Visa Requirements: Moving to Canada from the UK

Last updated: April 2026

Canada Express Entry is the main pathway to Canadian permanent residence for skilled workers from the UK. Since its introduction in 2015, it has processed several hundred thousand applications and remains the fastest route to a Canadian PR card for most working-age professionals.

The system is competitive and changes regularly. Canada adjusts its draw frequencies, score thresholds, and category priorities based on labour market needs and immigration targets. This guide explains how Express Entry works in 2026, what determines your score, and what to expect from the process.

How Express Entry Works

Express Entry is not a single visa programme, it is a management system that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to select candidates from three separate immigration programmes:

– Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), for skilled workers with foreign work experience who meet the eligibility criteria

– Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), for workers in skilled trades occupations (electricians, plumbers, welders, chefs, and similar)

– Canadian Experience Class (CEC), for workers who have at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the past three years

UK nationals most commonly enter the pool through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, having never previously worked in Canada. Those who have worked in Canada on a temporary work permit may qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, which typically attracts higher CRS scores in draws.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

Every candidate in the Express Entry pool is assigned a CRS score out of 1,200 points. Higher scores are invited first. The main factors that determine your score:

The most impactful factors for UK applicants are typically education, English language scores (IELTS or CELPIP), and age. A strong English test result makes a significant difference, even if your first language is English, you need to take an approved test and submit those results. Self-assessed language ability is not accepted.

Provincial nomination adds 600 points to your CRS score and is effectively an automatic Invitation to Apply in the next draw. If a Canadian province or territory nominates you through its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), getting an ITA becomes near-certain.

Category-Based Draws

Since 2023, IRCC has conducted regular category-based draws alongside the standard all-programme draws. These target specific occupation groups and language profiles often have lower CRS cutoffs than general draws. Current categories include:

• Healthcare occupations
• STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
• Trades (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and related)
• Transport (truck drivers, heavy equipment operators)
• Agriculture and agri-food
• French language proficiency (regardless of occupation)

If your occupation falls into a priority category, you may receive an Invitation to Apply with a lower CRS score than the all-programme draw cutoff. Check the current IRCC draw history to see recent cutoff scores by category; these change with each draw.

Current CRS Score Expectations

CRS cutoff scores fluctuate based on the number of candidates in the pool, Canada’s immigration targets, and how frequently draws occur. As a general guide for 2026:

• All-programme draws: cutoffs have typically ranged between 480–540 for recent rounds
• Category-based draws: cutoffs are often lower, sometimes 430–490 for specific occupational categories
• Provincial Nominee Program draws: 700+ (because the nomination itself adds 600 points)

These figures change with every draw. The IRCC publishes a full draw history with exact CRS cutoff scores at canada.ca; check this directly for the most current picture.

Canada’s Immigration Targets

Canada significantly revised its immigration targets downward in late 2024, responding to housing and infrastructure pressures. The revised levels plan:

• 2025: approximately 395,000 new permanent residents
• 2026: approximately 380,000 new permanent residents

Express Entry accounts for a significant share of these targets, particularly through the economic class. Despite the overall reduction, Express Entry draws have continued regularly, the system remains the primary pathway for skilled worker immigration.

Steps to Apply

1. Check your eligibility

Use the IRCC’s official Come to Canada tool (canada.ca) to confirm which programme(s) you qualify for and get an estimate of your CRS score before creating a profile.

2. Take your language test

Book an IELTS General Training or CELPIP test well in advance, test centres fill up, and your result must be included in your Express Entry profile. Aim for the highest score you can reasonably achieve; each band improvement affects your CRS score.

3. Get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

If you have a degree from outside Canada, an ECA from a designated organisation (WES is the most commonly used for UK applicants) is required to have your education recognised. The process takes several weeks; start it early.

4. Create your Express Entry profile

Submit your profile online through your IRCC account. You enter the pool and receive your CRS score. The profile is valid for 12 months and can be updated.

5. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

IRCC conducts draws from the pool regularly, typically every two weeks. If your CRS score meets the cutoff in a draw, you receive an ITA. You then have 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application.

6. Submit your PR application

Once you have an ITA, you submit the full application, including police certificates, medical exams, and supporting documents. Processing time after a complete application is typically 6 months.

Provincial Nominee Programs: The Route If Your CRS Score Isn’t Competitive

If your CRS score is below recent draw cutoffs, a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nomination is the most direct way to become competitive. Each province and territory (except Quebec, which runs its own system) has its own PNP with streams targeting specific skills and occupations.

For UK applicants, the most relevant streams tend to be in:

• Ontario, tech, finance, healthcare, and skilled trades
• British Columbia, tech, healthcare, and priority occupations
• Alberta, engineers, healthcare professionals, and tradespeople
• Manitoba and Saskatchewan, various skilled workers and trades

Many PNPs have a connection requirement, either a job offer in the province, previous work or study experience there, or an invitation through the province’s own expression of interest system. Research the specific province relevant to your occupation and intended destination.

Shipping Your Belongings to Canada

Once your PR card or visa is confirmed, the removal planning can begin in earnest. Most people in the Express Entry process find that the visa stage absorbs their attention, and the physical logistics of moving a household across the Atlantic become a last-minute scramble as a result. Starting the survey process before your ITA arrives gives you an accurate cost and timeline to plan around.

Sea Freight from the UK to Canada

Sea freight is the standard method for moving household goods from the UK to Canada. Your belongings are packed into a container and shipped across the Atlantic, either in a dedicated container (for larger household moves) or a shared container, where you pay only for the space you use.

Transit times depend on your destination in Canada. The UK to Halifax (serving Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime provinces) takes approximately 10–14 days by sea. The UK to Vancouver (serving British Columbia, Alberta, and the western provinces) is typically 3–4 weeks via the Panama Canal.

Canadian Customs: What You Need to Know

Household goods entering Canada are processed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). UK nationals establishing Canadian permanent residence can import their personal belongings duty-free as settler’s effects, provided:

• You owned and used the items before arriving in Canada
• You are establishing Canadian residence for the first time (or returning after an extended absence)
• The goods arrive within 12 months of your first entry as a permanent resident

The key document is the B4 Personal Effects Accounting Document, a declaration of the goods you are importing. Your move manager prepares this with you before your belongings leave the UK. Items purchased after your arrival date do not qualify for duty-free entry and should be listed separately.

Items that cannot be imported into Canada: firearms without proper licensing, certain food products, plants, and soil. Your move manager will go through your inventory before packing day.

Your Move Manager

From the point of your survey, a dedicated Gerson Moving Services move manager coordinates your removal, packing, collection, sea freight, and delivery at the Canadian end, including CBSA clearance. They confirm the right port routing for your Canadian destination and the in-country partner handling last-mile delivery.

The timing of your removal is worth discussing with your move manager before your ITA arrives, particularly if you have a fixed start date for employment in Canada. Sea freight transit times are predictable; the margin for error in customs clearance is less so, and planning for the gap between your arrival and your belongings’ arrival makes the first weeks considerably easier. Get a quote for your move to Canada