Browse the immigration pathways Canada publishes, grouped by topic. Each one gets a plain-language summary of the published criteria and a link to the official page. Orientation, not advice.
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Express Entry: Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
Work
As published by IRCC, the Federal Skilled Worker program selects for permanent residence based on skilled work experience gained anywhere in the world. Candidates must first meet the published minimum requirements for the program, then pass a separate six-factor points grid worth 100 points, of which 67 are needed. Those who qualify enter the Express Entry pool and are ranked against everyone else in it by the Comprehensive Ranking System. Rounds of invitations are issued periodically; only candidates invited in a round may apply.
Designed for: Skilled workers with foreign work experience and no requirement to have worked in Canada.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•At least one year of continuous skilled work experience in the past ten years, in an occupation classified NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3
•Language results at CLB 7 or higher in all four abilities, from an IRCC-approved test
•Secondary education, or an Educational Credential Assessment for a credential earned outside Canada
•Proof of settlement funds unless an exemption applies, plus 67 or more points on the published selection grid
As published by IRCC, the Canadian Experience Class is the Express Entry program for people who have already worked in Canada under authorization. There is no separate points grid and no settlement-funds requirement for this program; candidates who meet the published minimums enter the same Express Entry pool and are ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System. Self-employment and work performed while a full-time student do not count toward the experience requirement.
Designed for: People who have already accumulated authorized skilled work experience inside Canada, including many former students on a post-graduation work permit.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•At least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the past three years, gained with authorization
•Experience in an occupation classified NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3
•Language results at CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 occupations
•Intention to live outside Quebec, since Quebec selects its own economic immigrants
As published by IRCC, the Federal Skilled Trades program is the Express Entry stream built around qualification in a skilled trade rather than around formal education. The published criteria require experience in one of the eligible trade groups plus either a Canadian certificate of qualification or a valid job offer of at least one year. Language thresholds are lower than the other two Express Entry programs, and reading and writing are assessed separately from speaking and listening.
Designed for: Tradespeople in eligible trade groups such as construction, industrial, electrical, maintenance, and certain chef and butcher occupations.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•At least two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the past five years
•A Canadian certificate of qualification in the trade, or a valid job offer of at least one year
•Language results at CLB 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing
•Proof of settlement funds unless already authorized to work in Canada with a valid job offer
As published by IRCC, some rounds of invitations are limited to candidates already in the Express Entry pool who also meet a published category. Categories are set each year by ministerial instruction and have included French-language proficiency and specific work-experience groups such as healthcare, trades, and education. Category rounds do not change the underlying program requirements; they change who is invited from the pool and often carry a different cut-off than general rounds.
Designed for: Candidates already eligible for an Express Entry program whose language ability or occupation falls inside a category announced for that year.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Eligibility for one of the three Express Entry programs first, since categories draw from the existing pool
•For the French-language category, published test results at or above the stated NCLC threshold in French
•For occupation categories, the published amount of recent experience in an eligible occupation
•Categories and their definitions are re-set periodically, so the current list governs
As published by IRCC and by each province, a base PNP stream runs outside Express Entry. The province assesses against its own published criteria, issues a nomination if satisfied, and the nominee then files a paper-based permanent residence application with IRCC. Every province and territory except Quebec and Nunavut operates a nominee program, and each publishes its own streams for workers, graduates, entrepreneurs, and in-demand occupations.
Designed for: People with a genuine connection to one province, such as a job offer, studies, or family there, who are not aiming at the federal pool.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Criteria are set by the province, not by IRCC, and differ from stream to stream
•Most streams require a job offer, prior work or study in the province, or an occupation on the province list
•A genuine intention to live in the nominating province is a published requirement
•Federal admissibility is assessed separately by IRCC after nomination
As published by IRCC, an enhanced PNP stream is aligned with Express Entry. The candidate must already meet the requirements of one of the three federal Express Entry programs; the province then nominates from the pool, and the published effect of that nomination is 600 additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System. Provinces search the pool and issue notifications of interest, and some also accept direct applications to the stream.
Designed for: Candidates already in the Express Entry pool who also meet a province stream, and who want the faster electronic application route.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Eligibility for FSW, CEC or FST is a precondition, since the nomination is issued from the pool
•The province stream criteria must be met as well, including any occupation or connection requirement
•A nomination adds 600 points under the published Comprehensive Ranking System grid
•Both the province and IRCC must be satisfied; a nomination is not by itself permanent residence
Quebec runs a separate system. Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec sets its own selection criteria for economic immigrants and issues a Quebec Selection Certificate, and only after that does IRCC assess admissibility and issue permanent residence. Quebec streams are published by the province, weight French heavily, and use their own points grids and intake windows. Federal Express Entry programs are for people intending to live outside Quebec.
