To apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), applicants must score at least 67 points on the FSW eligibility points grid. Once an FSW applicant, or any other Express Entry applicant, enters the Express Entry pool, they will receive a CRS score. Canada uses the CRS score to rank all candidates against each other in the Express Entry pool.

Every two weeks, the Federal Government of Canada holds an Express Entry draw, announcing a minimum CRS score cut-off. Candidates in the pool with the highest CRS score above the cut-off will receive an Invitation to Apply for Canadian permanent residence.