What’s New in the Express Entry Program

Canada's immigration authorities have once again made changes to the Express Entry program to make sure that immigrants possess qualities that will help Canada's economy. These changes involve using specific categories to invite newcomers who have certain skills, education, and work experience.

These categories have been chosen based on what Canada’s labour market needs, as well as input from different stakeholders such as provinces, industry experts, unions, employers, and immigration professionals. For 2023, the selected categories are for occupations in healthcare, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), trades, transportation, agriculture, and agri-food. There is also a category for French language proficiency.

To be eligible for one of these categories, you first need to meet the basic requirements for one of the three Express Entry programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, or the Canadian Experience Class. Then, you must also meet the specific requirements for the category the Minister decides to make the draw for. For the job-based categories, you need to have at least six months of full-time work experience within the last three years in one of the jobs listed. For the French language category, you need to score at least 7 in all four language skills on the government-approved French language test.

The process of selecting candidates from the Express Entry pool to apply for permanent residence has not changed. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration decides how many candidates will be invited in each round, and the highest-scoring candidates get the invitation. If, for example, the Minister decides to invite 300 people, the 300 candidates in the pool with the highest scores will be invited. Category-based rounds will be smaller, so if you meet the criteria for a category, your chances of getting an invitation are better. You can check if you're eligible for Express Entry by filling out our assessment form