Designed for: People who intend to settle in Quebec, particularly French speakers and graduates or workers already in the province.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Selection criteria and points grids are published by Quebec, not by IRCC
•French-language proficiency carries substantial published weight across the Quebec streams
•A Quebec Selection Certificate comes first, then a separate federal permanent residence application
•Intake for several Quebec streams opens in limited windows, so the current provincial notice governs
Family sponsorship: spouse, common-law or conjugal partner
Family
As published by IRCC, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is at least 18 can sponsor a spouse or partner for permanent residence. The published test is the genuineness of the relationship and the sponsor eligibility rules, not points. Applications are filed either inland, where the sponsored person is in Canada and an open work permit may be available while the file is processed, or outland through a visa office. There is no minimum income requirement published for this category.
Designed for: Couples where one partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, including common-law and conjugal partners.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Sponsor is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian under the Indian Act, and at least 18
•A genuine relationship that was not entered into primarily to gain an immigration benefit
•The sponsor signs an undertaking to support the sponsored person for the published period
•The sponsor must not be in default on a previous undertaking or barred under the published rules
As published by IRCC, a sponsor can include or separately sponsor a dependent child. The published definition of a dependent child turns on age at the lock-in date and on whether the child is financially dependent because of a physical or mental condition. Adopted children and children being adopted have their own published route with additional provincial requirements.
Designed for: Canadian citizens and permanent residents bringing their own children, including adopted children, to Canada permanently.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•The child is under the published age limit at the lock-in date and is unmarried and not in a common-law relationship
•A child at or over that age may still qualify if dependent on a parent because of a physical or mental condition
•The sponsor signs an undertaking for the published length of time
•Adoption cases require provincial approval as well as the federal application
As published by IRCC, the Parents and Grandparents Program opens in limited intake rounds rather than continuously, and sponsors are selected from a pool of interest-to-sponsor submissions. This category does publish a minimum necessary income, tested over the preceding tax years, and a longer undertaking than spousal sponsorship. The Super Visa is the published temporary alternative, a long-stay visitor visa with its own income and private medical insurance requirements.
Designed for: Canadian citizens and permanent residents who want their parents or grandparents to live in Canada permanently, or to visit for extended periods.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Intake opens periodically; sponsors are invited from the interest-to-sponsor pool rather than applying at will
•The sponsor must meet the published minimum necessary income for the required number of tax years
•The undertaking period for this category is longer than for spousal sponsorship
•The Super Visa is a separate temporary route with its own published income and insurance requirements
As published by IRCC, a study permit is required for most programs of study in Canada longer than six months. The published requirements include acceptance at a designated learning institution, a provincial or territorial attestation letter for most applicants, proof of funds for tuition and living costs, and satisfying an officer of admissibility and of intent to leave at the end of the authorized stay. Study permit intake has been subject to published national caps since 2024, so the current notice governs.
Designed for: International students accepted at a Canadian designated learning institution, and often used as the first stage of a longer route.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•A letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution
•A provincial or territorial attestation letter, unless the applicant falls in a published exemption
•Proof of funds covering tuition plus the published cost-of-living amount, which is updated periodically
•No inadmissibility, and satisfying an officer of intent to leave at the end of the authorized stay
As published by IRCC, the Post-Graduation Work Permit is an open work permit for graduates of eligible Canadian programs. It is issued once, and its published length is tied to the length of the program of study, up to a stated maximum. Eligibility rules now include published field-of-study requirements for several categories of program, plus language thresholds, so the current published list governs. Canadian work experience gained on a PGWP is what many people later use for the Canadian Experience Class.
Designed for: Graduates of eligible Canadian programs who want authorized open work experience after finishing their studies.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Completion of an eligible program at an eligible institution, with the published minimum program length
•Application within the published window after receiving confirmation of program completion
•Field-of-study requirements apply to several program categories under the current published list
•Language results at the published threshold apply to the categories that require them
As published by Employment and Social Development Canada, most employer-specific work permits begin with a Labour Market Impact Assessment. The employer applies and must show, against published criteria, that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively affect the Canadian labour market. If a positive assessment is issued, the worker then applies to IRCC for the permit, which names the employer, the occupation, and the location.
