Express Entry for Australians: How to Get Canadian Permanent Residency

The Working Holiday Visa gets you to Canada for a year or two. But if you have been there long enough to know you want to stay permanently, the pathway you are looking for is Express Entry. This guide explains how it works for Australians, what your realistic chances are, and what to do to give yourself the best score.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is Canada's points-based system for selecting skilled migrants for permanent residency. It is not a visa itself - it is a pool system. You create a profile, get assigned a score, and if your score is high enough when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) runs a draw, you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.

The score is called your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Points are awarded for factors including age, education, work experience, language ability, and whether you have a job offer or provincial nomination. The higher your score, the better your chances of receiving an invitation.

The three programs inside Express Entry

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

This is the fastest and most accessible route for Australians who have already worked in Canada. To qualify, you need at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada in the past three years, in a job classified as NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. This covers most professional and skilled trade occupations. Your work must have been on a work permit or equivalent authorisation - Working Holiday Visa work counts.

Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)

This is for skilled workers applying from outside Canada or with foreign work experience. You need at least one year of continuous full-time skilled work experience anywhere in the world. Most Australian professionals applying from Australia will use this stream. You also need to pass a minimum points threshold on a separate FSW eligibility grid before you even enter the Express Entry pool.

Federal Skilled Trades (FST)

For qualified tradespeople with a valid job offer or a certificate of qualification from a Canadian province or territory. If you hold an Australian trade qualification and have been through the Red Seal recognition process, this may be your pathway. Two years of full-time skilled trade work in the past five years is required.

How your CRS score is calculated

Your CRS score is made up of four sections. The maximum score is 1,200 points, though in practice competitive scores in recent draws have been in the 490-560 range for most programs.

Age

Points peak between ages 20-29 and decline steadily after 30. The maximum age points for a single applicant (without a spouse) is 110, dropping to 0 at age 45 and above. If you are in your late 20s or early 30s, time is not on your side - the score drops each year.

Education

Australian degrees are assessed through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) by a designated organisation such as WES (World Education Services). You submit your transcripts and they confirm what the Canadian equivalent of your qualification is. Most Australian bachelor degrees assess as equivalent to a Canadian bachelor degree. This is a required step - you cannot use your Australian qualification in Express Entry without an ECA.

Language

Despite being native English speakers, Australians must still take an approved English language test. IELTS General Training and CELPIP are the most commonly used. You need to achieve a CLB 9 level in all four areas (reading, writing, listening, speaking) to score the maximum language points. For most Australians this is a formality, but you do need to sit the test - exemptions do not apply.

Provincial Nominee Programs - the backdoor to a higher score

A provincial nomination adds 600 points to your CRS score - effectively guaranteeing an ITA in the next Express Entry draw. Each province runs its own nomination programs targeting specific occupations and profiles. Some provincial streams are enhanced through Express Entry, others operate outside it entirely.

For Australians, the most accessible provincial programs tend to be in provinces with labour shortages outside the major cities - Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick have historically been more accessible than Ontario or British Columbia. In exchange for the nomination, you commit to living and working in that province.

The process from profile to PR

What score do you realistically need?

CRS cut-off scores vary with each draw and depend on the program. In 2025-2026, general Express Entry draws have had cut-off scores ranging from 490 to 550 for the FSW and CEC programs combined. Category-specific draws for healthcare, STEM, and trades workers have had lower cut-offs. The IRCC website publishes results of every draw at canada.ca.

Costs to budget for

Getting help with your application

Express Entry applications are legally complex and errors can result in rejection or delays. A Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) can assess your profile, advise on which stream gives you the best score, and manage your application. They are licensed and regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).

If you are confident in managing your own application and your situation is straightforward, many Australians successfully complete Express Entry without a consultant. The IRCC website is comprehensive. But if you have any complexity - gaps in employment, international qualifications, previous visa refusals, or uncertainty about which program you qualify for - professional advice is worth the cost.

The bottom line

Express Entry is the primary route for Australians who want to stay in Canada permanently. Your English skills and Australian education give you a strong foundation. The key actions are completing your IELTS and ECA early, understanding which stream you qualify for, and monitoring draws to know what score you are targeting. If your score is not competitive, a provincial nomination is the most impactful single thing you can add.