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Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker
The Federal Skilled Worker Program selects candidates on skilled work experience, language, education and other human-capital factors through Express Entry. It carries a formal pass/fail eligibility test and a separate points assessment. The requirements below are anchored to the official source text rather than paraphrased.
Sources on this page last verified Sep 22, 2026.
Eligibility criteria
The requirements below are drawn directly from the governing regulation and IRCC program guidance for Express Entry — Federal Skilled Worker. Each is anchored to the verbatim source text, not a paraphrase, so you can read the rule as it is written and follow it to the official page.
“If you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian: secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution”
“certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory (if you have one)”
“Your skilled work experience must: show that you performed: the actions in the lead statement of the NOC job description, and most of the main duties listed”
“Secondary education required.”
“proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes if: you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program, or you want to get points for the education you got outside Canada”
“If you have foreign education, you must have: a completed educational credential and an Educational Credential Assessment for immigration purposes”
“proof of Canadian education or an [educational credential assessment report](/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/education-assessment.html) for immigration purposes if: - you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program”
“Not required, but you can get selection criteria points for having a valid job offer.”
“You must: take approved language tests in English or French”
“language test results”
“Your skilled work experience must: be at least 1 year of continuous work or 1,560 hours total (30 hours per week)”
“Your skilled work experience must: have the same NOC as the job you want to use for your immigration application (called your primary occupation)”
“Your skilled work experience must: be paid work (you must have been paid wages or earned commission—volunteer work or unpaid internships don’t count)”
“a passport or travel document”
“You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada.”
“proof of work experience (such as a reference or experience letter from an employer)”
“Your skilled work experience must: have been obtained within the last 10 years, in Canada or abroad”
“If you score 67 points or higher, you may qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.”
“Your skilled work experience must: be in 1 of these TEER categories: 0, 1, 2, or 3”
“If your passport is still expired after adding 5 years to the printed expiry date, you cannot use it to create a profile or submit an application through Express Entry.”
“1 year continuous within the last 10 years (combination of part-time, full-time or more than 1 job in your [primary occupation](/en/services/immigration-citizenship/helpcentre/glossary.html#Primary_Occupation:))”
“Work experience in an occupation listed in 1 of these NOC TEER Categories: - TEER 0 - TEER 1 - TEER 2 - TEER 3”
“written job offer from an employer in Canada (if you have one)”
Read the full eligibility criteria page →
Documents and eligibility gates
Every requirement below is quoted verbatim from the official source and linked back to it. Navisa reads and cites the governing text rather than restating a document name from memory. This is a reference summary, not immigration advice, and it does not replace review by a licensed RCIC.
“Secondary education required.”
“CLB 4 for reading and writing”
“CLB 5 for speaking and listening”
“CLB 5 for TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations”
“Work experience in a skilled trade under key groups of TEER 2 or TEER 3: - Major Group **72**, technical trades and transportation officers and controllers - excluding Sub-Major Group **726**, transportation officers and controllers - Major Group **73**, general trades - Major Group **82**, supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production - Major Group **83**, natural resources and related production - Major Group **92**, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors, and utilities operators and controllers - Major Group **93**, central control and process operators and aircraft assembly assemblers and inspectors - excluding Sub-Major Group **932**, aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors - Minor Group **6320**, cooks, butchers and bakers - Unit Group **62200**, chefs”
“CLB 7 for TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupations”
“Work experience in an occupation listed in 1 of these NOC TEER Categories: - TEER 0 - TEER 1 - TEER 2 - TEER 3”
“If you went to school in Canada, you must have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian: secondary institution (high school) or post-secondary institution”
“certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory”
“certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory (if you have one)”
“You must include your Canadian credential or your foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment report when you apply.”
“proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report”
“proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes if: you’re applying through the Federal Skilled Workers Program, or you want to get points for the education you got outside Canada”
“If you have foreign education, you must have: a completed educational credential and an Educational Credential Assessment for immigration purposes”
“You must: take approved language tests in English or French”
“language test results”
“We issued your work permit based on a positive labour market impact assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada”
“a passport or travel document”
“Most applicants will also need to upload: police certificates”
“You must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in Canada.”
“You don't need proof of funds if you: are currently able to legally work in Canada, and have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada”
“proof of work experience”
“proof of work experience (such as a reference or experience letter from an employer)”
“To get these points, you must submit your spouse or common-law partner’s test results from an approved agency when you apply.”
“When you apply online, you’ll need to provide one of those documents.”
“You can get points if you have a job offer of at least 1 year from a Canadian employer. You must get the job offer before you apply to come to Canada as a Federal Skilled Worker.”
“That employer has made a valid job offer based on you being accepted as a skilled worker.”
“Your work permit is valid both when you apply and when the permanent resident visa is issued”
“written job offer from an employer in Canada (if you have one)”
“written job offer from an employer in Canada”
Read the full documents and eligibility gates page →
Recent policy changes affecting this program
Tracked changes Navisa has tagged to this program, dated and cited to their official source.
Canada Gazette, Part I: Volume 160 - Canada.ca
Index page listing all 2026 regular and extra editions of the Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 160, with links to the full HTML and PDF issues for each publica…
Updates - Canada.ca
A new Program Delivery Update titled "Temporary workers: Eligibility and admissibility" (category tr) was added to the top of the list, dated October 8, 2026…
Immigrate through Express Entry: Documents - Canada.ca
The generic note and single 5‑year-extension rule for Venezuelan passports has been replaced with detailed rules. Now, only passports issued before June 7, 2…
Check current IRCC processing times - Canada.ca
A second “Why processing times change” block now states forward-looking estimates are updated each week (and expected processing is counted per week), alongs…
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