Designed for: Workers with a confirmed job offer from a Canadian employer willing to complete the labour market process.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•The employer applies for the Labour Market Impact Assessment first, against published program requirements
•Recruitment, wage, and workplace conditions are assessed under the published streams
•The resulting work permit is tied to the named employer, occupation, and location
•The worker must still meet admissibility requirements assessed separately by IRCC
Work permit: LMIA-exempt under the International Mobility Program
Work
As published by IRCC, a large set of work permits is exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment because of a broader benefit to Canada or an international agreement. Published exemption categories include free trade agreement professionals and intra-company transferees, spouses of certain workers and students, and reciprocal programs. Each exemption has its own published code and its own evidence requirements, and the employer normally submits an offer of employment through the employer portal.
Designed for: Workers who fall inside a published exemption category, such as treaty professionals, transferees, or spouses of certain permit holders.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•The specific exemption code and its published conditions must be identified before applying
•Most categories require the employer to submit an offer of employment and pay the compliance fee
•Some categories, such as certain agreement-based professionals, have published occupation lists
•Open work permits under this program have their own published eligibility rules
As published by IRCC, International Experience Canada gives youth from countries with a bilateral youth mobility arrangement the chance to work in Canada temporarily. The published categories are Working Holiday, which is an open permit, Young Professionals, and International Co-op for students. Candidates submit to a pool for their country and category and are invited in randomized rounds while quota remains, and eligible ages and quotas differ by country agreement.
Designed for: Young adults who are citizens of a country with a youth mobility arrangement with Canada, or who use a recognized organization.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Citizenship of a country with a published bilateral youth mobility agreement, or use of a recognized organization
•Age within the range published in that country agreement at the time of application
•The published category conditions, since Young Professionals and Co-op require a related job or placement offer
•Quotas and rounds of invitations are published for each season, so the current notice governs
As published by IRCC, this pilot supports French-speaking newcomers settling in francophone minority communities outside Quebec. Participating communities are named by IRCC, each works with a local economic development organization, and the published route runs through a job offer from a designated employer in that community plus a community recommendation. Language is assessed in French, and the pilot is time-limited by design, so the current published community list and intake status govern.
Designed for: French-speaking workers who want to settle in a designated francophone minority community outside Quebec.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•A job offer from an employer designated by one of the participating communities
•French-language test results at or above the published threshold for the occupation category
•Work experience or an eligible Canadian credential as published for the stream
•A community recommendation, plus proof of funds and intent to live in that community
As published by IRCC, the Atlantic Immigration Program is an employer-driven permanent residence route for the four Atlantic provinces. A designated employer makes a job offer, the province endorses the application after a settlement plan is prepared with a designated settlement organization, and the applicant then files with IRCC. The published criteria include work experience or an Atlantic Canadian credential, language, education, and funds.
Designed for: Skilled workers and graduates of Atlantic Canadian institutions with a job offer from a designated Atlantic employer.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•A job offer from an employer designated under the program in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador
•Qualifying work experience, or graduation from a recognized Atlantic Canadian institution under the published exemption
•Language and education results at the published minimums for the occupation category
•A settlement plan and a provincial endorsement before the federal application
As published by IRCC, this pilot gives participating rural communities a route to recommend candidates for permanent residence. The structure mirrors the francophone pilot: IRCC names the communities, a local economic development organization designates employers, and a community recommendation accompanies the federal application. It replaced the earlier Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, and as a pilot it is time-limited, so the current published community list and intake status govern.
Designed for: Workers willing to settle in one of the participating rural communities, with a job offer from a designated employer there.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•A job offer from an employer designated by a participating rural community
•Work experience or an eligible Canadian credential as published for the stream
•Language and education results at the published minimums for the occupation category
•A community recommendation, proof of funds, and intent to live in that community
As published by IRCC, the Agri-Food Pilot was a permanent residence route for experienced non-seasonal workers in specific meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse production, and livestock raising occupations. IRCC has published that the pilot has reached the end of its planned run and is no longer accepting new applications, so treat this entry as background rather than a live option and check the official page for its current status.
Designed for: Experienced workers in the named agri-food occupations. Included here so the category is not mistaken for a currently open route.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•The published occupation list was narrow and industry-specific
•Non-seasonal full-time Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation was required
•Language, education, and job offer requirements were published for the pilot
•Confirm current status on the official page before relying on anything here
As published by IRCC, the Start-Up Visa grants permanent residence to entrepreneurs whose business is backed by a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator. The designated organization issues a commitment certificate and letter of support, and up to five owners can be included in one business. IRCC has published intake limits and processing caps for this program, so confirm the current intake position on the official page before planning around it.
