Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from the Express Entry system through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet their local labour market needs.

The Express Entry system has two steps:

Step 1) Potential candidates complete an online Express Entry profile

If you are a potential candidate, you will need to complete an online Express Entry profile. This is a secure form on the IRCC website that you will use to provide information about your skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other details that will help us assess them.

Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs listed above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.

Anyone who does not already have a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (if you need one), or a nomination from a province or territory, must register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. Job Bank will help connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in Canada. Candidates are also encouraged to promote themselves to employers in other ways, such as using job boards, recruiters etc.

For a job offer to be valid in Express Entry and receive points, employers will usually need an LMIA from ESDC (there are a few exceptions). Please note that if you meet the above-listed criteria for the Express Entry pool, you are not guaranteed an invitation to apply for permanent residence. All applicants for permanent residence also need to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).

Please note that Candidates can stay in the pool for up to 12 months. If they do not get an invitation to apply for permanent residence within 12 months of submitting an Express Entry profile, they may submit a new profile. If they still meet the criteria, they can re-enter the pool. This will prevent backlogs and ensure quick processing times.

Step 2) The highest-ranking candidates in the pool will be invited to apply for permanent residence

Candidates will be ranked against others in the pool using a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Points are awarded using the information in their profile.

Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an invitation to apply. Candidates will be awarded points for a job offer, and/or a nomination from a province or territory, and/or skills and experience factors. A candidate can get additional points for qualifying education in Canada, a valid job offer, or a nomination by a province or territory.

These additional points can make a candidate rank high enough to be invited to apply for the next eligible round of invitations. If someone is invited to apply, they will have 90 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

Based on previous experience, IRCC will process the majority of complete applications (meaning those with all the necessary supporting documents) in six months or less.