General information about the Express Entry immigration system in Canada
Thinking about moving to Canada? You'll probably need to sign up for Express Entry.
Express Entry is a system for selecting skilled immigrants as permanent residents based on their ability to settle in Canada and contribute to the country's economy.
Potential candidates submit their applications online through the Express Entry system, providing evidence of their qualifications (language skills, education, profession, etc.). After completing their profile, candidates enter a pool of applicants. Winners are determined based on the number of points they score.
How Express Entry Works
To register in the Express Entry system, you must meet the requirements of one of the three federal immigration programs in Canada:
First, potential candidates fill out an online Express Entry profile. They are then awarded points according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Candidates with the highest scores enter the selection pool. Finally, an immigration draw is conducted, where applicants with the highest scores receive invitations to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
Candidate Assessment
The Comprehensive Ranking System evaluates:
- Human capital factors, including spouse factors — maximum 500 points;
- Skill transferability factors — maximum 100 points;
- Additional factors — maximum 600 points.
The maximum possible score is 1,200 points, with the minimum passing score varying from draw to draw.
Human Capital Factors and Spouse Factors
Human capital factors are scored differently for single applicants and couples. For couples, both the principal applicant and spouse are evaluated.
Maximum points for human capital factors are:
- Age — 110 points for single applicants, 100 for applicants with a spouse;
- Education — 150 points for single applicants, 140 for applicants with a spouse;
- Official language proficiency — 160 points for single applicants, 150 for applicants with a spouse;
- Canadian work experience — 80 points for single applicants, 70 for applicants with a spouse.
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Spouses of principal applicants are separately evaluated on:
- Education — maximum 10 points;
- Language proficiency — maximum 20 points;
- Canadian work experience — maximum 10 points.
Skill Transferability Factors
Up to 100 additional points can be earned for combinations of criteria. There are several types of combinations:
- Language proficiency plus education;
- Canadian work experience plus education;
- Foreign work experience plus language proficiency;
- Foreign work experience plus Canadian work experience.
Additional Factors
Additional points can be earned for having relatives in Canada, bilingualism (English and French), Canadian education, a high-skilled occupation, and a provincial nomination.
The maximum number of points (600) is awarded to candidates with a provincial nomination. Nominations are given to those who have applied through one of the Provincial Nominee Programs and received an invitation. If you have a low Express Entry score, considering provincial programs might be a good idea, as they often have lower point requirements.
Required Score
Canada periodically conducts immigration draws through Express Entry, selecting candidates with the highest scores. The minimum score varies between draws but has been quite high in recent years — over 500 points. Few manage to score that high.
The Express Entry system is quite complex, so it's easy to make mistakes when calculating scores independently.
We've developed a free Express Entry CRS calculator. You can use it to quickly estimate your score in the system.
Priority Categories
In 2025, Canada announced updated priority categories for applicants of particular interest to the country. For these categories, passing scores can be significantly lower. While general draws require over 500 points, priority applicants may need only 300-400 points. This huge difference can be decisive.
If you have a low Express Entry score but fall into one of the priority categories, you'll have a high chance of receiving an invitation for permanent residence. As of 2025, the priority categories are:
- Candidates with French language skills;
- Healthcare professionals;
- Skilled trades workers;
- Education and teaching professionals (new category for 2025);
- Agriculture and agri-food workers;
- STEM professionals (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
The first category — French-speaking candidates — requires French proficiency above intermediate level (around B2). In 2025, Canada is actively attracting French-speaking immigrants outside Quebec. Other categories require at least 6 months of work experience in the last 3 years in one of the eligible occupations. You can find the list of occupations for each category in our separate article.
An important change for 2025: Canada has placed special emphasis on attracting candidates with Canadian work experience (Canadian Experience Class), meaning more opportunities for those already in the country as temporary residents.
Express Entry Draw History
Every two weeks, several thousand lucky candidates in the Express Entry system receive invitations to apply for permanent residence in Canada. We recommend following the draw history to stay informed about changes in passing scores and the number of invitations issued.
