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Latest round Oct 16, 2026 · French · CRS 435

Express Entry CRS calculator, 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.

Full CRS calculator Talk to an RCIC
Your estimated CRS—

Single applicant, no job offer, no nomination. Refine everything in the full calculator.Every round, live

01 · CRS calculator

Your CRS, step by step.

Four short steps, plain questions. We first check that you qualify for an Express Entry program, then show your score line by line against the latest real rounds. IRCC CRS criteria ↗

About you
Where in Canada do you plan to live? Quebec chooses its own skilled workers, so Express Entry is for people settling in any other province or territory.
Is a spouse or partner coming with you to Canada? Answer “No” if your partner is already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
25
Your highest completed education
Where did you earn it?
Do you have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for it?An ECA shows what your foreign education is worth in Canada. It must be less than 5 years old when you create your profile and when you apply. About ECAs ↗
Language
Your English or French test result Your lowest skill decides it. IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF and TCF all convert to a CLB level. Conversion charts ↗
When did you get those test results?Results must be less than 2 years old when you create your profile and again when you apply.
Do you have French at NCLC 7 or higher in all four skills? +50 counts only when both tests are entered above and the English one is CLB 5+ in all four skills; otherwise it is +25.
Work
The skilled job you have the most experience in. Type a job title or a 5-digit NOC code and pick it from the list. Find your NOC ↗

Skilled work experience inside CanadaPaid, full-time (or the same hours part-time) in a TEER 0–3 job, in the last 10 years.
Was at least 12 months of it in the last 3 years?12 months full-time, or 1,560 hours part-time, in the 3 years before you apply.
Were you self-employed, or a full-time student, while doing that work?That work doesn’t count for Express Entry. Co-op work terms count as study.
Did you work in more than one occupation in Canada?From 3 November 2026, 12 months in a high-wage occupation adds points, and months in different occupations can be combined.
We filled in your main occupation. Change it if your work in Canada was in a different job.

Months in each occupation in CanadaFull-time months, or the same hours part-time. We use the highest high-wage level where you reach 12 months combined.

Skilled work experience outside Canada
How many years have you worked in your main occupation?Paid work in the last 10 years, in Canada or abroad, full-time or the same hours part-time. At least one year of it must be continuous.
How much of your trade work was in the last 5 years?Federal Skilled Trades asks for 2 years (3,120 hours) of full-time, or equal part-time, work in the trade.
Do you have a job offer from an employer in Canada?Paid, full-time and not seasonal, for at least one year, in writing.
The offer’s NOC sets its high-wage level. Type a job title and pick the closest match.

Is the offer backed by an LMIA, or are you already working for that employer on an LMIA-exempt permit?Until 3 November 2026 a job offer only counts toward program eligibility with one of these. From 3 November no LMIA is needed.
Are you allowed to work in Canada right now?With a valid job offer, this means you don’t need to show settlement funds.
Do you hold a Canadian certificate of qualification in a trade?Issued by a province or territory. Scored with your first-language result.
Extra points
Do you have a provincial nomination?
Did you study in Canada after high school?
Do you have a brother or sister in Canada who is a citizen or PR?
How many people are in your family?Count yourself, your spouse or partner and your dependent children, even if they won’t come with you or are already Canadian.
Can you show settlement funds of at least $15,263?Money you can use right away, such as savings and deposits, not property or borrowed money. IRCC table of July 7, 2025. Not needed for the Canadian Experience Class. Proof of funds calculator
See how we calculated this

Rules checked against IRCC on 17 Oct 2026: CRS criteria · 2026 changes · High-wage occupations · Federal Skilled Worker · Canadian Experience Class · Federal Skilled Trades · Language tests · Education assessment · Proof of funds (table of July 7, 2025).

02 · 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 ↗

A person in a red scarf walking toward a glass office tower in downtown Toronto on a sunny winter day

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
Over-the-shoulder view of a professional in a red sweater working on a laptop by a sunny window

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
A tradesperson in a red jacket measuring timber on a sunny construction site

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

New · 3 November 2026

The CRS is changing.

IRCC is reworking how Canadian work and job offers score. Every profile in the pool is recalculated when the changes take effect on 3 November 2026.

  1. A new Labour Market Integration factor

    Worth up to 150 points (140 with a spouse or partner). You score for either your Canadian work experience or a qualifying job offer, never both. The system keeps whichever is higher.

  2. High-wage Canadian experience

    Canadian work-length points stay the same (up to 80, or 70 with a spouse). On top: +70 for 12 months in an occupation paying at least 2× the average median wage, +40 at 1.5×, +20 at 1.3×. The wage test applies to the NOC occupation as a whole, not your own salary.

  3. Job offer points are back

    A valid offer in a high-wage occupation scores 100 (2× the average median wage), 70 (1.5×) or 50 (1.3×). Offers in other occupations score 0 here, but a TEER 0–3 offer can still make you eligible for FSW or FST.

  4. No LMIA needed, and an LMIA adds nothing

    An offer no longer needs an LMIA to qualify, and having one gives no extra points or priority. Officers check the offer is genuine when you apply for PR: the employer’s business, its need for the role, its compliance with employment law, and your fit for the job.

  5. A pause in invitations

    Recalculating every profile could take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds pause meanwhile. Until IRCC updates the profile form, applicants with a job offer but no LMIA are told to answer “yes” to the LMIA question and enter the placeholder values IRCC publishes.

