The Canadian authorities have announced that the Express Entry Program will undergo a series of changes. Keep reading to find out what the Canadian immigration programme is and what will change this year. If you are travelling to Canada for business purposes only, an eTA Canada will be enough.

Canada's Express Entry Program

The Express Entry Program is an inmigration program created by the Canadian authorities. Eligible candidates can obtain a permanent residence permit for Canada and therefore travel to Canada without a visa. The Express Entry Program is intended for people who have good English language skills and who have work experience in certain sectors.

Categories included in the Express Entry Program

The Express Entry Program includes 3 different categories for candidates to apply for:

• Canadian Experience Class Program: for individuals who in the last 3 years have obtained a minimum of 1 year of work experience in Canada in a managerial position or in a role requiring a university or college degree.
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: for individuals who in the last 10 years have obtained a minimum of 1 year of experience outside Canada in a managerial position or in a role requiring a university, college or vocational diploma.
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: for people who in the last 5 years have gained at least 2 years of work experience in a technical or skilled job in certain sectors. This could include professions in, for example, construction, industry or agriculture.

Registration procedure

Individuals wishing to enrol in one of these three programmes must create a profile on the Canadian immigration services website. Candidates are then awarded points based on their language knowledge, level of education, skills and relevant work experience. They will be added to a pool, where they will be ranked according to the points obtained. Candidates with the highest number of points will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Changes to the program in 2025

The Canadian authorities have announced that the Express Entry Program will undergo some changes in 2025. In 2024, the programme focused mainly on jobs related to technology, transport and agriculture. These professions are now no longer top priority. People working in these sectors can still register in the normal pool, but they will no longer have priority over other jobs.

This year, the programme will focus on workers in the education, health and skilled trades sectors. This means that teachers, educators, doctors and skilled workers such as contractors and plumbers will have easier access to a permanent residence permit. Besides, this year, the Canadian authorities will focus particularly on candidates who have gained work experience in Canada. Thus, candidates who have registered for the Canadian Experience Class Program will be given preference over candidates in the other two programmes. Similarly, candidates with a good knowledge of the French language will have more chances to be selected.

Working temporarily with an eTA

The Canadian Express Entry Program is intended for those who wish to immigrate to Canada to live and work there. People wishing to work in Canada only on a temporary basis do not need to register for any of these three immigration programmes. Instead, they can apply for a Canada visa (work permit). The Canadian government offers two types of work visas. On the one hand, there is the open work permit, which allows you to work for different companies in Canada. On the other hand, it is also possible to apply for an employer-specific work permit, which only allows you to work for the company indicated at the time of application.

People travelling to Canada for business, and not for the purpose of being employed by a Canadian company, do not need to apply for a visa. Instead, they can use an electronic travel authorisation: the eTA Canada. The eTA is intended for people visiting business partners, trade fairs or companies. However, the eTA doesn't not allow for physical work in Canada. You can easily apply for your eTA using the online form on this website. eTA Canada applications are usually approved within 3 days.