Which Canada Express Entry Program is Best For You?

October 18, 2023

Shireen Fisher

Canada's immigration programs act as a filter for hiring global talent that will add value to the Canadian economy. Due to this, Canadian employers utilize the country's over 80 immigration programs and visas, making it possible for foreign nationals to live and work here. The Express Entry System is the country's most popular pathway for skilled workers to immigrate to Canada and gain Canadian Permanent Residency. With three options to apply to, we explore each one to find out which Canada Express Entry Program is best for you.

Canada’s Express Entry System

If you want to move to Canada and gain Canadian permanent residency, there's a good chance that Express Entry will be your top option. This points-based system is one of the most favored immigration programs for skilled foreign workers due to its quick processing times.

The Express Entry system was established in 2015 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) - a division of the government of Canada that handles all Canadian immigration as a means of enabling skilled foreign workers and their families to become permanent residents in Canada as soon as possible to help bridge the country's significant labor gaps.

According to the IRCC, the Government of Canada is currently on track to meet its annual target of welcoming 465,000 newcomers by granting them Canadian permanent residency for 2023. Many foreign nationals have achieved their Canadian dream through Express Entry to Canada.

If you choose to take the Express Entry route, you will find three immigration programs:

Federal Skilled Worker Program

This program is for you if you want to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker with foreign work experience. You must meet the program's work experience, language proficiency and education criteria. If you successfully tick all the boxes, the IRCC will assess your application according to some additional factors based on other selection factors. Let us take a look at what is required.

Your Work Experience

You must have worked in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 0,1, 2, or 3 occupations. Your skilled work experience must have been obtained within the last ten years in Canada or abroad. This must have been paid work, with at least one year's continuous work or 1,560 total (30 hours per week).

If you have part-time work experience, you must have worked more or less than 15 hours/week. This must add up to 1,560 hours. Working more than one part-time job to get the hours you need to apply will also add to your work experience. The IRCC does, however, not include hours worked beyond 30 hours/week.

If you managed to gain student work experience while studying in Canada, this may also count toward your minimum requirements, but only if:

You were paid by wages or commission
Your employment period had no gaps
You meet all the other criteria set by the program

Your Language Proficiency

When you apply to the FSWP, you must prove your proficiency in one of Canada's official languages - English or French. You must take one of the approved language tests in English or French in which you will be tested:

Your writing skills
Your reading skills
Your listening skills
Your speaking skills

You must ensure that you:

Achieve the minimum score required for all four of the above areas
Add your test results in your Express Entry profile

NOTE: Your language tests will be valid for 24 months from the date of your test result. These tests must be valid when you apply for Canadian permanent residency.

Learn more about the Canadian Benchmark Test.

Your Education

If you have a Canadian education, you will need the documents submitted with your Canadian immigration application to prove it. You must have a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian high school or tertiary institution. If you have studied outside of Canada, you will need:

A completed degree, diploma or certificate
An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to verify that your credentials measure up to Canadian standards

Learn more about why you should study in Canada.

The IRCC’s FSWP Selection Criteria

Once you meet the minimum requirements, the IRCC will assess your eligibility for the FSWP according to the following factors:

Your age
Your education
Your work experience
Having a valid job offer
Your proficiency in a Canadian official language
Your adaptability for settling in Canada

Your CRS score will be determined according to your performance in the abovementioned factors. The IRCC will give you an overall score out of 100, out of which you must score at least 67 points.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

This program targets skilled workers who are qualified professionals in a skilled trade or industry. To be successful under this program and move to Canada, you must have experience in a trades profession, a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification from a designated learning institution, and be proficient in one or both of Canada's official languages. Let us take a closer look at what the program entails.

Work Experience in a Skilled Trade

To qualify for this program, you must have a minimum of two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade. This must be within the five years before your application to the FSWP. Note that part-time work experience will count if it equals the amount of part-time work experience you have gained.

You must also meet the job requirements for your skilled trade. It must align with the National Occupational Classification (NOC). You must prove that you have carried out the duties that appear in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC. According to the IRCC, you must have work experience in one of the following NOC groups:

Major Group 72, technical trades and transportation officers and controllers
Major Group 73, general trades
Major Group 82, supervisors in natural resources, agriculture, and related production
Major Group 83, occupations in natural resources and related production
Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors, and utilities operators and controllers
Major Group 93, central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors
Minor Group 6320, cooks, butchers, and bakers
Unit Group 62200, chefs

NOTE: The IRCC will reject your application in the following instances:

If you cannot prove that your experience aligns with the NOC description
You aren't qualified to work in the trade occupation you mention

Offer of Employment or Certificate of Qualification

To apply to the FSTP, you must have the following:

A valid offer of employment for a minimum period of a year, or
A certificate of qualification for your skilled trade, which must be issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority

This certificate of qualification provides proof that you qualify to work in a specific skilled trade in Canada. If you have a certificate of qualification, you will have:

Passed a certification examination
Met all the set criteria for practicing your trade in the province or territory in which you obtained your certificate

NOTE If you find that the province or territory where you plan to live and work in Canada does not provide certificates of qualification in your specific trade, you will have to have a valid offer of employment to qualify for the FSTP.

Your Language Proficiency

The language requirements for the FSTP are the same as for the FSWP. You must prove your proficiency in one of Canada's official languages - English or French. You must take one of the approved language tests in English or French in which you will be tested:

Your writing skills
Your reading skills
Your listening skills
Your speaking skills

You must ensure that you:

Achieve the minimum score required for all four of the above areas
Add your test results in your Express Entry profile

NOTE: Your language tests will be valid for 24 months from the date of your test result. These tests must be valid when you apply for Canadian permanent residency.

Your Education

The Federal Skilled Trades Program does not have an education requirement. But if you want to increase your CRS score to improve in the Express Entry pool. You can achieve this by:

Getting points for a certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian high school) or tertiary institution if you managed to attend a school in Canada
Getting points if you have a completed educational credential and an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes from a designated organization. You must be able to prove that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian institution

Additional Requirements For the FSTP

Apart from the requirements above, you must also:

Have proof of funds to show that you can live independently when you immigrate to Canada
Be admissible to Canada
Plan to settle in any Canadian province, apart from Quebec

Canadian Experience Class

The Canadian Experience Class program is aimed at skilled workers with at least one year of Canadian work experience in the last three years in the stipulated occupation before applying for the job. The education and language requirements for this program are the same as FSTP.

Your Work Experience

To qualify for this program, you must:

Prove that you have the one year's skilled work experience in Canada or an equal period of part-time work experience
Have gained work experience in Canada under temporary resident status
Prove that you carried out the duties listed in the lead statement of the occupational description in the (NOC)

NOTE:Having skilled work experience, you will have been employed in one or more NOC TEER categories.

The skilled work experience you've obtained must have been paid work. Volunteer stints or unpaid internships will not count.

Factors That Make You Ineligible For CEC

You will not be eligible for CEC if:

You are a refugee claimant in Canada
You are working in Canada illegally
You have gained your work experience without temporary residency in Canada

Which Express Entry Program is Best?

If you are ready to live and work in Canada and are wondering about the best Express Entry option, the answer is quite simple. It is the program that best matches your profile and circumstances. It is, therefore, vital to understand each offering and then weigh it up against your work experience, education, etc.

FAQs

How Can I Increase my Chances of Express Entry to Canada?

You can increase your CRS score by:

Improving your language proficiency
Getting another qualification
Applying with your spouse
Securing a job in Canada

What is a Cut-off Score For Express Entry?

Each Express Entry draw has a CRS cut-off score. This is the CRS score of the person that ranked the lowest as they received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residency.