Express Entry Canada: The Complete 2026 Guide to Eligibility, CRS, Fees and Steps

Express Entry is Canada’s online system for managing permanent residence applications under three federal programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST). You create a profile and get a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. IRCC then invites the highest-ranked candidates in regular draws. If you are invited, you have 60 days to submit a full application for permanent residence.

Key points

• You must qualify for at least one of FSW, CEC or FST before you can enter the pool. Provinces can also pick candidates from the pool through “enhanced” nominations.
• Since March 25, 2025, a job offer no longer adds CRS points (IRCC CRS criteria).
• In 2026 most invitations went to CEC, French-language, healthcare and PNP candidates. Ten draw categories are in effect.
• As of October 2026, the government fee is $1,590 for the principal applicant, including the $600 right of permanent residence fee (IRCC fee list).
• The federal target for Express Entry admissions in 2026 is 109,000 under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.

How Express Entry works

Express Entry is a way of managing applications, not a visa. Applying takes five broad steps:

1. Check you qualify for FSW, CEC or FST (see below).
2. Get your documents ready. This usually means an approved language test and, for education earned outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
3. Create your profile in your IRCC account. If you are eligible, you enter the pool with a CRS score out of 1,200.
4. Wait for a draw. IRCC holds rounds of invitations about every two weeks. Each round sets a minimum CRS score, and some rounds are open only to one program or category.
5. Apply for PR within 60 days of getting an invitation to apply (ITA). Upload documents, pay fees and give biometrics.

Your profile stays valid for 12 months. If you are not invited in that time, it expires and you can create a new one if you still meet the requirements (IRCC).

Who qualifies: the three federal programs

These are IRCC’s published minimums as of October 2026 (who can apply).

Requirement	Canadian Experience Class	Federal Skilled Worker	Federal Skilled Trades
Work experience	1 year in Canada in the last 3 years, TEER 0–3	1 year continuous in the last 10 years, TEER 0–3	2 years in the last 5 years in an eligible skilled trade
Language	CLB 7 (TEER 0–1) or CLB 5 (TEER 2–3)	CLB 7 in all four abilities	CLB 5 speaking and listening, CLB 4 reading and writing
Education	Not required	Secondary school required; ECA for foreign credentials	Not required
Job offer	Not required	Not required (earns FSW grid points)	Job offer of at least 1 year, or a Canadian certificate of qualification
Proof of funds	Not required	Required unless exempt	Required unless exempt
Extra test	None	Must score 67/100 on the FSW selection grid	None

Canadian Experience Class

CEC is for people who already have skilled work experience in Canada. You need 1,560 hours (one year at 30 hours a week) of paid work in Canada in the three years before you apply, done while you were authorized to work. Work you did while studying full time and self-employment generally do not count.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

FSW is the main route for people applying from outside Canada. Besides the minimums, you must score at least 67 out of 100 on a separate FSW grid. The grid scores language (up to 28 points), education (25), work experience (15), age (12), arranged employment (10) and adaptability (10). This grid only decides whether you are eligible. Your rank in the pool comes from your CRS score.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

FST covers trades such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters and welders. It has the lowest language threshold. However, you need either a qualifying job offer or a certificate of qualification issued by a Canadian province, territory or federal authority.

How CRS ranking works

The CRS gives points for core human capital (age, education, language, Canadian work experience), spouse factors, skill transferability and additional factors. The maximum is 1,200. The biggest single item is a provincial nomination, which adds 600 points (IRCC CRS criteria).

Other additional points still available in 2026:

Additional factor	Points
Provincial or territorial nomination	600
French NCLC 7+ in all four skills and CLB 5+ in English	50
French NCLC 7+ and CLB 4 or lower in English (or no English test)	25
Post-secondary study in Canada, 3+ years	30
Post-secondary study in Canada, 1–2 years	15
Sibling in Canada (citizen or PR, 18+)	15
Job offer	0 (removed March 25, 2025)

For a factor-by-factor breakdown with worked examples, read CRS score explained.

What changed: job-offer points are gone

Until March 2025, a valid job offer added 50 CRS points, or 200 for some senior management roles. IRCC removed these points on March 25, 2025, for candidates already in the pool and for new ones. A job offer still matters where a program needs one for eligibility, such as FST and some provincial streams. It no longer raises your rank.

Draw types and 2026 cutoffs

IRCC runs three kinds of rounds:

• General rounds open to everyone in the pool. These have been rare recently.
• Program-specific rounds, mainly CEC and PNP.
• Category-based rounds for candidates with French ability or experience in a targeted occupation.

The figures below come from IRCC’s rounds of invitations page and cover January 1 to October 1, 2026.

Round type (2026)	Rounds	Invitations	CRS cutoff range
Canadian Experience Class	17	55,250	507–523
French-language proficiency	10	50,500	382–420
Provincial Nominee Program	19	9,270	697–805
Healthcare and social services	3	11,500	467–475
Trades	2	6,500	476–477

In total, IRCC held 59 rounds and issued 135,215 invitations in that period. We track every round in Express Entry draws 2026. Draws change often, so check the live IRCC page before making plans.

The 2026 categories

IRCC announced the 2026 categories on February 18, 2026. There are ten: French-language proficiency; healthcare and social services; STEM; trades; education; transport; physicians with Canadian work experience; senior managers with Canadian work experience; researchers with Canadian work experience; and skilled military recruits. Most occupation categories now need 12 months of experience in a listed job within the past three years. See Express Entry categories 2026 for the rules for each one.

Fees in 2026

Government fees, as listed on IRCC’s fee page (modified September 21, 2026):

Fee	Amount (CAD)
Principal applicant (processing $990 + RPRF $600)	$1,590
Spouse or common-law partner	$1,590
Each dependent child	$270
Biometrics, per person	$85 (family maximum $170)

The right of permanent residence fee rose from $575 to $600 on April 30, 2026. You will also pay for language tests, an ECA, a medical exam, police certificates and translations. Third-party prices vary, so check them directly with each provider.

Documents you will need

• Language test results less than two years old: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training or PTE Core for English; TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French. IELTS One Skill Retake is not accepted.
• ECA report for education completed outside Canada, if you want points for it (and it is required for FSW).
• Proof of funds, unless you apply under CEC or are authorized to work in Canada with a valid job offer. IRCC publishes the current amounts.
• Reference letters that prove your work experience.
• After you are invited: a medical exam with an IRCC panel physician, police certificates and biometrics.

How Express Entry connects to provincial nominations

Most provinces run Express Entry-linked streams. A province can invite you directly or nominate you after you apply to it. Once you accept the nomination in your profile, you gain 600 CRS points. That almost always guarantees an invitation in the next PNP round. The national PNP target is 91,500 admissions in 2026, up from 55,000 in 2025. Our Provincial Nominee Program guide explains how it works.

Proposed reforms to watch

From April 23 to May 24, 2026, IRCC consulted on merging FSW, CEC and FST into one skilled worker program, re-weighting the CRS, and adding points for high-wage occupations. As of October 2026, no decision has been announced and the current rules still apply. IRCC’s consultation page lists the proposals, and we will log any final rules on /updates/.

What to do next

1. Compare your background with IRCC’s program requirements to see which program you may qualify for.
2. Book a language test and, if you studied abroad, start your ECA. These usually take the longest.
3. Estimate your CRS score and compare it with recent cutoffs for the draw types you qualify for.
4. Look at provincial streams that match your occupation or location.
5. If your case involves past refusals, gaps in status or complex work history, speak with a licensed RCIC or Canadian immigration lawyer before you submit.

For more Canadian pathways, visit our Canada hub.