The Government of Canada has introduced a new way to select immigrants.
In short, the Express Entry system favours those:
- who are already in Canada as foreign workers,
- who have a confirmed job offer with a Canadian employer, or
- who have been selected by a provincial nomination program.
Unless a person is already working in Canada or has confirmed employment, entry into Canada will be uncertain. The uncertainty comes about because the candidate is in a pool of eligible candidates and is in competition with others.
Under the Express Entry system, if a candidate has a confirmed job offer, that candidate gets an additional 600 bonus points which can ensure permanent residence.
The Express Entry system is a two-step process:
- The candidate interested in immigration must first complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) with proven language ability and proof of Canadian educational equivalency. Based on age, education, language skills and work experience, the person can then enter the Express Entry pool. Entry into the pool does not guarantee permanent residence, but is a first step in a comparison with others who are in the pool. A Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) will be used to calculate and compare candidates’ overall points. The maximum points obtainable are 1200, based on
- age (maximum 110)
- education (maximum 150)
- language (maximum 160)
- Canadian work experience (maximum 80)
- transferable skills (maximum 100)
- confirmed job (maximum 600)
- Next comes the actual application process for permanent residency. Candidates with the greatest points based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) will then be given an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The candidate must apply, with all relevant documents, within 60 days for permanent residence. If the candidate does not apply upon being accepted, the person will not be able to enter the pool again. Unselected candidates will remain in the pool for up to one year and, if he or she is not selected, the person will automatically drop out and must re-apply again.
The purpose behind Express Entry is to ensure faster and more efficient processing (within 6 months) and to match more closely the needs of the Canadian labour market with immigrants who will be successful in transitioning immediately into new jobs.
The selection process does not apply to business candidates. The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Programs for business are still in effect.
