Permanent Residence in Canada with Express Entry (outside of Quebec)

The Points System in the Express Entry Applicant Pool

As we explained earlier, your chances of being selected from the applicant pool will depend on the maximum number of points you earn. The number of points varies based on whether you are applying alone or with your spouse/partner.

Remember: to be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), you must first obtain 67 out of 100 points on a specific selection grid that has nothing to do with the Express Entry grid.

Your application in the Express Entry grid can earn you a maximum of 1200 points.

The IRCC will base its decision on several factors when it comes to assigning points.

Basic Factors (up to 500 points)

• Your age
• Your level of education (assessed using the ECA if you did not study in Canada)
• Your proficiency in the official languages (French and English)
• Your work experience in Canada

Note: for couples, the points total for the basic factors is slightly different in that fewer points are awarded to the main applicant (up to 460 points). The remaining points will be awarded to the spouse/partner’s profile (up to 40 points).

Factors based on “transferability of skills” (up to 100 points)

• The combination of education and official language proficiency.
• The combination of education and work experience in Canada.
• The combination of work experience outside Canada and official language proficiency.
• The combination of work experience outside Canada and work experience in Canada.
• The combination of holding a certificate of competency and being proficient in an official language (for skilled trades).

These factors (basic factors and transferable skills factors) can give you a total of 600 points. You can find more details about the awarding of points on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.

Additional Points (up to 600 points)

There are different ways to earn additional points which will most likely allow you to be selected from the applicant pool more quickly.

• Provincial Nomination (600 points): a provincial or territorial nomination (via a provincial or territorial Express Entry immigration programme) earns you 600 points! You can find more information on the special Express Entry programmes set up by the provinces and territories in chapter 13 of this guide.
• A “reserved job offer” from a Canadian employer (50 to 200 points): this is a job offer which has received a favourable Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (some candidates are exempt from the LMIA requirement). You can earn 200 points for a job offer at level 00 (senior management) and 50 points for other occupations in categories A, B, or 0 of the NOC. You can find out more about this in chapter 12 of this guide.
• Higher education in Canada (15 to 30 points): you can earn an additional 15 to 30 points. If you have completed a 1 or 2-year degree or certification in Canada, you may be awarded 15 points. If you have a degree or certification of 3 years or more from an institution, or if you have completed at least one year of schooling as part of your master’s or PhD, you could earn 30 points. You can earn a maximum of 30 points for your studies in Canada (it isn’t possible to get 45 points if you have done all your studies in Canada).
• Have a good level of French (15 to 30 points): as explained earlier in the chapter about language tests, you can earn bonus points if you possess a good level of French (CLB 7 or higher) in the 4 language skills (15 extra points).
  If you also have a good command of English as well as French (CLB 5 or higher) in the 4 language skills, you can earn 15 extra points. That’s a total of 30 additional points to earn if you have a good knowledge of these two languages.
• Have a brother or sister in Canada (15 points): Canada believes that having a sibling who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (and living in Canada) is a benefit which will facilitate your integration. You may therefore be awarded 15 additional points if your sibling (with whom you have at least one parent in common) is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident here.

These additional points cannot exceed 600. This means that if you have been nominated by a province, you won’t be eligible for any extra points.

As you would expect, applicants who go through a dedicated Express Entry Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) are invited to apply more quickly than others. To a lesser extent, this is also the case for those who have a job offer in Canada.