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Canada’s leading skilled-immigration system

Express Entry: Canada’s Flagship Immigration Program

Express Entry can be one of the fastest and most direct routes to Canadian permanent residence for skilled applicants and their families. The opportunity is not simply to enter the pool—it is to build the strongest possible profile and be ready for the right federal, category-based or provincial invitation.

We help you compete for selection.We calculate your score, compare both spouses, identify category and provincial opportunities, recommend practical ways to gain points, and prepare an accurate Express Entry profile. Language results, education, work experience, French ability and provincial nomination can materially change the outcome.

Five-Year Draw HistoryPass marks and Invitations to Apply Point Grid CalculatorCalculate your CRS points Occupation ListCategory-based occupations Provinces & Express EntryProvincial selection pathways

Key changes FSW 100-point grid Federal Skilled Trades NOC & TEER chart Language test charts 2026 categories Proof of funds Historical draws

Interactive Express Entry point calculator

Calculate Your CRS Points

Enter your age, education, language results, Canadian and foreign work experience, spouse factors and additional points. The calculator applies the current CRS tables and shows your estimated total immediately.

Start the CRS Point CalculatorComplete every factor and see your total →

Express Entry program overview

Canadian Experience Class

Explore the Full CEC Guide

The Canadian Experience Class is generally the first Express Entry program to examine for skilled workers who have recent authorized Canadian work experience.

Canadian experienceAt least 1 year / 1,560 hours

Eligible workNOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3View the TEER chart →

LanguageCLB/NCLC 7 for TEER 0–1; 5 for TEER 2–3Compare language tests →

Settlement fundsNot required for CEC

Core qualification requirements

At least 12 months of qualifying skilled work experience in Canada during the three years before applying.
The work must generally have been performed while authorized to work in Canada and must match the lead statement and most main duties of the claimed NOC.
Meet the minimum language level for the occupation’s TEER category using an approved test.
Plan to live outside Québec.
There is no minimum education requirement, although eligible education can increase the CRS score.
Self-employment and work gained while a full-time student generally do not count toward the minimum Canadian experience, subject to the current rules and limited exceptions.

Calculate Your CRS PointsOpen the complete online calculator → Category-Based OccupationsSee the occupations used in targeted draws → Historical 2019 CRS SheetDownload the original reference worksheet ↓

What changed from the older assessment forms

0 CRS points

Job offers

IRCC removed job-offer points from the Comprehensive Ranking System on March 25, 2025. A valid job offer can still matter for program eligibility and the separate FSW 100-point selection grid.

67 / 100

FSW eligibility

The Federal Skilled Worker Program still uses a 100-point eligibility grid. A score of 67 or higher may qualify a candidate to enter the Express Entry pool if all other requirements are met.

10 categories

2026 category selection

IRCC’s current categories include French, health/social services, STEM, trades, education, transport and several Canadian-work-experience categories.

Official source: IRCC — Job offer rules

Federal Skilled Worker selection grid

This 67-point grid determines whether a candidate meets the Federal Skilled Worker Program eligibility threshold. It is different from the CRS score used to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool.

No Federal Skilled Worker–specific draw since February 2, 2023.That round issued 3,300 invitations with a CRS cut-off of 489. FSW-eligible candidates may still be invited through general or category-based rounds; the absence of an FSW-only draw does not mean the program is closed.

67Minimum eligibility score

100Maximum grid score

Feb. 2, 2023Last FSW-specific draw

View the complete Federal Skilled Worker 67-point gridLanguage, education, experience, age, arranged employment and adaptability

FSW selection factors

Factor	Category	Details	Points
Language	First official language	CLB 9 or higher — 6 points per ability (speaking, listening, reading, writing)	24 max
		CLB 8 — 5 points per ability	20 max
		CLB 7 — 4 points per ability	16 max
	Second official language	CLB 5 or higher in all four abilities	4
Education	Highest credential	Doctoral (PhD) level	25
		Master’s / qualifying professional degree	23
		Two or more post-secondary credentials, one at least 3 years	22
		Bachelor’s or other 3+ year credential	21
		Two-year post-secondary credential	19
		One-year post-secondary credential	15
		Secondary school credential	5
Skilled work	Eligible experience	1 year	9
		2–3 years	11
		4–5 years	13
		6+ years	15
Age	Age on application date	Under 18	0
		18–35	12
		36	11
		37	10
		38	9
		39	8
		40	7
		41	6
		42	5
		43	4
		44	3
		45	2
		46	1
		47+	0
Arranged employment	Valid arranged employment	Qualifying job offer under FSW selection-factor rules	10
Adaptability	Maximum 10 combined	Spouse/partner CLB 4+ in all four abilities	5
		Applicant completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study in Canada	5
		Spouse/partner completed at least 2 academic years of full-time study in Canada	5
		Applicant has at least 1 year of authorized skilled work in Canada	10
		Spouse/partner has at least 1 year of authorized full-time work in Canada	5
		Arranged employment (if points awarded under that factor)	5
		Qualifying relative in Canada	5

Maximum score / minimum qualifying score 100 / 67

Education points depend on the Canadian credential or the equivalency stated in a valid ECA. Adaptability is capped at 10 points even if several factors apply.

Official source: IRCC — Federal Skilled Worker Program

Federal Skilled Trades Program

A permanent-residence pathway for qualified tradespeople.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is one of the federal programs managed through Express Entry. It has minimum eligibility requirements—not a 67-point selection grid. A candidate who meets every requirement may enter the Express Entry pool and is then ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

A qualifying job offer or Canadian certificate of qualification is central to this program. The correct NOC, trade certification rules and evidence of work duties must be assessed carefully.

