A new selection system for Canadian immigration, the Express Entry is aimed at selecting skilled workers who can fulfill labour market needs (alternative: who can contribute to the economy).

The Express Entry system is the new electronic process that allows individuals to immigrate to Canada based on their skills and experiences. Based on the demand of their expertise, individuals can apply to within the federal government, provincial government, or private Canadian employer programs under the system.

Created in 2015, the Express Entry system was designed to make the Canadian immigration process more accessible and efficient. It has been extremely successful, reducing the processing time considerably. The Express Entry system is not an immigration program itself, but rather a system that manages the pool of candidates for Canada’s three Federal Economic Immigration programs, namely the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.

Applicants are ranked according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which is a point system based on information such as age, qualifications and work experience. Express Entry draws are held every 2 weeks, where candidates are ranked against each other and those with the highest CRS scores will be invited to live in Canada permanently.