- equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement
- full-time at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
Part-time work experience
Your skilled work experience must be paid work including paid wages or earned commission. We don’t count volunteer work or unpaid internships.
For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours/week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. You can work more than 1 part-time job to get the hours you need to apply.
We don’t count any hours you work above 30 hours/week.
Student work experience
Work experience gained while you were studying may count towards your minimum requirements if the work:
- was paid by wages or commissions
- was continuous (no gaps in employment), and
- meets all the other requirements of the Program
Language ability
You must:
- take approved language tests in English or French for:
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
- get a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all 4 abilities
- enter the test results in your Express Entry profile
Your language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence.
Education
If you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
If you have foreign education, you must have:
- a completed credential, and
- an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
Selection factors
If you meet all the minimum requirements, we’ll assess your eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program based on:
- age
- education
- work experience
- whether you have a valid job offer
- English or French language skills
- adaptability (how well you’re likely to settle here)
Based on how well you do in each of the 6 factors, we’ll assign you an overall score out of 100.
The current pass mark is 67 points.
See Official Website to Continue Application
Federal Skilled Trades Program
Minimum requirements
To be eligible, you must
- meet the required language levels for each language ability
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
- have at least 2 years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the 5 years before you apply
- your work experience must be for paid work (paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count)
- meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification
- have a
- valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least 1 year or
- certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority
Skilled work experience
Skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):
- Major Group 72, technical trades and transportation officers and controllers
- excluding Sub-Major Group 726, transportation officers and controllers
- Major Group 73, general trades
- Major Group 82, supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production
- Major Group 83, occupations in natural resources and related production
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors, and utilities operators and controllers
- Major Group 93, central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors, excluding Sub-Major Group 932, aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
- Minor Group 6320, cooks, butchers and bakers
- Unit Group 62200, chefs
You must show that you performed the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.
If you don’t show that your experience meets the description in the NOC, we’ll refuse your application.
Find the NOC code, title and for your job.
The work experience only counts after you qualified to independently practice the occupation.
Education
There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But, if you want to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool, there are 2 ways you can do this.
- If you went to school in Canada, you can get points for a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
or
- If you have foreign education, you can get points for a completed educational credential, if you have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution
Language ability
You must
- meet the minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for speaking and listening, and Canadian Language Benchmark 4 for reading and writing
- take approved language tests for
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
- enter the test results in your Express Entry profile
Your language tests are valid for 2 years after the date of the test result. They must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence.