Submit your Express Entry profile and get the invitation to apply

1. Fill out the online form

If you want to come to Canada as a skilled immigrant, your first step is to submit your profile to the Express Entry pool.

If you’re eligible, we will:

• place you in a pool with others who are also eligible
• give you a score and rank you using several factors
• invite you to apply to be a permanent resident of Canada (if you’re one of the top candidates)

You can only apply online if we send you an invitation to apply.

Completing an online Express Entry profile or entering the pool doesn’t guarantee that we’ll invite you to apply for permanent residence.

Eligibility questions

Answer a few questions to see if you’re eligible for Express Entry. It’ll take you about 15 minutes.

If you’re married or have a common-law partner, one of you must be the main or principal applicant. This person will submit a profile and list the spouse or partner in it.

Your principal applicant should be the one of you most likely to:

• meet the eligibility requirements
• earn the most points in the selection factors (if applying under the Federal Skilled Workers Program)
• earn the most points in Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System

This tool gives you a number at the end (a personal reference code). The code looks like: JM1234567890. Use this number to move your information from the tool to your Express Entry profile.

Find out if you’re eligible

Create your Express Entry profile

If you’re eligible, the tool will send you to your online account to fill out an Express Entry profile.

1. Follow the instructions to create an account (if you don’t already have one).
2. Enter your personal reference code when it prompts you to (only if you have one).
3. Enter your personal details.

• Create or sign in to your account

To complete your profile, you’ll need:

• information from certain documents (for example, language test results)
• your National Occupational Classification (NOC) job title and code

You may exit the profile at any time. Your information will be saved in your account.

You have 60 days to complete and submit your Express Entry profile. Otherwise, you’ll have to start again.

Once you’ve filled out your profile, you can submit it online. We’ll figure out which immigration program you’re eligible for under Express Entry.