EXPRESS ENTRY SYSTEM

Express Entry is an online application management system through which the  Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) selects and invites candidates for permanent residence from around the world. 

In January 2015, Canada launched the Express Entry System to speed up the processing of permanent residency applications to six (6) months or less. It allows the IRCC to see all registered candidates and flexibly select foreign nationals who have a skilled experience that best corresponds to the Canadian labour market needs. So, it is a tool but not an immigration program itself. There are mainly three programs managed through it, further described.

The IRCC manages applications for permanent residence under the three federal immigration programs and a portion of Canadian provincial nominations.

Skilled workers from around the world can apply for Canadian Permanent Residency and immigrate to Canada if they have a skilled work experience that meets the requirements of either Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker (FSW),  or Federal Skilled Trades (FST) programs. Under these streams, Canada targets to welcome around 85,800 immigrants in 2020. While there are around 87,566 candidates currently in the Express Entry Pool.