2 yearsTrade experience within the last 5 years

CLB 5 / 4Speaking and listening / reading and writing

No education minimumEducation can still improve the CRS score

No 67-point gridEligible candidates compete under the CRS

Federal Skilled Trades eligibility grid

Requirement	What the applicant must show	How it is assessed
Skilled trade	Experience in the same eligible NOC within Major Groups 72 (excluding 726), 73, 82, 83, 92 or 93 (excluding 932), Minor Group 6320, or Unit Group 62200.	Required
Work experience	At least 2 years of paid full-time work—or 3,120 equivalent hours—in the skilled trade during the 5 years before applying. Student work does not count toward this minimum.	Required
Job offer or trade certificate	Either a valid full-time job offer for at least 1 year, or a certificate of qualification in the trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.	One is required
Language	Approved English or French test results of at least CLB/NCLC 5 in speaking and listening, and CLB/NCLC 4 in reading and writing.	Required in all 4 abilities
Education	No minimum education is required. A Canadian credential or a foreign credential with an Educational Credential Assessment may increase the CRS score.	No minimum
Settlement funds	Proof of sufficient settlement funds, unless the applicant is legally able to work in Canada and has a valid Canadian job offer.	Required unless exempt
Other requirements	Meet the NOC lead statement and most main duties, be qualified to practise where the work was performed, be admissible, and plan to live outside Quebec.	Required

There is no separate FST “pass mark.”After meeting the eligibility grid above, the candidate receives a CRS score. The historical numbers below are the lowest CRS scores invited in particular rounds—not permanent qualifying scores.

Program-specific history

Federal Skilled Trades rounds

Last held in 2020

Only candidates eligible under the Federal Skilled Trades Program could receive invitations in these rounds.

Date	Invitations	CRS cut-off
August 6, 2020	250	415
October 16, 2019	500	357
May 15, 2019	500	332
September 24, 2018	400	284
May 30, 2018	500	288
November 1, 2017	505	241
May 26, 2017	400	199

Occupation-category history

Trade occupation category rounds

Current selection tool

These are category-based rounds. Candidates may qualify through any Express Entry program and must also meet the trade-category criteria in force for that round.

Date	Invitations	CRS cut-off
April 2, 2026	3,000	477
September 18, 2025	1,250	505
October 23, 2024	1,800	433
July 4, 2024	1,800	436
December 19, 2023	1,000	425
August 3, 2023	1,500	388

See Trade Occupations Used in Category Draws View Every Category-Based Draw Calculate a CRS Score

Official sources: IRCC — Federal Skilled Trades Program ↗ · IRCC — Express Entry rounds of invitations ↗

National Occupational Classification

How all NOC occupations are organized.

Every Canadian occupation is assigned a five-digit NOC code and a TEER category based on the training, education, experience and responsibilities usually required—not simply the job title.

Express Entry work experience is generally limited to TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. Other immigration and work-permit programs may accept TEER 4 or 5 occupations.

TEER	Occupation type	Typical education, training or experience	Occupation examples
0	Management occupations	Management responsibilities.	Senior managers; financial, engineering, construction and retail managers
1	Professional occupations	Usually require a university degree.	Accountants, engineers, software developers, registered nurses, teachers
2	Technical and skilled occupations	Usually require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of 2 or more years, or supervisory responsibilities.	Computer network technicians, dental hygienists, electricians, welders, police officers
3	Intermediate skilled occupations	Usually require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training.	Medical laboratory assistants, nurse aides, bakers, cooks, transport truck drivers
4	Secondary school or job training	Usually require a high school diploma or several weeks of on-the-job training.	Home support workers, retail salespersons, receptionists, delivery drivers
5	Short work demonstration	Usually need short-term work demonstration and no formal education.	Cashiers, food counter attendants, labourers, landscaping workers

Search All NOC Occupations ↗Search Immigration Priority Occupations Compare Language Tests & CLB/NCLC

Examples are illustrative. The correct NOC is determined by the lead statement and main duties of the work performed. Always verify the current official NOC description before relying on a classification.

Current category-based selection

French-language proficiency

Healthcare and social services

STEM occupations

Trade occupations

Education occupations

Transport occupations

Physicians with Canadian work experience

Senior managers with Canadian work experience

Researchers with Canadian work experience

Skilled military recruits

Important: category eligibility is separate from eligibility for Express Entry itself. IRCC ranks eligible candidates by CRS within the applicable round. Current occupation-based categories generally require qualifying recent work experience under the Ministerial Instructions.

See Every Category-Based Draw, CRS Cut-off and ITA Total See Qualifying Occupations

Official source: IRCC — Category-based selection

Proof of funds

Current IRCC minimums shown for the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs. Certain applicants are exempt, including Canadian Experience Class applicants and some candidates who are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer.

Family size	Minimum settlement funds
1	$15,263
2	$19,001
3	$23,360
4	$28,362
5	$32,168
6	$36,280
7	$40,392
Each additional family member	+$4,112

Official source: IRCC — Proof of funds

Historical invitation archive

Historical invitation records are useful for trend analysis, but past cut-offs and occupation lists are not current 2026 rules.

Each archive is identified by date. A historical CRS cut-off is not a prediction or an eligibility threshold for a future round.