This tool compares your answers with the minimum requirements of the three programs managed through Express Entry and tells you which ones you appear to meet, which you do not, and which still need a document or a number you have not confirmed. The rules come from IRCC's pages "Eligibility to apply for Express Entry", "Canadian Experience Class", "Federal Skilled Worker Program", "Federal Skilled Trades Program", "Language test results" and "2026 changes to points for Canadian work experience and job offers" (all last modified October 16, 2026), opened and checked on October 19, 2026. The result is an estimate, not an eligibility decision.
How the checker decides
Each program is tested against its own minimum requirements. A program shows appears to meet when every answer satisfies the rule, does not meet when at least one answer fails a rule (the failing requirement is named), and check when nothing fails but something is still unconfirmed, such as your 67-point score, your settlement funds, your NOC group or your admissibility.
| Requirement | Canadian Experience Class | Federal Skilled Worker Program | Federal Skilled Trades Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work experience | 1 year (1,560 hours) of paid skilled work in Canada, TEER 0–3, in the last 3 years, while authorized to work; not while a full-time student, not self-employment | 1 year (1,560 hours) of continuous, paid skilled work in one NOC, TEER 0–3, in the last 10 years, in Canada or abroad | 2 years (3,120 hours) of full-time work in an eligible skilled trade in the last 5 years, in a country where you were qualified to practise |
| Language (all four abilities) | CLB/NCLC 7 for TEER 0 or 1; CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 2 or 3 | CLB/NCLC 7 | CLB/NCLC 5 speaking and listening; CLB/NCLC 4 reading and writing |
| Education | Not required | Canadian secondary or post-secondary credential, or a completed foreign credential with an ECA | Not required |
| Selection grid | None | At least 67 of 100 points on the six selection factors | None |
| Job offer or certificate | Not required | Not required (a valid offer earns grid points) | A valid full-time job offer of at least 1 year, or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province, territory or federal authority |
| Settlement funds | Not required | Required unless you are legally allowed to work in Canada and have a valid job offer | Required unless you are legally allowed to work in Canada and have a valid job offer |
| Where you live | Outside Quebec | Outside Quebec | Outside Quebec |
| Admissibility | Required | Required | Required |
Job offers and the November 3, 2026 change
On October 19, 2026, IRCC's program pages still describe a valid job offer as one supported by a labour market impact assessment (LMIA), an LMIA exemption or the right work permit. IRCC's page on the 2026 changes says that as of November 3, 2026 an LMIA is no longer needed for a job offer to count for program eligibility or for Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, an LMIA earns no extra CRS points and no priority, and an officer will assess whether the offer is genuine when you apply for permanent residence. For the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades Programs the eligibility job offer can be in any eligible TEER 0–3 job; it does not have to be in a high-wage occupation. Until the online system is updated, IRCC says profiles must still select a positive LMIA and enter the placeholder details on IRCC's page. This is announced and takes effect on November 3, 2026; check IRCC's page again after that date.
Category-based selection
Meeting a program's minimum requirements puts you in the Express Entry pool; it does not mean you will be invited. IRCC invites candidates in general rounds, in provincial nominee rounds, in Canadian Experience Class rounds and in category-based rounds (for example French-language proficiency, health care and social services, STEM, trades, education and others). A category round only invites candidates who already meet a program's requirements and also meet the category's own conditions.
Other reminders
- Admissibility. You must be admissible to Canada; grounds include security, criminal and medical reasons. This checker only records what you tell it.
- Language results. Results must be less than 2 years old both when you complete your profile and when you submit your permanent residence application.
- Educational credential assessment. For the Federal Skilled Worker Program a foreign credential counts only with an ECA done for immigration. For the other two programs education is optional but earns CRS points.
- Provincial nominees. If you are nominated by a province or territory, you must plan to settle there.
- Physicians. IRCC's Canadian Experience Class page notes a temporary public policy under which some physicians can count self-employed work; see IRCC's page for the conditions.
Limits of this estimate
Next step
- If you appear to meet at least one program, estimate your ranking score with the CRS calculator.
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: estimate your grid score with the FSW 67-point calculator and check your funds with the proof of funds calculator.
- Read the guides to the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Official sources
- IRCC: Eligibility to apply for Express Entry (comparison of the three programs)
- IRCC: Canadian Experience Class
- IRCC: Federal Skilled Worker Program
- IRCC: Federal Skilled Trades Program
- IRCC: Language test results (minimum CLB and NCLC levels per program)
- IRCC: Proof of funds (who needs it)
- IRCC: 2026 changes to points for Canadian work experience and job offers (November 3, 2026)