# How Express Entry works?

1. Potential applicants will need to be eligible under one of the following federal economic immigration programs:
   * The Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSW)
   * The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
   * The Federal Skilled Trades Class (FST)
2. Eligible individuals may submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), which will be assessed and issued a ranking score. The ranking score for Express Entry is based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
3. Under the CRS, candidates are assigned a score out of 1,200, which is used to rank federal economic candidates for immigration to Canada. Candidates can improve their rank and thereby increase their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA), by taking steps to improve their CRS score. &#x20;
4. The CRS is not a selection criterion (like that of the one used for the Federal Skilled Worker Class), rather it is a ranking system for candidates who are eligible under the FSWC, CEC, or FSTC. &#x20;
5. The CRS score is used as a cut-off point in Express Entry draws. It is designed to project a candidate’s likelihood of being economically successful in Canada.
6. It ranks different candidates based on their career and educational history, language skills, and whether they have already received a qualifying job offer or provincial nomination in Canada, among other factors. &#x20;
7. Those candidates with a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or another qualifying job offer, are eligible for either 50 or 200 bonus points in the CRS. Provincial nominees can receive 600 bonus points. &#x20;
8. Qualifying job offers used to receive 600 points also, but this was amended in the Express Entry changes of November 2016. &#x20;
9. Candidates without a job offer or a provincial nomination may then register with Job Bank (https://www.jobbank.gc.ca), a free public resource used to help Canadian employers identify and select workers possessing the skills they require.  This step used to be mandatory but has become voluntary as of June 2017.&#x20;
10. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conduct Express Entry draws at regular intervals (usually every two weeks). In these Express Entry draws, candidates above a certain rank are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence.  Invited candidates are given 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence, including all supporting documentation. &#x20;
11. Candidates in the pool who have not yet been selected can improve their Express Entry profile and score. They can do this by submitting new and updated information.

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Look at the section 'Improving your CRS score' to learn about the different ways you can improve your score

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