Apply for permanent residence through Express Entry

Express Entry is IRCC's online system for three federal skilled-worker programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. You create a profile, get a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in a pool of candidates, and only if IRCC invites you do you submit a full electronic application for permanent residence (e-APR). This guide walks through each stage, from checking eligibility to confirming your permanent resident status, and points to IRCC's own instructions at every step.

Who it is for: Skilled workers who may qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program or Federal Skilled Trades Program (including provincial nominees in Express Entry-linked streams) and who plan to live outside Quebec.

12 steps in order, a checklist of 26 documents, what to write in each form field and the mistakes IRCC warns about, each linked to the official page it comes from. Last checked against IRCC’s pages on November 3, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

The complete walkthrough is also published as a page that opens without JavaScript.

Start with a free Canadian citizenship practice test or practice test 2: twenty questions each, answers explained, no account needed.

All 52 practice exams, every Discover Canada study chapter, the calculators, the travel log and official updates are free. There is no account: your plan stays in your browser.

Explore our preparation guides, including CLB 9 in CELPIP and your CRS score and NCLC 7 in TEF Canada and your CRS score. Guides open without an account or JavaScript.

Study for the citizenship test with notes on every Discover Canada chapter, or read the Express Entry draw history: every recorded round, category and CRS cut-off.

Applying? Follow a step-by-step walkthrough of your IRCC application, from Express Entry and work or study permits to citizenship, with every point linked to the official page.