Service

Express Entry

Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades

Express Entry is the online system Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to manage applications for three of Canada's main economic permanent-residence programs. It is not a program in itself — it is the pool and ranking system that decides who gets invited to apply, and when.

The three programs it manages

Federal Skilled Worker

For skilled workers with foreign work experience who meet the education, language and points requirements.

Canadian Experience Class

For people who already have skilled work experience in Canada — often on a post-graduation or employer-supported permit.

Federal Skilled Trades

For qualified people in skilled trades with a valid qualification or job offer.

How your ranking (CRS) works

Everyone in the pool gets a score out of 1,200. IRCC invites the highest-ranked candidates in regular draws. Your score is built from:

Core human capital

Age, education, and official-language ability in English and/or French.

Work experience

Both Canadian and foreign skilled work experience.

A provincial nomination

Worth 600 points — in practice, a guaranteed invitation to apply.

Spouse & skill transferability

Your partner's profile, Canadian study, French ability, and certain skill combinations.

Category-based draws

Alongside general rounds, IRCC now holds category-based draws that target specific priorities — such as strong French-language ability or experience in selected occupations like healthcare, the trades, and STEM. These can invite candidates with lower scores than a general round, which is why accurate positioning matters.

Why strong candidates still miss

Wrong NOC code

Work experience claimed under the wrong occupation classification.

Language one band short

Test results that fall just below a higher points bracket.

No credential assessment

Education that was never properly assessed (ECA).

Missed category draws

Profiles that don't position for the targeted rounds they'd qualify under.

How Vik Immigration helps

We assess your real CRS position, identify the levers that move your score the most, and build an accurate profile that reflects your experience the way an officer reads it — then prepare the full PR application from profile to submission.

More Pathways

Explore other services.

Provincial Nominee Program

Provincial streams matched to your profile and goals

Learn more →

Work Permits & LMIA

Employer-supported permits, LMIA strategy, post-graduation work permits

Learn more →

Study Permits

First-time applications, extensions, and refusal recovery

Learn more →

Family Sponsorship

Spousal and common-law, inland and outland, dependent children

Learn more →

Refusals & Resubmissions

Refusal analysis, GCMS review, resubmission and reconsideration strategy

Learn more →

Not sure if this is the right pathway?

Book a consultation for an honest assessment of your eligibility, the risks officers will see, and the strongest route for your situation.

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