Express Entry Canada: how the CRS and draws work

Express Entry is how Canada manages applications for permanent residence (PR) under three federal programs for skilled workers. You do not apply for a visa straight away. You first create an online profile, receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, and wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in one of the regular draws held by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Express Entry suits skilled workers and graduates with good English or French, including people now living in Australia. The rules below are current as at 14 November 2026.

The three Express Entry programs

To enter the Express Entry pool, you must qualify for at least one program. All skilled work must be in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job. TEER means Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities, the skill level used in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC).

• Federal Skilled Worker (FSW): at least 1 year of continuous paid work (or 1,560 hours in total) in your main occupation in the last 10 years. You need Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all four skills, a Canadian credential or a foreign one with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), and proof of funds unless you are exempt. You must also score at least 67 out of 100 on the FSW selection grid, and plan to live outside Quebec.
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC): at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of skilled paid work in Canada in the last 3 years, done while you were allowed to work. You need CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs, or CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs. There is no education requirement. Work done while you were a full-time student, including co-op terms, does not count.
• Federal Skilled Trades (FST): 2 years of full-time work (or 3,120 hours) in a skilled trade in the last 5 years. You also need a full-time job offer of at least 1 year or a Canadian certificate of qualification. The language minimum is CLB 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing.

Canada has proposed one new "Federal High-Skilled Class" to replace all three programs. It is only a proposal on IRCC's regulatory plan, not law, so the current programs still apply.

How the CRS score works

Every candidate in the pool gets a CRS score. The score rewards age, education, language, work experience and some extra factors. Since 3 November 2026, IRCC's section maximums add up to 1,270 points (the old maximum was 1,200). IRCC does not print a single total, so 1,270 is our calculation. Points differ slightly if your spouse or partner comes with you.

Skill transferability gives up to 100 points for strong combinations, such as good education plus high language scores, or foreign work experience plus Canadian work experience. Additional points include:

• 600 points for a provincial or territorial nomination through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
• 50 points for strong French (NCLC 7 in all four skills; NCLC is the French version of the CLB scale) plus CLB 5 or higher in English, or 25 points with CLB 4 or lower or no English test
• 15 points for a brother or sister in Canada who is a citizen or permanent resident, aged 18 or over
• 15 points for a 1 or 2 year Canadian post-secondary credential, or 30 points for 3 years or more

Job offer points: what changed on 3 November 2026

Canada removed the old job offer points (50 or 200 points, based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA) in 2025. On 3 November 2026, IRCC brought job offers back in a new form, inside a new factor called Labour Market Integration, worth up to 150 points.

• No LMIA needed: a job offer no longer needs an LMIA to count for FSW or FST eligibility or for CRS points. An officer checks that the offer is genuine when you apply for PR. For FSW or FST eligibility, the offer can be in any TEER 0 to 3 job that meets the program rules.
• Only high-wage jobs earn CRS points: a valid offer earns 100 points if the occupation's national median wage is at least 2 times the average median wage, 70 points at 1.5 times, and 50 points at 1.3 times. Other job offers earn 0 CRS points. "High-wage" depends on the occupation, not on your own salary.
• Canadian work experience: 1 year earns 40 points and 5 years or more earns 80 (single candidate). If you have 12 months or more in a high-wage occupation, you get an extra 20, 40 or 70 points.
• One or the other: you receive either Canadian experience points or job offer points, whichever is higher, never both.

Express Entry draws and category-based selection

IRCC holds several types of draw. Some invite candidates with a provincial nomination (PNP draws). Some invite CEC candidates. Many invitations now go through category-based selection, which targets people with specific skills. The 10 categories for 2026 are:

• French-language proficiency (NCLC 7 in all four skills)
• Healthcare and social services
• Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)
• Trades
• Education
• Transport
• Physicians with Canadian work experience
• Senior managers with Canadian work experience
• Researchers with Canadian work experience
• Skilled military recruits

For the healthcare, STEM, trades, education and transport categories, you need 12 months of full-time (or equivalent) work in one listed occupation in the last 3 years, in Canada or overseas. Physicians, senior managers and researchers need 12 months of Canadian experience in the last 3 years.

