Express Entry Overview

Applicants must qualify in the an immigration class to enter Express Entry. Immigration Classes include:

• Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
• Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
• Canada Experience Class (CEC)
• Provincial Nominee Class (PNP)

Candidates with the highest passmark will be selected drawn (the passmark changes constantly depending on the candidates in the pool).

Federal Skilled Worker Categories

Express Entry launched categories to better support its economic goals. According to Canada Immigration, “Category-based rounds are intended to supplement other round types to meet the identified economic goal.”

The current categories are:

1. French-language proficiency
2. Healthcare and social services occupations
3. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
4. Trade occupations
5. Education occupations
6. Transport occupations
7. Physicians with Canadian work experience
8. Senior managers with Canadian work experience
9. Researchers with Canadian work experience
10. Skilled military recruits

How to Calculate Express Entry Points

The points in Express Entry are calculated based on 4 major groups:

A – Core/Human Capital factors (max 500) +
B – Spouse or Common Law factors (max 40) +
C – Skills Transferability Factors (max 100) +
D – Additional Points (max 600)

MAXIMUM TOTAL = 1,200 points

These factors focus on the age, level of education, official language ability and work experience of the applicant and their common law partner/ spouse (if applicable).

NOTE: The Core/Human Capital factors have a maximum of 500 points, with OR without a spouse/ common-law partner.

A. Points for Core/human capital factors

Age

• With a spouse of common-law partner: Maximum 460 points total for all factors
• Without a spouse of common-law partner: Maximum 500 points total for all factors

Age	With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 100 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 100 points)
17 years of age or less	0	0
18 years of age	90	99
19 years of age	95	105
20-29 years of age	100	110
30 years of age	95	105
31 years of age	90	99
32 years of age	85	94
33 years of age	80	88
34 years of age	75	83
35 years of age	70	77
36 years of age	65	72
37 years of age	60	66
38 years of age	55	61
39 years of age	50	55
40 years of age	45	50
41 years of age	35	39
42 years of age	25	28
43 years of age	15	17
44 years of age	5	6
45 years of age	0	0

Education

Level of Education	With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 140 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 150 points)
Less than secondary school (high school)	0	0
Secondary Diploma (high school graduation)	28	30
One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute	84	90
Two-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute	91	98
Bachelor’s degree or a three or more year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute	112	120
Two or more certificates, diploma or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years.	119	128
Master’s degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree,” the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.)	126	135
Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.)	140	150

Canadian Work Experience

Canadian work experience	With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 70 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 80 points)
None or less than a year	0	0
1 Year	35	40
2 Years	46	53
3 Years	56	64
4 Years	63	72
5 Years or More	70	80

First Language Ability

Maximum points:

• 32 for each ability (reading, writing, speaking and understanding) with a spouse or common-law partner
• 34 for each ability (reading writing, speaking and understanding) without a spouse or common-law partner

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability	With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 120 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 136 points)
Less than CLB 4	0	0
CLB 4 or 5	6	6
CLB 6	8	9
CLB 7	16	17
CLB 8	22	23
CLB 9	29	31
CLB 10 or more	32	34

Second Language Ability

Maximum points for each ability:

• 6 with a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 22 points)
• 6 without a spouse or common-law partner (up to a combined maximum of 24 points)

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability	With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 22 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 24 points)
CLB 4 or less	0	0
CLB 5 or 6	1	1
CLB 7 or 8	3	3
CLB 9 or more	6	6

B. Points for Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)

Education

Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education	With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 10 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (N/A)
Less than secondary school (high school)	0	N/A
Secondary school (high school graduation)	2	N/A
One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute	6	N/A
Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical in school, or other institute	7	N/A
Bachelor’s degree OR,a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute	8	N/A
Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years	9	N/A
Master’s degree, or professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For professional degree(s), the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.)	10	N/A
Doctoral level university degree (PhD)	10	N/A

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Spouse First Language Ability

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level per ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening )	Maximum 20 points for sectionMaximum 5 points per ability	Without spouse or common-law partner (N/A)
CLB 4 or less	0	N/A
CLB 5 or 6	1	N/A
CLB 7 or 8	3	N/A
CLB 9 or more	5	N/A

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

Spouse Canadian Work Experience

Spouse’s Canadian Work Experience	Maximum 10 points	Without spouse or common-law partner (N/A)
None or less than a year	0	N/A
1 year	5	N/A
2 year	7	N/A
3 year	8	N/A
4 year	9	N/A
5 year or more	10	N/A

Note: (n/a) means that this factor does not apply in this case.

C. Points for Skill transferability factors

Maximum points for this section = 100

Education and Language

With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 7 or higher) and a post-secondary degree	Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, with one or more under CLB 9(Maximum 25 points)	Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities(Maximum 50 points)
Secondary school (high school) credential or less	0	0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer	13	25
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (CLB 6,7 and 8	25	50

Education and Canadian Work Experience

With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree	Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience(Maximum 25 points)	Points for education + 2 year of Canadian work experience or more(Maximum 50 points)
Secondary school (high school) credential or less	0	0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer	13	25
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer	25	50

Foreign Work Experience & Language

Years of experience	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9(Maximum 25 points)	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities(Maximum 50 points)
No foreign work experience	0	0
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience	13	25
3 years or more of foreign work experience	25	50

Foreign Work Experience – With Canadian Work Experience

Years of Experience	Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience (Maximum 25 points)	Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience (Maximum 50 points
No foreign work experience	0	0
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience	13	25
3 years or more of foreign work experience	25	50

With a Certificate of Qualification & Language

Certificate of qualification (trade occupations) – With good official language proficiency (Canadian Language Benchmark Level [CLB] 5 or higher)	Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 7(Maximum 25 points)	Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first official language abilities(Maximum 50 points)
With a certificate of qualification	25	50

Subtotal: A. Core / human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors – Maximum 600 points.

D. Additional Points Factors

Additional points	Maximum 600 points
Arranged employment (positive Labour Market Impact Assessment required)	50
Provincial or territorial nomination	600