Mar 27, 2017 | Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Immigrate to Canada, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program, Skilled Workers
On March 24, Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made an Express Entry draw and invited 3,749 candidates to apply for immigration to Canada. Candidates in the Express Entry pool with 441 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points received an Invitation to Apply (ITA). This is the second draw to occur this month, continuing the trend of two draws a month by IRCC. We see a slight increase in points from the last draw on March 1st, which had a lowest score of 434 and invited 3,884 candidates.
If you received an ITA, you are now able to submit an application for Canadian permanent residence for yourself and your family. Applicants who received an invitation are able to bring their spouses or common-law partners and any dependent children. 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.
Jan 13, 2014 | Canadian Experience Class
For international students and foreign workers in Canada, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), has long been the best route to permanent resident (PR) status in Canada. However, recent changes to the Canadian Experience Class may disqualify you from the program if you do not meet the new requirements or if your occupation is on the list of jobs that will no longer be accepted into the program.
As part of the changes to the Canadian Experience Class – which were put into place on November 9, 2013 – the following occupations will no longer be eligible to apply under the CEC program:
- Cooks – NOC 6322
- Food service supervisors – NOC 6311
- Administrative officers – NOC 1221
- Administrative assistants – NOC 1241
- Accounting technicians and bookkeepers – NOC 1311
- Retail sales supervisors – NOC 6211
If your work experience falls into one of the above NOC codes, you will no longer be eligible to apply for the Canadian Experience Class. However, our consultants at Can-Am Immigration can assist you in finding an alternate method of obtaining permanent resident status in Canada so give us a call to find out more about your options.
For the rest of you, whose NOC code is not listed above, it is important to note that there has been a cap put into effect which will limit the number of Canadian Experience Class applications to be accepted each year. A total of 12,000 CEC applications will be accepted in all eligible NOC codes, but that is not all. Sub-caps have been placed on all occupations in skill level B; this cap limits each of these occupations to only 200 per year. Occupations in NOC level 0 and A do not have sub-caps but are still subject to the total cap of 12,000 applications per year. Even if certain jobs in skill level B do not reach the 200 maximum cap for that skill level, they will still be counted towards the total of 12,000. That means that potential CEC applicants need to keep an eye out on both the sub-cap for their occupation and on the total cap for the entire Canadian Experience Class. As of today, the total number of applications received out of the 12,000 allowed is only 461. This is good news for those of you who are still putting together your application as there are many spaces still available. However, we highly recommend that you do not delay too much longer as more and more people are preparing and filing their applications as we speak. Keep in mind that any applications submitted with mistakes or missing information will be returned to you. For this reason, it is best to hire a skilled consultant to assist you in the preparation of your file.
Our highly trained group of immigration consultants at Can-Am Immigration can help you prepare and submit your CEC application in a timely and effective manner to avoid delays or return of your application. To find out whether you qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, call our office to speak with a regulated immigration consultant today. We will assess your situation and help you prepare the best file possible for success. While there are still many positions open at this time, this can change quickly so do not delay. Give our office a call today and get started on your road to permanent resident status.
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