Recent draw results

There is no fixed pass mark. Each draw has its own lowest qualifying score. These are recent official results (all before the 3 November 2026 CRS change):

• 28 October 2026, Transport: 150 invitations, lowest score 477
• 27 October 2026, French-language proficiency: 5,000 invitations, lowest score 407
• 26 October 2026, Provincial Nominee Program: 792 invitations, lowest score 761
• 15 October 2026, Canadian Experience Class: 2,500 invitations, lowest score 519
• 1 October 2026, Trades: 3,500 invitations, lowest score 476
• 4 September 2026, Healthcare and social services: 3,500 invitations, lowest score 475

As at 14 November 2026, no round had been published since 28 October 2026. Check the official rounds of invitations page (opens in a new tab) for the latest results.

Proof of funds for Express Entry

FSW and FST candidates must show they have enough money to settle in Canada. The minimum amounts (in Canadian dollars, from 7 July 2025) depend on the size of your family:

• 1 person: CAD 15,263
• 2 people: CAD 19,001
• 3 people: CAD 23,360
• 4 people: CAD 28,362
• 5 people: CAD 32,168
• 6 people: CAD 36,280
• 7 people: CAD 40,392, plus CAD 4,112 for each extra person

You do not need proof of funds if you apply under the CEC, or if you are authorised to work in Canada and have a valid job offer. Exempt applicants still upload a letter that explains why. IRCC usually updates these amounts once a year, so check again before you submit.

Language tests and the ECA

Your test results must be less than 2 years old both when you create your profile and when you submit your PR application. IRCC accepts these tests:

• English: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training or PTE Core. IELTS Academic, the IELTS One Skill Retake and PTE Academic are not accepted.
• French: TEF Canada or TCF Canada.

Language is one of the biggest CRS factors, and it also adds skill transferability points, so a higher score can change your result. Our IELTS coaching can help you prepare.

An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) shows how your overseas qualification compares with a Canadian one. It is required for FSW if you studied outside Canada, and it also earns CRS points for foreign education, including your partner's. The report must be less than 5 years old. Designated organisations include WES, ICAS, IQAS, CES (University of Toronto) and ICES. Doctors, pharmacists and architects can use their professional bodies instead. An ECA does not give you a licence to work in a regulated profession in Canada.

Applying for Express Entry from Australia

If you are studying or working in Australia and thinking about Canada, keep these points in mind:

• Skilled work in Australia (TEER 0 to 3) can count for FSW and for CRS points as foreign work experience. It does not count for the CEC, which needs Canadian experience.
• An Australian degree or diploma needs an ECA for FSW and for education points.
• If you took PTE Academic or IELTS Academic for an Australian visa, you need a new test: PTE Core, IELTS General Training or CELPIP-General.
• Your Australian migration agent's registration does not cover Canada. For advice on your Canadian profile, use an authorised Canadian representative.

How to apply: step by step

1. Check your program Confirm you meet FSW, CEC or FST rules, and find your NOC code and TEER level.
2. Take an approved language test Aim for the highest score you can, because language drives many CRS points.
3. Get your ECA Apply early if you studied overseas. Reports can take time to arrive.
4. Create your Express Entry profile Enter your details honestly and accurately in your IRCC account. Your CRS score is calculated from what you enter.
5. Improve your position Consider a provincial nomination, a retest, a partner's language test or more work experience.
6. Receive an ITA and apply for PR Upload your documents, pay the fees and give biometrics. The PR fee is CAD 990 processing plus CAD 600 right of permanent residence fee for you and for a partner, and CAD 270 per dependent child (from 30 April 2026). Biometrics cost CAD 85 per person or CAD 170 per family.
7. Wait for a decision Processing times change often. Check the official IRCC processing times page (opens in a new tab).

How Immi Solution can help

We can explain how Express Entry works and help you compare it with Australian options such as skilled migration. Our trainers run English test coaching, and our education counsellors help with admissions if you plan to study in Canada first. We are not authorised to give paid Canadian immigration advice. For your Express Entry profile or PR application, use an authorised representative, and check their licence on the CICC register before you pay.