Apr 19, 2017 | Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Federal Skilled Trades, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program, Skilled Workers
April 19, 2017 – For the third time this month, Immigration, Refugees, & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made an Express Entry draw with the lowest score requirement of 415 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. This is the lowest score requirement since the start of the Express Entry system in January 2015. Candidates in the Express Entry pool who had a score of 415 or higher have received an Invitation to Apply (ITA). So far, there have been 35,973 ITAs issued in 2017 alone, with over 100,000 invitations issued since the very first Express Entry draw was made. As the CRS requirement continues to decrease, we can expect that more candidates with lower scores will receive ITAs in the coming draws.
If you received an ITA in this draw, you now have ninety days from the date you received your invitation to submit your completed application for permanent residence. To prevent delays or refusal of your application, it is important to prepare your application thoroughly and accurately. Our immigration consultants can help you to determine what information is required and what documents you need to provide. If you need help preparing and submitting your permanent residence application or if you are interested in entering the Express Entry pool before the next draw, contact us to speak with a licensed immigration consultant.
How to apply for Express Entry
Individuals who wish to enter the Express Entry pool to possibly receive an ITA in the next draw will need to first determine that they are eligible for one of the three current economic programs. The first step to determine your eligibility is to complete our free online assessment. Our team of consultants will review and assess your qualifications to determine if you meet the requirements for an Express Entry application. If you are eligible you will be able to proceed with the next step towards making an application. This assessment will rank your minimum language requirement, skilled work experience and education level.
Candidates who meet the minimum requirements of the following economic programs may make an application to the Express Entry pool:
Certain Provincial Nominee Programs allow candidates to apply through the Express Entry pool. You may be required to enter the pool before or after receiving a nomination, depending on the requirements of the provincial program. If you meet the requirements of a Provincial Nominee Program, we can assist you in the process of entering the Express Entry pool and submitting an application to the province of your choice. Applicants who receive a nomination from a province will receive 600 CRS points, increasing their chance of obtaining an ITA in the next round of invitations.
Apr 14, 2017 | In the News, New Immigration Programs, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program – a new three-year immigration program introduced last month – will allow 2,000 applicants and their families to apply for Canadian permanent residence in 2017. This employer-driven pilot program welcomes skilled workers and international graduates seeking to settle in one of the four Atlantic Provinces – New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Canadian employers in one of these provinces are able to participate in the pilot program after being designated by the provincial government. In the early weeks of the pilot, over 200 employers have showed an interest in participating and 50 employers have already been designated to recruit foreign workers as of March 31. Designated employers are not required to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment prior to hiring foreign workers.
Applicants to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program are required to obtain a job offer from a designated employer and to develop a settlement plan with the help of a settlement service provider. These settlement plans are meant to aid newcomers to integrate by providing information and services. Being as it is an employer-driven program, the employers will play a large role in assisting foreign workers in the settlement process.
Applications are currently being accepted through one of three streams available under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program:
- The Atlantic High-Skilled Program (AHSP)
- The Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program (AISP)
- The Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP)
Skilled workers and international graduates who are interested in settling in an Atlantic province should contact our office for more information and to see if you qualify. We will assess your qualifications to determine the appropriate stream for you and assist you in the preparation and submission of your application. Those who do not fall under one of these streams may be eligible to apply under one of the Atlantic provinces Provincial Nominee Programs. For more information click here or take our free online assessment to see if you qualify to apply for permanent residence under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.
Apr 14, 2017 | Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, In the News, Permanent Residency, Skilled Workers
Lowest Score Ever & Highest number of invitations issued yesterday.
April 12, 2017 – For the second time this month, the Express Entry selection system breaks the record for lowest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points required. Down from 431 on April 5th to 423, this is the lowest score to date. Candidates in the Express Entry pool with 423 or more CRS points received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. A total of 3,923 candidates received an ITA in this draw; this is the largest number of invitations issued in one draw. The trend of inviting more candidates with lower CRS scores means that more candidates are now able to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
These recent draws fall between two major changes to the Express Entry system. In November 2016, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) changed the number of points awarded for a job offer from 600 points to 50 or 200 points depending on the position of the job offered. This change was meant to balance the system and expected to lower the CRS point requirements. The second set of changes have already been announced and are due to go into effect on June 6th of this year. These new changes will award more points to French-speaking candidates and those who have a sibling living in Canada. In addition to this, applicants will no longer be required to register for the Job Bank prior to entering the Express Entry pool.
These updates to the Express Entry system should allow a wider range of skilled individuals and their families to realize their dream of settling in Canada. With the increasing number of ITAs issued this year, it seems there is no better time for interested individuals to create an online profile and enter the Express Entry pool. It is important to make sure your profile is accurate and up-to-date. Incorrect or missing information in your profile could result in your application being refused. Applicants who received an ITA in this recent draw are now eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residence through the Express Entry system. Keep in mind that you only have ninety days from the date you received your ITA to submit your complete application with all required documents. To prevent delays or refusal of your application, it is important to prepare your application thoroughly and accurately. Our immigration consultants can help you to determine what information is required and what documents you need to provide. If you need help preparing and submitting your permanent residence application or if you are interested in entering the Express Entry pool before the next draw, contact us to speak with a licensed immigration consultant.