Designed for: Entrepreneurs with a scalable business idea who can secure support from a designated Canadian organization.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•A qualifying business, with the published ownership and control thresholds met by the applicants
•A letter of support from a designated venture capital fund, angel group, or incubator
•Language results at the published minimum in English or French
•Settlement funds, plus the published intake limits currently in effect
As published by IRCC, the Self-Employed Persons Program was for people with relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics who intended to be self-employed in Canada. IRCC has published that intake for this program is paused. Treat this entry as background on the category rather than a currently open route, and check the official page for its status before planning anything around it.
Designed for: People with published relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics. Listed for completeness while intake is paused.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•Relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics, as defined in the published program criteria
•An intention and ability to be self-employed and to make a significant contribution in Canada
•A published selection grid covering experience, education, age, language, and adaptability
•Intake is paused, so the official page is the only reliable source on current status
As published by IRCC, caregiver immigration has moved through several designs. The published direction is a home care worker route that grants permanent residence to qualifying applicants with an offer of full-time home care work, with earlier pilots for child care and home support having closed to new applications. Because this category has changed repeatedly, the official page and its intake notices are the only reliable statement of what is open.
Designed for: Home care and child care workers with a qualifying offer of employment in Canada.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•A full-time offer of home care work meeting the published conditions
•Language results at the published minimum, and the published education requirement
•Recent relevant work experience or training, as set out for the route in force
•Intake windows and application caps are published, so the current notice governs
Refugee protection and humanitarian and compassionate consideration
Humanitarian
These routes are decided on the individual facts of a case and should be taken to a licensed representative rather than a reference tool. In outline, as published: refugee protection covers in-Canada claims decided by the Immigration and Refugee Board, government-assisted and privately sponsored resettlement from abroad, and humanitarian and compassionate consideration is a discretionary request under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for people who would not otherwise qualify.
Designed for: People seeking protection, and people asking for discretionary relief. Both are fact-specific: speak to a lawyer or a CICC-licensed consultant.
Published criteria and where to verify+
•In-Canada refugee claims are decided by the Immigration and Refugee Board, not by IRCC officers
•Resettlement from abroad runs through referral or private sponsorship, not direct application
•Humanitarian and compassionate requests are discretionary and are assessed on the published factors
•This is the one category on this page where a reference summary is genuinely not enough
Data note: these summaries are drawn from criteria published by IRCC and, for Quebec and provincial streams, by the province. Last verified August 18, 2026. Rules, thresholds, and intake status change without much notice, so always confirm on the official page linked in each card before you act on anything here.
Run the published numbers yourself
The scoring grids and draw results are published. These pages let you work with them directly instead of taking anyone word for it.
What does this explorer do, and what does it not do?
It is a reference list. It shows the immigration pathways Canada publishes, grouped by topic, with a plain-language summary of each set of published criteria and a link to the official page. It does not ask for personal facts, does not rank anyone, and does not tell any individual which pathway to use. Deciding which route fits a particular case is the work of a licensed immigration lawyer or a CICC-licensed consultant.
How does the Comprehensive Ranking System work?
The CRS is the published points grid used to rank candidates already in the Express Entry pool. As published by IRCC, the maximums include up to 110 points for age, up to 150 for education, up to 160 for official language proficiency, up to 80 for Canadian work experience, and 600 for a provincial nomination, with further points for skill transferability and other additional factors. The grid is amended from time to time, so confirm the current version on canada.ca. Our CRS Calculator lets you apply the published grid yourself.
What CRS score does a round of invitations require?
There is no fixed number. Each round of invitations publishes its own cut-off, and that cut-off moves with the size of the round, the program or category it targets, and the composition of the pool at that moment. Category-based rounds frequently publish different cut-offs than general rounds. Rather than repeat a range that goes stale, we track every published round and its cut-off on the Express Entry draw tracker.
Is Express Entry the only way to immigrate to Canada?
No. Express Entry manages three federal economic programs, but the published system is much wider: provincial nominee streams inside and outside Express Entry, Quebec selection under the Canada-Quebec Accord, family sponsorship, the study and work permit routes that lead to permanent residence later, regional and francophone pilots, business programs, caregiver routes, and refugee and humanitarian consideration. This page lists them by topic.
Does every province run a nominee program?
Almost. As published by IRCC, every province and territory operates a Provincial Nominee Program except Quebec, which selects its own economic immigrants under the Canada-Quebec Accord, and Nunavut. Each participating province publishes its own streams and criteria, which is why two provinces can want very different things from applicants in the same occupation.
Last verified: August 18, 2026
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