Become a candidate – Skilled immigrants (Express Entry)
Updated Express Entry system:
- you can now earn points for study in Canada
- a valid job offer now only needs to be for one year, and some job offers no longer need an LMIA
- the amount of points you get for a job offer has changed.
- you now have 90 days to apply instead of 60.
Find out more about these changes and how they may affect you.
If you want to come to Canada as a skilled immigrant, your first step is to become a candidate in the Express Entry pool.
If you are eligible:
- we will place you in a pool with others who are also eligible and give you a score,
- we will then rank you using several factors, and
- if you are one of the top candidates, you will be invited to apply to be a permanent resident of Canada.
Determine your eligibility
Use the online tool, Come to Canada, to see if you meet the criteria to get into the Express Entry pool (or read about the eligibility criteria for Express Entry).
Submit your profile
If you are eligible, fill out your Express Entry profile online. You will need to create a MyCIC account to do this. It will ask you about your:
- language test scores,
- education and educational credential assessment (if you need one)
- work experience, and
- other information we need in order to assess you.
There is no cost to complete and submit an Express Entry profile.
How the pool works
If you create an Express Entry profile and you are eligible, you will be put into the Express Entry pool of candidates. Find out what happens once you are in the pool.
Understand the scoring and ranking system
Based on the information you put in your profile, you will be given a score and ranked against others in the pool.
Candidate rounds of invitations
We will regularly issue invitations to top candidates from the pool so they can apply for permanent residence.
Invitations to apply
If you get an invitation to apply, you will be able to apply for permanent residence online.
Read the guide
You can review the instruction guide for more information.