How to apply for Express Entry
Individuals who wish to enter the Express Entry pool to possibly receive an ITA in the next draw will need to first determine that they are eligible for one of the three current economic programs. The first step to determine your eligibility is to complete our free online assessment. Our team of consultants will review and assess your qualifications to determine if you meet the requirements for an Express Entry application. If you are eligible you will be able to proceed with the next step towards making an application. This assessment will rank your minimum language requirement, skilled work experience and education level.
Candidates who meet the minimum requirements of the following economic programs may make an application to the Express Entry pool:
Certain Provincial Nominee Programs allow candidates to apply through the Express Entry pool. You may be required to enter the pool before or after receiving a nomination, depending on the requirements of the provincial program. If you meet the requirements of a Provincial Nominee Program, we can assist you in the process of entering the Express Entry pool and submitting an application to the province of your choice. Applicants who receive a nomination from a province will receive 600 CRS points, increasing their chance of obtaining an ITA in the next round of invitations.
Apr 5, 2017 | Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Federal Skilled Trades, Immigrate to Canada, In the News, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program, Skilled Workers
April 5, 2017 – This morning, Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made an Express Entry draw inviting 3,753 candidates to apply for permanent residence. Candidates in the Express Entry pool with 431 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points received an Invitation to Apply (ITA). This is ten points lower than the previous draw and is the lowest score requirement seen since Express Entry was first introduced in January 2015. This decrease in the CRS points requirement means that more candidates are now eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
Did you receive an ITA? This means you are now eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Applicants who received an invitation can choose to include their spouses or common-law partners and any dependent children in their PR applications. Keep in mind that you must submit your complete application with all required documents within 90 days of receiving your ITA. To prevent delays or refusal of your application, it is important that you prepare your application accurately. Our immigration consultants can help you to determine what information is required and what documents you need to provide. If you need help preparing and submitting your permanent residence application or if you are interested in entering the Express Entry pool before the next draw, contact us to speak with a licensed immigration consultant.
How to apply for Express Entry
Individuals who wish to enter the Express Entry pool to possibly receive an ITA in the next draw will need to first determine that they are eligible for one of the three current economic programs. The first step to determine your eligibility is to complete our free online assessment. Our team of consultants will review and assess your qualifications to determine if you meet the requirements for an Express Entry application. If you are eligible you will be able to proceed with the next step towards making an application. This assessment will rank your minimum language requirement, skilled work experience and education level.
Candidates who meet the minimum requirements of the following economic programs may make an application to the Express Entry pool:
Certain Provincial Nominee Programs allow candidates to apply through the Express Entry pool. You may be required to enter the pool before or after receiving a nomination, depending on the requirements of the provincial program. If you meet the requirements of a Provincial Nominee Program, we can assist you in the process of entering the Express Entry pool and submitting an application to the province of your choice. Applicants who receive a nomination from a province will receive 600 CRS points, increasing their chance of obtaining an ITA in the next round of invitations.
Mar 31, 2017 | Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Immigrate to Canada, In the News, Permanent Residency, Skilled Workers
Canada’s Express Entry system allows for faster processing of permanent resident applications for qualified applicants of key economic immigration programs. Foreign workers in high-skilled positions may be eligible to apply under the Express Entry system if they meet the minimum requirements of one of the economic immigration programs. These programs include the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and some of the Provincial Nominee Programs.
Improvements to the Express Entry system will go into effect on June 6, 2017 and will award more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points to candidates with strong French language skills and those who have siblings in Canada. The current Express Entry system awards points for either English or French, with a maximum of 136 points for first language and 24 points for second language. From June 6 on, additional points will be rewarded to French speakers, up to 30 extra points for those who also have English language skills.
Currently, no CRS points are awarded to applicants for having siblings in Canada. With this update, having a sibling who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident age 18 or older could earn you 15 additional points. Siblings must share at least one parent – mother or father – with the principal applicant or their spouse / common-law partner.
In addition to the addition of extra CRS points for language and siblings, applicants to the Express Entry system will no longer be required to register for Job Bank. Currently, applicants who do not have either a job offer or a provincial nomination are required to create a Job Bank account before they are placed in the Express Entry pool. This will no longer be the case as qualified applicants will now be automatically placed into the pool upon submission of their Express Entry profile. Those candidates without a job in Canada will have the option of registering for Job Bank to start their job search after submitting their online profile to Express Entry. Canadian employers will still be able to use the Job Bank – and other Express Entry recruiting methods – to search for potential candidates.
These updates to the Express Entry system will benefit qualified applicants, employers, and Canada as a whole. Allowing high-skilled workers to earn more CRS points means a higher chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Candidates with high French language ability are an asset to Canadian communities, especially for those who test high in both of Canada’s official languages. Having a sibling in Canada increases overall well-being and health of an individual as well as their adaptability. Allowing candidates to enter the pool without first having to register for Job Bank will increase their opportunity for receiving an ITA. Thus, these changes will be beneficial for everyone involved.
Our immigration consultants can assess your eligibility and determine how many CRS points you have. We will also guide you in increasing the number of points you have in order to obtain an ITA. Take our free online assessment to see if you meet the requirements for Express Entry and contact us to discuss your options for immigrating to Canada.
