As of January 1^st, 2015, Canada’s immigration system as we have known it for generations will have changed.  Express Entry (EE), as Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) calls it, will become the main route by which foreign nationals will be able to apply for and acquire permanent resident status.

The Express Entry program will replace the popular Federal Skilled Worker program.  As of January 1^st, 2015 applicants will be required to apply to a ‘pool’ from which the federal and provincial governments will be able to select based on labour market needs.  Canadian employers will also have access to the pool to nominate candidates given based on their own labour shortages or special needs.  There will be no list of eligible occupations, and no cap to the program.

Candidates will be required to create an online profile containing all of their information.  The profile will serve as the application and will automatically receive a score.  The applicants will rank (maximum score of 1200 possible) and compete with other candidates to be “invited” to apply for permanent residence.  Those applicants who secure a job offer from a Canadian employer will rank higher than those who don’t.  Once invited, the applicant will be required to submit all of their documents to support their application.  The federal government says it is committed to processing applications in less than 6 months.

Employers who choose to use the program will receive access to the pool of candidates and select the candidates they feel most suit their labour needs. Employers will be required to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) by applying to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), but will still be required to provide evidence they were unable to find a suitable Canadian or permanent resident for the job.  LMIA applications in support of a permanent full time position will be free of charge, as opposed to today’s fee of $1000 per position.

There will be no fee to submit a profile through Express Entry.

For more information on Express Entry and how you can benefit from the program we suggest contacting our office.  

Comments

comments