Create an Express Entry Profile is the step that allows an eligible skilled worker to enter Canada’s Express Entry pool and receive a Comprehensive Ranking System score.
The profile asks for information about your identity, language results, education, work history, family situation, immigration status and other factors that may affect eligibility and ranking.
You should enter every answer carefully. If you later receive an Invitation to Apply, the information in your profile must be supported by your permanent residence forms and documents.
This guide focuses on how to start, complete, submit and update the online profile rather than repeating the full Express Entry document checklist.
Important: This article provides general information and is not legal or immigration advice. IRCC screens and account wording may change. Follow the instructions shown in your own account and verify current program requirements before submitting.
Table of Contents
- What Is an Express Entry Profile?
- Before You Start
- Personal Reference Code
- Sign In to Your IRCC Account
- Profile Creation Steps
- Entering Work History
- Education and Language Results
- Family Information
- Review and Submit
- After Submission
- How to Update a Profile
- Expiry and Withdrawal
- Common Mistakes
- Related Immigration Guides
- Official Resources
- FAQ
What Is an Express Entry Profile?
An Express Entry profile is an online expression of interest in Canadian permanent residence.
IRCC uses the information you provide to determine whether you qualify for at least one of the following programs:
If you qualify, IRCC places your profile in the candidate pool and assigns a CRS score.
Creating a profile does not mean that you have applied for permanent residence. You can submit0;”>Creating a profile does not mean that you have applied for permanent residence. You can submit a permanent residence application only after receiving an Invitation to Apply.
For a full overview, read Express Entry Canada Explained: How It Works.
Before You Create an Express Entry Profile
Confirm that you appear to meet the minimum requirements of at least one Express Entry program before starting.
Starting too early may result in an ineligible profile. For example, a candidate who does not yet have the required amount of qualifying work experience should normally wait until the minimum requirement is complete.
Prepare the information shown on documents such as:
- Passport or travel document
- Approved language test results
- Canadian education credentials
- Educational Credential Assessment report, where required
- Employment records and reference letters
- Canadian work permits and status documents
- Provincial nomination information, where applicable
- Certificate of qualification in a skilled trade, where applicable
- Valid job-offer information, where applicable
- Available settlement funds
You may not upload every document at the profile stage, but you need accurate information from them.
Read Express Entry Documents Checklist for Canada PR.
Do You Need a Personal Reference Code?
A personal reference code is generated when you complete the official Come to Canada eligibility questionnaire.
The code can transfer some questionnaire answers into your IRCC secure account and help start the correct online profile.
However, the code is not mandatory. You can start an Express Entry profile directly in your account and answer the eligibility questions again.
A personal reference code generally expires 60 days after it is issued.
Two separate 60-day periods: A personal reference code generally expires 60 days after it is issued. After starting an Express Entry profile, you also have 60 days to complete and submit that profile.
Sign In to Your IRCC Secure Account
Use the official IRCC secure account page. Depending on the available options, you may sign in using GCKey or a Canadian Interac Sign-In Partner.
After signing in:
- Go to the section for starting an application.
- Choose the option to apply to come to Canada.
- Enter your personal reference code if you have one.
- If you do not have a code, complete the eligibility questionnaire.
- Continue to the Express Entry profile if the system indicates that you may be eligible.
Save your username, recovery information and two-factor authentication recovery codes securely.
For account help, read IRCC Secure Account: GCKey and Sign-In Partner.
How to Create an Express Entry Profile Step by Step
| Step | What You Enter or Complete |
|---|---|
| 1. Eligibility questionnaire | Nationality, age, language, education, work experience, family and Canadian status information. |
| 2. Personal details | Legal name, date and place of birth, citizenship, passport and marital status. |
| 3. Contact details | Current country, address, email address and preferred language of correspondence. |
| 4. Study and language | Education history, ECA information and approved language test numbers and scores. |
| 5. Work history | Employer, occupation, NOC, dates, hours, country and Canadian work authorization. |
| 6. Application details | Provinces of interest, nomination, job offer, relatives in Canada and settlement funds. |
| 7. Review and declaration | Confirm every section is complete, sign electronically and submit the profile. |
You may leave the profile and return later. Your draft information is saved in your account, but you must submit it within 60 days of starting.
How to Enter Your Work History
Work history is one of the most important parts of an Express Entry profile because it can affect both program eligibility and CRS points.
For each job, be prepared to enter information such as:
- Job title
- Employer name
- Country and city of employment
- Start and end dates
- Number of hours worked per week
- Employment status
- NOC code
- Whether the job was completed in Canada
- Whether you had legal authorization to work in Canada
Choose the NOC based on your actual duties rather than the job title alone.
The employer letter you later provide should support the occupation, dates, hours, salary and duties claimed in the profile.
Do not shorten, extend or combine employment periods simply to produce a higher score. Keep the profile consistent with contracts, tax records, pay statements and immigration documents.
Read NOC TEER Canada: How to Choose the Right Code.
Entering Education and Language Test Results
Education
Enter completed credentials accurately, including the institution, country, study period and credential type.
For foreign education, enter the Canadian equivalency and reference information exactly as shown on the immigration-purpose ECA report.
Do not choose a Canadian equivalency based on your own interpretation of the foreign degree.
Language Results
Enter the test type, test date, report or certificate number and the result for each language ability.
Use the individual scores printed on the test report. Do not enter an estimated CLB or NCLC level unless the profile specifically requests it.
Language results must remain valid when you submit the profile and when you submit a permanent residence application after an invitation.
Spouse, Partner and Family Information
Your marital status affects the questions and CRS calculation used by the system.
