Canadian Experience Class
For people who already have skilled work experience in Canada.
- 1+ year of skilled work in Canada in the last 3 years
- Language: CLB 7 (TEER 0/1) or CLB 5 (TEER 2/3)
- No proof of funds needed
- Often the fastest route
New rule
Employer-specific work permit? Since 17 September 2026 IRCC applies four genuineness tests to every job offer, LMIA or not.
Check your offerLatest round Oct 1, 2026 · Trades · CRS 476
Express Entry,without the guesswork.
Set four dials and watch your CRS land on the same ruler as the real cut-offs. Then refine it, find your category round, and let a licensed RCIC check it before anything is filed.
300350400450500550600650700750800 382French · Aug 19389Senior managers · Sep 16475Healthcare · Sep 4476Trades · Oct 1518CEC · Sep 29725PNP · Sep 28 You · —
Your estimated CRS
Single applicant, no job offer, no nomination. Refine everything in the full calculator.Every round, live
01 · The system
One pool, three ways in.
Express Entry runs three federal programs. Qualify for one, enter a single pool, and get ranked by CRS. IRCC overview ↗
Federal Skilled Worker
For skilled workers whose experience is mostly outside Canada.
- 1+ year of continuous skilled work
- Language test at CLB 7 minimum
- Pass the 67-point FSW grid
- Proof of settlement funds required
Federal Skilled Trades
For qualified tradespeople.
- 2+ years of experience in a skilled trade
- Language: CLB 5 speaking and listening, CLB 4 reading and writing
- A job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification
- Proof of settlement funds required
Before you enrol
Studying while you work can quietly break your Canadian Experience Class claim.
Since 4 September 2026, anyone holding a valid work permit may take a course of six months or less without a study permit. It is a genuinely useful measure, but if you study full time under it, the work you do during those studies will not count towards the Canadian Experience Class.
Nothing goes wrong at the time. The gap only appears later, when you count your twelve qualifying months and find that a stretch of them does not count. If you are inside a year of your CEC threshold, settle the shape of your enrolment first. Read the full breakdown
02 · CRS calculator
Your CRS, step by step.
Four short steps, plain questions. Your score updates with every answer and is checked against the latest real rounds. IRCC CRS criteria ↗
03 · Category-based selection
Find your category round.
Category rounds invite people with experience in specific occupations, often at a lower cut-off. Pick a category, then your NOC. IRCC categories ↗
Eligible occupations
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Selected—
04 · Step by step
From profile to PR card.
- Step 01
Confirm eligibility & prepare
Language test (IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF or TCF) and an ECA for education outside Canada. We confirm your NOC/TEER and program first.
1–3 months - Step 02
Create your profile
You enter the pool with a CRS score. The profile stays valid for 12 months while you wait for a round.
Valid 12 months - Step 03
Receive an Invitation to Apply
When a round’s cut-off is at or below your CRS, general or category-based, you are invited.
Rounds most weeks - Step 04
Submit your eAPR
The full permanent-residence application with every document, due within 60 days of the ITA. This is where files succeed or fail.
60-day deadline - Step 05
Processing & landing
IRCC requests biometrics and a medical, reviews the file, then issues your Confirmation of PR.
About 6 months
05 · Be ready
What you’ll need.
Getting these right, especially work-reference letters that match your NOC, is where most files are won or lost.
Documents
- 01Valid passport for you and each family member
- 02Language results: IELTS, CELPIP or PTE Core (English), TEF or TCF (French)
- 03ECA report for education completed outside Canada
- 04Work reference letters: duties, dates, hours, matching your NOC
- 05Proof of funds (FSW/FST; not CEC or with a valid job offer)
- 06Provincial nomination letter, if you have one (+600 CRS)
- 07Police certificates for each country you have lived in
- 08Medical exam by a panel physician
- 09Digital photo and biometrics
Costs to plan for
IRCC application + right-of-PR feeGovernment
BiometricsGovernment
Language testTest centre
ECA (education assessment)Assessor
Medical examPanel clinic
Police certificatesPer country
Proof of settlement fundsHeld, not paid
Government fees and settlement-fund amounts are set by IRCC and change periodically. We give you the current figures for your exact family size during your assessment.
Check the three requirements that decide most files.
06 · Consultation
A calculator is good. A licensed opinion is better.
Tell us your goal. A licensed RCIC reviews your situation and replies with clear next steps, plus the consultation fee and available times.
- Confirm your program and NOC/TEER
- An honest read on your real CRS
- A plan: general, category or PNP
- Documents that stand up to IRCC
What’s your goal?
Preferred contact
By submitting you agree to be contacted about your enquiry. We attach your CRS estimate and selected NOC automatically if you used the tools above. .
Explore
Other routes to PR.
How does Express Entry actually work?
You create a profile, are ranked against everyone else by the Comprehensive Ranking System, and IRCC invites the highest-scoring candidates in periodic rounds. Being in the pool is not an application — the invitation is what lets you apply for permanent residence.
What are category-based draws?
Alongside general and program rounds, IRCC invites candidates in targeted categories. For 2026 these are healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education, and strong French, plus five categories added for 2026: transport; physicians, senior managers and researchers — each requiring Canadian work experience — and skilled military recruits. Minimum work experience for the renewed categories also rose from six months to one year. A category draw can invite at a far lower score than a general round, so which categories are running materially changes your odds.
Can a nurse trained abroad immigrate through Express Entry?
Yes. Nurses are invited through the healthcare and social services category. You need at least 12 months of full-time nursing experience (or the part-time equivalent) in the last three years, from any country, plus an education assessment and an approved language test. The nursing codes in the category are 31301 (registered nurses), 32101 (licensed practical nurses), 31300 (nursing supervisors) and 31302 (nurse practitioners). Read our guide for nurses →
Do nurses need a Canadian nursing licence before applying for permanent residence?
No. Express Entry looks at your nursing experience and your assessed education, not at Canadian registration or an NCLEX pass. Registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario comes after you become a permanent resident, because the College requires Canadian status before it can register you. How registration works in Ontario →
How do I raise my CRS score?
In rough order of leverage: a provincial nomination (600 points), language retesting to reach CLB 9 or higher, adding Canadian work experience, a further credential, and optimising your spouse's factors. Language is usually the cheapest and fastest gain.
Do I need a job offer?
No. Many candidates are invited with no job offer at all. A nomination or a strong core profile matters far more, and arranged employment points are narrower than most applicants assume.
How long does PR take after an invitation?
Once you submit a complete application, IRCC aims to process most Express Entry PR applications within about six months. Completeness is the variable you control — incomplete files are what stretch timelines.
My profile expired or I was never invited. What now?
A profile lasts twelve months and can be recreated. The better question is why the score was not competitive, and whether a provincial stream, a study or work route, or a language retest changes the picture. Resubmitting the same profile rarely changes the outcome.