Express Entry is one of Canada’s main immigration streams. It is an Economic class program. And this means that applicants have to prove that they can contribute to Canada’s economy.

In summary, the three Express Entry streams have requirements for all or two of the following:

• Language Skills – This is applicable to FSW, FST and CEC.
• Work Experience – This is applicable to FSW, FST and CEC.
• Education Background – This is mainly applicable to FSW and FST.

This table lists the minimum requirements for each stream:

Language Requirements of Express Entry

Applicants can prove their language ability by taking any of these tests:

• English
  • CELPIP: General – LS
  • IELTS: General
• French
  • TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
  • TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français

Do note, however, that this is potentially the most difficult requirement. This is especially true for candidates who are not confident with their language ability. Get in touch with me for tips on conquering the IELTS!

But basically, the language requirement depends on the candidate’s NOC and immigration stream. For example, a candidate with NOC B work experience applying through FST will need CLB 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing. However, a NOC B candidate in the CEC class will need CLB 5 skills. On the other hand, FSW requires candidates to have CLB 7 at the very least.

Work Experience Required for Express Entry

Next on the list is work experience. Here, applicants will need to be careful about choosing the correct NOC. They also need to prove that they meet the required number of years.

At the very least, candidates should have either of the following:

• Federal Skilled Worker – 1 year of continuous work in 1 NOC (within the last 10 years)
• Federal Skilled Trade – 2 years in total (within the last 5 years)
• Canadian Experience Class – 1 year in total in Canada (within the last 3 years)

Applicants who have worked part time can count this experience to its full time equivalent. For example, two years of part time work may be considered as one year or full time work.

To prove this, applicants need to provide Proof of Work Experience. This page gives more details about what this proof should contain. In my case, I followed these details almost to a T. I was definitely not leaving my PR application to chance. And I was determined to make my relevant experience count. To say the least, I worked closely with my previous employers to get this right!

Education Background for Express Entry

The last of the three base requirements for Express Entry is educational background. I think this is the simplest to prove.

Candidates simply need to mail their educational credentials to a designated organization or a designated professional body (for physicians and pharmacists). Some examples of educational credentials are diplomas, transcripts or mark sheets. This process is called getting an Educational Credential Assessment or ECA. (Hey! It’s another short form! 😆)

However, there is one tricky part in getting ECAs done. And this is when an institution is not recognized or a credential gets downgraded. For example, the assessor may equate a three- year program to just a two- year equivalent in Canada. In this case, an applicant could end up with a lower score for Express Entry.

We have no personal experience with unrecognized institutions. However, we did see Jade’s five-year degree assessed as a four-year Canadian equivalent. And my two-year postgrad was assessed as a one-year equivalent. Luckily, it did not affect our CRS scores. However, that may not be the case for everyone.

Final Thoughts on the Express Entry Requirements

This post links to many pages on the IRCC website. I did say it here and I’ll say it again! Make that website your best friend!

In my experience, it provides most of the information that DIY PR applicants need. For example, this page tells candidates exactly what their Proof of Work Experience needs to contain. Also, the table at the very top clearly lists the numbers and levels applicants need.

By knowing these requirements, applicants for PR in Canada can do a self- assessment. It also saves money on paying immigration consultants! (Unless that doesn’t matter. 🙂) To add to the toolbox, I recommend trying the CRS Calculator. This tool helped my visualize my Express Entry profile, and set goals for my requirements.

Again, the goal is to receive in Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence, or an ITA. I did use the information above to my advantage! To read about how I got my ITA within one day of submitting my profile, please visit this post.