Immigration, and permanent residency in Canada are fundamental systems that benefit our economy by filling labour shortages in Canada for permanent and temporary positions, paying taxes (which assist in funding healthcare and other social service programs and help increase money spent on goods, housing and transportation, which boosts the economy.
According to recent data retrieved from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, amid a challenging pandemic environment, Canada surpassed its 2021 immigration target by confirming 405,303 new permanent residents last year.
For 2022, the current target is set at 431,645 immigrants, to make certain Canada will be prepared to fill critical labour market gaps and support a strong economy.
While many immigrate to Canada temporarily, Express Entry is a main system in which Canada relies upon for managing applications for individuals who want to permanently immigrate to Canada. We at Sultan Lawyers assist with applications relating to temporary employment in Canada, as well as applications for permanent residence for skilled workers.
HOW DOES EXPRESS ENTRY WORK?
Express Entry is an immigration stream that provides a pathway to permanent residency in Canada for skilled workers inside or outside of Canada and for those who want to immigrate permanently to Canada. For skilled workers specifically, Express Entry can be a more time effective route, typically resulting in processing times of six months or less.
To commence the process, applicants begin by creating an Express Entry profile with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The initial profile will provide insight as to whether you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool. You must be eligible for one of the immigration programs in Express Entry to get into the pool. The Express Entry system allows for a simple application process whereby it creates a pool of candidates who may or may not be eligible to immigrate to Canada permanently. A critical point to note however is, just because you create a profile this does not guarantee that you will receive an invitation to proceed in applying for permanent residency. An Invitation to apply is based on your score and rank in the Express Entry pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
WHAT IS THE COMPREHENSIVE RANKING SYSTEM BASED ON?
Following approval to enter the pool, applicants then secure points based on the information in their profile, including work experience, age, language, education credentials, adaptability, whether you have a job offer in Canada, as well as your marital status. If you acquire enough points and are viewed as a strong candidate, you may receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada.
If a candidate does not receive an invitation, they have the option to:
- remain in the pool until the expiry of their profile and wait for a potential invite depending on the CRS scores exhibited in each draw, or
- they can re-evaluate their profiles to analyze where they could possibly score higher points (perhaps by getting higher education, increased work experience, adaptability points etc).
WHAT KINDS OF PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE?
There are three (3) main streams available to proceed with Express Entry, these include:
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker
- Federal Skilled Trade
Alternatively, there is also the Provincial Nominee Program which presents a option to apply for permanent residence in Canada for those individuals who are seeking to gain status in a particular province or territory. Currently, there are ten Provincial Nominee Programs, (not including Quebec and Nunavut) each province has designed its own criteria to meet its specific economic and demographic needs. These streams are designed by the provinces to help meet their unique immigration goals, thus the application processes are each a bit different. An alternative option to Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs are a popular options because they can be viewed as a simple path to gaining permanent resident status in Canada.
The reasoning why this program is called the Provincial Nominee Program is because all decisions associated with these provincial programs must be authorized at the national level by the federal government, therefore Canada’s provinces cannot give permanent resident status on their own. Rather individuals are “nominated” under the program.
DESCRIPTIONS RELATING TO EXPRESS ENTRY DRAWS
Immigration program
- The Express Entry program(s) included in the round. Rounds can cover a single program or multiple programs.
- “no program specified” rounds are open to candidates from all Express Entry programs (Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Workers, Federal Skilled Trades and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program).
Invitations issued
- The number of candidates who got an invitation to apply.
Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS)
- The CRS number reflected in the draw reveals the score of lowest-ranked candidate invited
Latest Express Entry
The most recent draw occurred on July 20 where candidates in all programs were considered, including Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades (FST).
This draw invited 1,750 candidates. Although invitation numbers remain relatively low, the CRS score cut-off has dropped. Find out the CRS score cut-off in our latest reporting was 542 points.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION OFFERED BY EXPRESS ENTRY
Appealing to the Francophone community, the Express Entry program favours habitually French speaking individuals.
The reasoning behind the favouritism and acknowledgement of the French language is because Canada is looking to expand the number of French speaking individuals residing in provinces outside of Quebec. Meaning, if you are a habitual French speaker (even if French is your second language), you will have an advantage in the application process, leading potential to acquire more points in the Comprehensive Ranking System. As mentioned, the additional points pertain to French speaking individuals who are looking to reside outside of Quebec, and typically who complete a French language test at an acknowledged institution. This is generally thought to contribute to the culture, development, and prosperity of Francophone minority communities in Canada.
With the above considered, French speaking applicants can earn up to 50 additional points for strong French language skills.
CONTACT US
Whether you are an employer or an employee we encourage you to contact your Toronto Employment and immigration lawyers at Sultan Lawyers for advice on applying for permanent residency in Canada. At Sultan Lawyers, our workplace immigration lawyers regularly provide fast and effective assistance to foreign workers and permanent residents to ensure a smooth transition from permanent residency to Canadian citizenship. We provide high-level guidance and provide our clients with the information needed to make informed decisions in relation to their immigration status in Canada.
Contact us via telephone (416) 214-5111 or here. for a flat-rate consultation.
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