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Express Entry & the Federal Skilled Worker Program: eligibility explained

The 67-point Federal Skilled Worker Program eligibility grid, the CRS ranking score, and why Quebec runs its own separate process.

This page is in English on purpose. BienArrivé is a French-language site for francophone newcomers to Canada, but this specific topic is searched mostly in English, so we cover it here directly. Prefer French? Read the full French guide.

What Express Entry actually is

Express Entry is the online system Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to manage applications for three federal economic immigration programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). It is not itself a program you apply to — it is the pool your profile sits in once you qualify for one of those programs.

Federal Skilled Worker Program: the 67-point eligibility grid

To be eligible for the FSWP you need 67 points out of 100 on its own grid — separate from your CRS ranking score inside the pool:

  • Language (max 28): CLB/NCLC 7 or higher in all four abilities on an approved test is required just to qualify.
  • Education (max 25): a Canadian credential, or a foreign one with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
  • Work experience (max 15): at least 1 continuous year (1,560 hours) of skilled work (TEER 0–3) in the last 10 years.
  • Age (max 12), arranged employment (max 10) and adaptability (max 10) make up the rest of the grid.

CRS score: what ranks you inside the pool

Once eligible, your profile is ranked against everyone else's using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), out of 1,200 points, based on core factors (age, education, language, work experience — alone or with a spouse) plus additional factors like a provincial nomination, a validated job offer, Canadian study, or a sibling in Canada. IRCC then issues Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates above a cutoff score that changes with every draw — there is no fixed "passing" CRS number, so check current draw results before assuming a score is high or low enough.

Quebec is different

If you plan to settle in Quebec, Express Entry does not apply the same way: Quebec selects its own skilled workers through its own program (the PSTQ) and issues a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) before the federal permanent residence application proceeds.

Official sources

Rules, fees and processing times change — always check the government page before you rely on a number here.

Reading this in French?

Notre guide complet en français couvre les mêmes critères, avec le programme québécois en détail.

Voir le guide en français