Source: IRCC, Changes to Express Entry ↗ (updated 16 October 2026). Skill-transferability points do not change. The calculator below already includes the new factor.

03 · Category-based selection

Find your category round.

Besides general rounds, IRCC holds rounds only for people in priority occupations or with strong French. Their cut-offs are often well below the general ones, but you still need to qualify for one of the three programs first.

Category round

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Last round
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Your CRS change
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Gap
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Send category + NOC to an RCIC
Category rounds by last cut-off

Last round of each category, from IRCC’s published rounds. Tap a lane for its occupations. IRCC categories ↗

How category rounds work.

  1. You don’t apply to a category. IRCC reads the occupation and language results in your profile and finds who qualifies.
  2. You still need a program. Every category candidate must first be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
  3. The work-experience rule is 12 months. For the occupation categories you need at least 12 months of full-time work, or the same amount part-time, in the last 3 years, all in one listed occupation. It does not have to be continuous.
  4. Highest scores within the category are invited. IRCC announces its categories in advance, but not the dates of the rounds.
  5. Your NOC has to match your duties. The officer checks that your actual job duties fit the occupation you chose. A job title alone is not enough.

If you studied in Canada and work in a healthcare, trade or transport job, the same Canadian experience can count toward the Canadian Experience Class and a category, once you reach 12 months in that one occupation.

The 10 current categories
CategoryWho qualifiesExperience must be in
French-language proficiencyFrench test results of NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities (TEF Canada or TCF Canada)No work-experience requirement for the category
Healthcare and social services12 months in one listed healthcare or social services occupationCanada or abroad
Trade occupations12 months in one listed trade occupationCanada or abroad
Transport occupations12 months in one listed transport occupationCanada or abroad
Education occupations12 months in one listed education occupationCanada or abroad
STEM occupations12 months in one listed science, technology, engineering or math occupationCanada or abroad
Physicians with Canadian work experience12 months as a physician (NOC 31100, 31101 or 31102)Canada only
Senior managers with Canadian work experience12 months as a senior manager (NOC 00012 to 00015)Canada only
Researchers with Canadian work experience12 months as a researcher or professor (NOC 41200 or 41201)Canada only
Skilled military recruits10 years of continuous service in a recognized foreign military, plus a Canadian Forces job offerSet by the Canadian Forces offer

Source: IRCC, category-based selection (modified October 16, 2026), checked October 24, 2026. The chart above shows each category’s latest round.

A family walking hand in hand along a sunny Toronto park path toward the skyline, the child in a red jacket

04 · Step by step

From profile to PR card.

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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 usually come in a group about every two weeks
  4. 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
  5. Step 05

    Processing & landing

    IRCC requests biometrics and a medical, reviews the file, then issues your Confirmation of PR.

    About 6 months
A desk seen from above with a passport, a folder of papers, a red pen and a coffee

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

  1. 01Valid passport for you and each family member
  2. 02Language results: IELTS, CELPIP or PTE Core (English), TEF or TCF (French)
  3. 03ECA report for education completed outside Canada
  4. 04Work reference letters: duties, dates, hours, matching your NOC
  5. 05Proof of funds (FSW/FST; not CEC or with a valid job offer)
  6. 06Provincial nomination letter, if you have one (+600 CRS)
  7. 07Police certificates for each country you have lived in
  8. 08Medical exam by a panel physician
  9. 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.

Proof of funds How much you must show for your family size. Police certificates Which countries need one, and how to get it. Medical exam When you need it and how long it stays valid.
Toronto skyline across Lake Ontario from a ferry deck, a person in a red coat at the railing

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.

Provincial Nominee PNP streams and the 600-point boost. Work Permits LMIA and in-Canada options. Study Permits PAL/TAL, study plan, funds review. Family Sponsorship Officer-friendly packages. Citizenship Presence and filing support. Refusals & Remedies Officer notes, strategy, reapply.

Good to know

Questions, answered.

The Express Entry questions we hear most. More in the Help Centre.

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, trades, education, and strong French, plus four categories added for 2026: 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.

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.

What is changing in Express Entry on 3 November 2026?

IRCC is adding a Labour Market Integration factor worth up to 150 CRS points. You score for either your Canadian work experience, with up to 70 extra points if at least 12 months of it was in a high-wage occupation, or a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation worth 50, 70 or 100 points, whichever is higher. Job offers no longer need an LMIA. Every profile is recalculated automatically, which could take up to two weeks, and invitation rounds pause in the meantime. Candidates claiming job offer points must update their profile before 3 November.

Do I need a job offer?

No. Many candidates are invited with no job offer at all. From 3 November 2026, though, a valid offer in a high-wage occupation earns 50, 70 or 100 CRS points, with no LMIA needed. It counts instead of your Canadian work-experience points, whichever is higher, so it helps most if you have little Canadian experience.

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.

Next on your path

Keep your file moving.

The checklist, free tools and guides that usually come next.

  1. ChecklistExpress Entry document checklistEvery document, in filing order, with what officers reject.
  2. GuideLatest Express Entry and PNP drawsEvery 2026 round: CRS cut-offs, ITAs and provincial draws.
  3. Free toolProof of funds calculatorThe settlement funds IRCC expects for your family size.
  4. Free toolCLB converterTurn IELTS, CELPIP, TEF or PTE scores into CLB levels.
  5. GuideTeachers: immigrate to CanadaCertification and the education draw.
  6. Latest articleExpress Entry at a glance: what changes on November 3, 2026, side by sideOctober 21, 2026
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