Express Entry Lawyer · Toronto

Who this page is for

This page is for skilled workers who want permanent residence through Express Entry under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW). It covers workers already in Canada on a work permit, skilled workers abroad, candidates who have just received an invitation to apply, and people whose earlier profile or application was returned or refused.

How Express Entry works

Express Entry is the IRCC system that manages applications for three federal economic programs: the CEC, the FSW and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. This page covers the first two. You create an online profile. If you are eligible for at least one program, IRCC places you in the pool and ranks you under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). IRCC then holds rounds of invitations. A round can be general, program-specific or category-based. If you are invited, you have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence.

Cut-off scores and round sizes change from one round to the next, so we do not quote them from memory. IRCC publishes each result on its rounds of invitations page.

Canadian Experience Class

The CEC is for people with skilled work experience in Canada. Under the current rules you need at least one year of paid work, or 1,560 hours, in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 jobs in the three years before you apply. You must have done that work in Canada while authorized to work under temporary resident status. Work done while you were a full-time student does not count. Self-employment does not count either, apart from a narrow exception for some physicians. You also need approved language test results at the level IRCC sets for your job. There is no education requirement, and you must plan to live outside Quebec. See the official CEC page.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

The FSW is for skilled workers whose experience may be outside Canada. You need one year of continuous paid work, or 1,560 hours, in your primary occupation within the last 10 years. You also need approved language results and a completed credential, with an Educational Credential Assessment for immigration purposes if you studied abroad. IRCC then scores you out of 100 on its selection factors, and you need at least 67 points. Unless you can already work legally in Canada and hold a valid job offer, you must also show settlement funds. See the official FSW page.

Category-based rounds

Some rounds invite only candidates who fit a category set by the Minister. As of September 25, 2026, IRCC lists ten: French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education, transport, physicians with Canadian work experience, senior managers with Canadian work experience, researchers with Canadian work experience, and skilled military recruits. For most occupation categories you need at least 12 months of full-time work, or the part-time equivalent, in one listed occupation in the past three years. Some categories require that work to be in Canada. Categories change, so we check the category-based selection page on the day we advise you.

Since March 25, 2025, a job offer no longer adds points to your CRS score (IRCC CRS criteria).

What officers look for

• The right NOC: IRCC requires that you performed the actions in the lead statement of the NOC description and most of its main duties. A job title is not enough. We map your actual duties to the NOC before a profile is created. We explain why in this post on category draws and NOC codes.

• Employment letters that prove the claim: dates, hours, pay and duties, written in the employer's own words and backed by pay stubs, T4 slips or other tax records.

• A profile that matches the application: IRCC decides on program eligibility, the accuracy of your profile, category eligibility and admissibility. Every point you claimed must be provable from the documents you upload.

• A complete application: under IRPR section 12, IRCC returns an application that does not meet the completeness rules. We cover how strict this has become in our post on incomplete applications.

• Admissibility: medical exams, police certificates and a full, honest history for you and every family member, including family members who are not coming with you.

Common reasons for refusal, and how we build against them

• Experience that does not count: work done as a full-time student, self-employment and unauthorized work do not count for the CEC. We count hours job by job before you enter the pool.

• A NOC that does not fit: we choose the code from your duties, not the code that scores better.

• Missing or expired documents: you get a checklist built for your file, and we check validity dates before submission. When a document cannot be obtained, we explain why in writing. A Federal Court decision on this point is discussed in our post on IRCC checklists and the law.

• Misrepresentation: under IRPA section 40, a material misstatement or omission can lead to refusal and a five-year bar. We disclose past refusals, charges and inconsistencies and explain them, rather than patching them over.

• Losing status while you wait: a bridging open work permit is only available after your complete application passes the completeness check. Until then, keep your permit valid and file any backup application before it expires. See our post on maintained status.

A refusal is not always the end. Depending on the reasons, the options are a reconsideration request, a new profile and application after we review the officer's notes, or judicial review at the Federal Court. Leave must be sought within 15 days if the matter arose in Canada and within 60 days if it arose outside Canada (IRPA section 72).

How we work

You work with the lawyer, Ahmet Faruk Ocak, from the first call to the decision. There are no case managers. Faruk is also licensed in Türkiye and works in English and Turkish.

• Online consultation: we review your work history, language results and status. If there is a viable path, we tell you which one, and if there is not, we say so plainly.

• Flat fee: the fee is agreed in writing before you hire us, and you can pay it in full or in two instalments. It is held in trust and earned at set milestones. Government fees are separate, and HST applies to Canadian residents.

• Secure intake and a shared folder: you complete a secure online intake, and we open a shared document folder and build a checklist for your file.

• Email for everything: advice, instructions and updates come by email, so every step is on record.

What happens next

Book an online consultation at cal.com/blacksyimmigration. Have your work history, language test results, any ECA report and your current permit dates ready. If you already have an invitation to apply, tell us the deadline when you book.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a job offer for Express Entry?

No. Neither the Canadian Experience Class nor the Federal Skilled Worker Program requires one. Since March 25, 2025, a job offer no longer adds CRS points. A valid job offer can still earn FSW selection points, and if you can already work legally in Canada it removes the need to show settlement funds for the FSW. We check whether your offer meets IRCC's definition before you rely on it.

What is the difference between the CEC and the FSW?

The CEC rewards skilled work done in Canada: at least one year, or 1,560 hours, in the three years before you apply, with no education requirement. The FSW allows experience anywhere: one year of continuous work in your primary occupation within 10 years, education with an ECA if you studied abroad, at least 67 selection points and, in most cases, settlement funds. You can be eligible for both at once.

What CRS score do I need?

No one can tell you in advance. Cut-offs change with every round and depend on the round type and category. IRCC publishes each result on its rounds of invitations page. What we can do is calculate your score correctly, check which categories you actually fit, and show you which factors, such as language results, could still move your score.

My work permit will expire before I get an invitation. What can I do?

Act before it expires. A bridging open work permit is only available after you submit a complete permanent residence application and it passes the completeness check. Before that, you may need an extension based on another work permit category, filed before expiry. Any backup application must also be filed before expiry, because of how maintained status now works.

What if IRCC returns or refuses my application?

A return for incompleteness under IRPR section 12 and a refusal on the merits are different, and so are the remedies. Options include a reconsideration request in limited cases, a new profile and application after we review the officer's notes, or judicial review at the Federal Court, which has a 15-day deadline for matters arising in Canada. We tell you which option is realistic.