🇨🇦 Express Entry Program

Express Entry is an online expression-of-interest system launched by IRCC in January 2015. Skilled workers create a profile, are scored on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and placed into a pool. IRCC then holds bi-weekly draws — either general, program-specific or category-based — inviting the highest-ranked candidates to apply for permanent residence.

Three federal economic programs feed Express Entry: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) for foreign skilled workers, the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST) for skilled trades workers and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) for people with recent Canadian work experience. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams that are aligned with Express Entry also draw candidates directly from this pool through enhanced nominations.

The 2026 process is completely paperless up to the point of medical and biometrics. From Pune, you can build a competitive profile, get invited to apply, upload all documents and receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) with only a single trip to the VFS centre for biometrics.

IRCC now runs targeted draws for six occupation categories and one language category — Healthcare and social services, STEM, Trades, Transport, Agriculture and agri-food, Education, and French-language proficiency. To qualify, a candidate must be already in the pool and meet the category-specific work experience or language requirement.

Category cut-offs are dramatically lower than general rounds. In 2025 STEM draws closed at 470-495 CRS, healthcare at 430-475 CRS and French-language draws as low as 379 CRS. This makes the choice of NOC 2021 code and the framing of your work experience the highest-leverage decision in your entire file.

Mark Consultant's advisors specialise in re-mapping ambiguous work experience to the strongest eligible NOC — often the difference between waiting years in the pool and being invited in 90 days.

Profile creation to invitation: 0 days (if you're immediately ITA-worthy) to 12 months (if you need language rescoring, ECA or a PNP nomination).

Post-ITA application preparation: 30 days from ITA to submit e-APR with all documents.

IRCC processing standard: 6 months for CEC, FSW and FST from e-APR submission. Category-based draws frequently process faster, in 3-5 months.

COPR to landing: 60-90 days for the pre-landing checklist, medical validity confirmation and one-way ticket booking.