Let’s cut through the confusion. You know you want to immigrate to Canada, and you’ve heard “Express Entry” is the way. But between the acronyms, points, and paperwork, it can feel like an impossible maze. Where do you even start?
This guide is your map. We’ll walk through the real, chronological steps—not just what you do, but why you’re doing it and what you need to have ready. Forget the abstract theory; let’s talk about the concrete actions that take you from dreaming to landing.
This journey has three clear phases: getting ready to play the game, entering the competition, and finally, securing your spot. Here’s how it works.
Phase 1: The Preparation (The Most Important Work)
This is the phase most people rush. Don’t. Your success later depends entirely on the foundation you build here. This is where you gather your “tickets” to even enter the system.
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility & Find Your NOC
First, you need to see if you qualify. Express Entry manages three programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): For skilled professionals with foreign work experience.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): For qualified tradespeople.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): For those with skilled work experience in Canada.
Use the Government of Canada’s official eligibility tool. It will ask about your work experience, language ability, and education. This is a basic filter, not your final score.
Crucially, you need your NOC code. This is a 5-digit number that classifies your job in the Canadian system (e.g., “Software Developer” is NOC 21232). Every job you claim points for must match a NOC. Find yours on the official NOC website.
Step 2: Take a Language Test
This isn’t a suggestion; it’s law. You must take an approved language test for English (IELTS General or CELPIP) or French (TEF Canada/TCF Canada). Book this early—test dates fill up. Your score directly translates into points. Aim as high as you can; this is the biggest lever you have to pull to increase your score. The test is valid for two years, so time it wisely.
Step 3: Get Your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
If you studied outside Canada, you need to prove your degree, diploma, or certificate is valid and equal to a Canadian one. You send your transcripts to an organization like World Education Services (WES) for evaluation. This process can take months, so start it early, even while preparing for your language test.
Once you have your language test results and your ECA report in hand, you have the core components to prove your basic eligibility. Now you’re ready to move from preparation to action.
Phase 2: The Expression of Interest (Your “Profile”)
Think of this as submitting your resume to a giant, digital talent pool. You’re not applying for permanent residence yet. You’re telling Canada you’re interested and qualified.
Step 4: Create Your Online Express Entry Profile
You’ll answer questions about your age, education, work experience, and language ability on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. Be brutally accurate. Every detail here must be 100% truthful and must match your supporting documents (your test, your ECA).
When you submit, the system instantly calculates your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. This is your all-important number out of 1,200. It ranks you against everyone else in the pool. If you’re eligible, you’re now in the pool.
Step 5: Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
This is the waiting game. IRCC holds draws roughly every two weeks. They either invite the highest-scoring candidates from the general pool, or they invite candidates from specific categories (like healthcare, tech, or trades). If your CRS score is at or above the cut-off for that draw, you receive an ITA—the golden ticket.
While you wait, you can try to improve your score: retake a language test, gain more work experience, or if applicable, secure a provincial nomination (which adds 600 points).
Phase 3: The Application (Proving It All)
You got the ITA. Congratulations! Now, you have 60 calendar days to prove every single claim you made in your profile.
Step 6: Submit Your Complete Application
This is where you upload your documents. This is not the time for shortcuts. You will need:
- Police clearance certificates from every country you’ve lived in for 6+ months since age 18.
- A full medical exam by an IRCC-approved panel physician.
- Official proof of your work experience: reference letters on company letterhead detailing your duties, salary, and hours, exactly matching your NOC.
- Digital photos, passport scans, and your proof of funds (bank statements showing you have enough money to settle).
- Your language and ECA documents again.
You pay the processing fees and submit. You’ll get an “Acknowledgment of Receipt” (AOR). The 60-day clock stops, and the processing clock (typically 6+ months) starts.
Step 7: Receive Confirmation and Prepare to Land
If your application is approved, you’ll get a request to send your passport. They’ll return it with your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and a permanent resident visa (if you’re from a country that requires one).
This is it. You use these documents to “land” in Canada—either by arriving for the first time or finalizing the process at an inland office. A border services officer will greet you, ask a few questions, and sign your COPR. You are now a Canadian permanent resident.
The Mindset for Success
This process rewards the meticulous and the patient. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon of paperwork. Double-check every form. Get certified translations. Save every document.