When applicable, the profile may request information about your spouse or common-law partner’s:
- Education
- Language test results
- Canadian work experience
- Whether they will accompany you to Canada
IRCC does not normally request detailed dependent-child information at the initial Express Entry profile stage. That information is requested if you receive an invitation and complete the permanent residence application.
You must still answer your family-size and marital-status questions truthfully.
If some fields are greyed out, use the `Modify Family Information` or questionnaire modification option instead of trying to edit the locked field directly.
Review and Submit Your Express Entry Profile
Before submitting, open every section and confirm that its status shows complete.
Check these details especially carefully:
- Passport number and expiry date
- Legal name and date of birth
- Language test numbers and scores
- ECA organization and reference number
- NOC codes
- Employment dates and weekly hours
- Canadian immigration status
- Marital status and accompanying spouse information
- Provincial nomination or job-offer answers
- Settlement-fund amount
Complete the electronic declaration and submit the profile before the 60-day draft period expires.
Accuracy warning: False information or omission of important facts can lead to refusal, inadmissibility and a five-year ban from applying to come to Canada.
What Happens After You Submit the Profile?
IRCC reviews the answers electronically and determines whether you appear eligible for one or more Express Entry programs.
Possible results include:
| Profile Result | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Submitted | The profile has been transmitted to IRCC for electronic eligibility assessment. |
| Eligible and placed in the pool | You receive a CRS score and may be considered in invitation rounds. |
| Ineligible | The answers did not meet the current requirements of an Express Entry program. |
| Expired | No invitation was received within the 12-month profile-validity period. |
If you qualify for more than one program, you cannot select the program under which IRCC invites you.
The current processing order is:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
Your profile number and messages will appear in your IRCC account.
How to Update an Express Entry Profile
An eligible profile in the pool can be updated when your circumstances change.
You should update information such as:
- New employment or ended employment
- New language test results
- Completed education or a new ECA
- Marriage, divorce, birth or adoption
- New or withdrawn provincial nomination
- Changes to a job offer
- Updated passport information
- Changes to settlement funds
To make a change:
- Sign in to your IRCC account.
- Open the submitted applications or profiles section.
- Select `Check full application status`.
- Open `View your profile`.
- Select `Update form` beside the relevant section.
- Make the correction and select `Save and exit`.
- Continue through the declaration steps and resubmit the updated profile.
Saving the section alone may not submit the change. Complete the final update submission steps.
Updating a profile does not normally replace its original submission date and time for tie-breaking purposes.
Profile Expiry and Withdrawal
An Express Entry profile normally remains active for up to 12 months after submission.
If you are not invited during that period, the profile expires automatically and is removed from the pool.
The system does not preserve an expired profile for reuse. Before expiry, consider saving screenshots or your own record of:
- Employment entries
- Education entries
- NOC codes
- Language and ECA details
- Dates and other answers
Do not create a second active profile while the first one remains valid. Wait for it to expire or withdraw it before submitting a replacement.
A withdrawn profile cannot be restored. You must create a new profile and meet the requirements in effect at that time.
Common Express Entry Profile Mistakes
- Starting before meeting a program’s minimum work requirement
- Selecting a NOC based only on the job title
- Entering employment dates that do not match documents
- Entering the wrong language test or ECA reference number
- Claiming foreign education without a required ECA
- Treating every Canadian employment offer as a valid job offer
- Using outdated settlement-fund information
- Choosing an incorrect marital or accompanying-spouse answer
- Saving an update without resubmitting the profile
- Allowing language or ECA results to expire while in the pool
- Creating two active profiles at the same time
- Assuming pool entry guarantees an invitation
Related Immigration Guides
- Express Entry Canada Explained: How It Works
- Express Entry Documents Checklist for Canada PR
- CRS Score Explained
- Canadian Experience Class Canada
- Federal Skilled Worker Program Canada
- Federal Skilled Trades Program Canada
- NOC TEER Canada: How to Choose the Right Code
- Invitation to Apply Canada: What Happens After an ITA
Helpful Official Resources
- IRCC: Create an Express Entry Profile
- IRCC: Sign In to Your Secure Account
- IRCC: Express Entry Documents
- IRCC: Who Can Apply for Express Entry
- IRCC: Check Your CRS Score
- IRCC: Update a Submitted Express Entry Profile
Create an Express Entry Profile FAQ
Do I need a personal reference code?
No. A code can transfer answers from the Come to Canada tool, but you can start a profile without one.
How long do I have to finish the profile?
You have 60 days from the date you start the profile to complete and submit it.
Do I upload all documents when creating the profile?
The initial profile mainly requires information from your documents. A more complete document upload is required after an Invitation to Apply.
Can I choose whether I apply through CEC, FSWP or FSTP?
No. The Express Entry system determines which programs you qualify for and applies the current invitation order if you qualify for more than one.
Can I edit the profile after submitting it?
Yes, if the profile was found eligible and remains active. Save the changes and complete the resubmission steps.
Can I edit an ineligible profile?
No. An ineligible profile is no longer valid. You must correct the underlying issue and create a new profile.
How long does an Express Entry profile remain valid?
A submitted profile generally remains active for up to 12 months unless you receive an invitation, become ineligible or withdraw it.
Does submitting a profile mean I applied for PR?
No. The profile only places an eligible candidate in the pool. A permanent residence application can be submitted after receiving an Invitation to Apply.
Final Thoughts
Creating an Express Entry profile is more than completing an online questionnaire. The information entered can determine program eligibility, CRS ranking and the documents required after an invitation.
Prepare your language, education and employment information before starting, choose NOC codes according to actual duties and review every date and reference number before submitting.
After entering the pool, keep the profile updated and make sure language results, ECA information, work experience, family details and settlement funds remain accurate.
Last updated: July 2026