The most common pitfalls are avoidable: misrepresenting work experience, having an incomplete proof of funds, or missing the 60-day deadline. Your job is to be so thorough that the officer reviewing your file has zero questions.
You’re not just filling out forms. You’re building a legal case for your future. Start with step one. Book that language test. Order that ECA. The door is open, but you have to walk through it, one deliberate, well-documented step at a time.
conclusion
So, here we are at the end of the roadmap. You now have the sequence: prepare, profile, prove. But the most important step isn’t listed in any government guide. It’s the decision to begin—and to begin correctly.
Immigrating through Express Entry is a peculiar kind of journey. It’s a long stretch of quiet, diligent preparation—studying for language tests, chasing down old professors for transcripts, waiting for couriers—punctuated by moments of high-stakes intensity, like receiving an ITA or submitting your final application. The process itself is a test of the very qualities Canada values: organization, perseverance, and attention to detail.
It’s easy to get lost in the points, to see your CRS score as a verdict on your worth. It’s not. It’s a ranking in a system, a snapshot of your eligibility on paper. Your real work is to make that snapshot as clear and compelling as possible. The system is a mirror; your job is to ensure it reflects your full potential without a single blur.
Frequently Asked Questions: The Express Entry Journey
Here are honest answers to the nitty-gritty questions everyone has along the way.
I’m overwhelmed. What is the absolute first thing I should do right now?
Stop planning and start acting on one item. For 95% of people, that is booking your language test. Pick a date for the IELTS (or CELPIP) exam, pay the fee, and put it on your calendar. This creates a real deadline that forces every other step into motion. You can’t calculate a score or create a profile without it. It’s the most concrete first step you can take.
How much money do I really need to have saved up?
You need to budget for two separate things:
- The Process Costs: Language tests (~$300), Educational Credential Assessment (~$200), biometrics ($85), medical exams (~$250), police certificates (varies), and government processing fees ($1,365 for a single applicant). Total can easily reach $2,500+.
- Proof of Funds/Settlement: This is the savings you must prove you have to support yourself. For 2024, a single applicant needs $14,690 CAD in liquid assets (cash, not property). This number is non-negotiable and is updated every year. You must have this in your bank account when you apply.
Can I include my partner but not have their language score hurt my points?
No, you cannot “hide” their score. If you include your spouse or common-law partner as accompanying, their language test results and education level are factored into your CRS score. If they have low language scores, it will reduce your total points. The only way to avoid this is to apply as a single applicant and sponsor them later, which means separation during processing. This is a major personal and strategic decision.
My work experience is from 7 years ago. Does it still count?
Yes, for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you can claim points for skilled work experience you had within the last 10 years. However, you must still provide a reference letter from that employer that meets all the requirements (duties, salary, hours, etc.). If the company is closed or your old manager is gone, you must provide a statutory declaration explaining this and submit any proof you have—old contracts, pay stubs, tax documents. It’s harder, but not impossible.
What happens if I get sick or have a baby during the process?
You must inform IRCC immediately of any major life change. For a serious illness, you may need a new medical exam. If you have a baby before you become a permanent resident, you must add them to your application, pay new fees, and have them undergo a medical exam. Your proof of funds requirement will also increase. You cannot land and then add the child later.
How do I get my foreign driver’s license and professional license recognized in Canada?
This is a post-ITA, settlement issue. Your Express Entry application only gets you the permanent resident visa. Licensing is provincial and handled entirely separately. For a driver’s license, you’ll exchange it or take tests based on your province’s rules. For professional licenses (engineering, nursing, accounting), you must contact the provincial regulatory body before you move. This process can take months or years and often requires upgrading courses, exams, and Canadian work experience. Start researching your profession’s requirements in your target province the day you submit your PR application.
I heard the process takes 6 months. Is that true?
It’s a half-truth. The government processing time after you submit your complete application is often around 6 months. But the total timeline from your very first step is much longer. Consider: preparing for and taking your language test (2-3 months), getting your ECA (2-4 months), waiting in the pool for an ITA (this could be weeks or over a year depending on your score), and then the 6-month processing. A realistic total timeline from decision to landing is 12 to 24 months.