Express Entry What you need to know ahead of July 2022 || VO Visas

 Express Entry What you need to know ahead of July 2022 || VO Visas

Express Entry Drawings for Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class candidates are expected to resume in early July 2022.

Canadian Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, made the announcement on April 22.

It represents a major change in the Canadian immigration landscape in recent times and is very welcome news as Express Entry is the primary way the Canadian government manages applications for skilled workers.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration 

The outbreak of the pandemic has caused Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) application processing capacity to drop significantly and several policy changes have occurred, including the temporary suspension of Express Entry draws for all programs.

Until then, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) has been Canada's flagship and most popular economic immigration program for over 50 years.

Through the FSWP, Canada accepts tens of thousands of professional and skilled workers from around the world each year based on their likelihood of success in the Canadian job market. But since December 2020, Canada has suspended invitation rounds under the program to reduce the number of applications accruing at processing centers.

A few months later, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), another major federal immigration program, suffered the same fate, having not seen a tie since September 2021.

With Canada's lowest unemployment rate, the most registered job openings, an aging population, and a low birth rate, reopening the country to skilled workers have become an increasingly urgent goal of the Canadian government.

"With the economy growing faster than employers can hire new workers, Canada must evaluate all options so we have the skills and workforce we need to drive growth," said Sean Fraser, Canada's immigration minister.

That's why Express Entry is expected to be Canada's number one tool for attracting international talent again in July. In fact, the Government of Canada will gradually increase Express Entry to more than 110,000 immigrants annually through 2024.

Why you should submit your Express Entry profile ASAP

While July may seem like a long way off, there are several reasons not to delay submitting your profile to the Fast Track pool. The following are the main ones:

ITA can be obtained in early July

Creating and submitting your Express Entry profile will take some time.

The sooner you start preparing and compiling files, the sooner you can enter the Express Entry pool. For example, you may need information about travel documents, language tests, educational evaluation reports, etc.

If you start the process now, you are more likely to have your paperwork sorted by July and be able to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence (PR) when the draw resumes in July.

 

 Use the tie-breaking rule

Under the Comprehensive Express Entry Ranking System (CRS), candidates from around the world who want to immigrate to Canada are awarded points based on several human capital factors, such as age, education, language, and more. If candidates are tied, IRCC will use the time and date of entry into the pool as the tiebreaker. So the sooner you get into the group, the more likely you are to be invited to the sweepstakes.

Benefits of the PNP  

The Provincial Nominee Program is one of Canada's main immigration pathways. The program is designed to encourage skilled worker immigration and facilitate settlement in provinces across the country. Initially, each Canadian province had its own selection process.

However, since the introduction of the Express Entry system, many provinces and territories have created pathways aligned with the federal system to expedite the immigration process.

Submitting your profile and choosing the province of your choice in the Express Entry pool gives you a double benefit: you can receive a direct Express Entry invitation, or you can be selected for the province of your choice. If you receive a provincial nomination, your CRS score will be awarded an additional 600 points. Raising your score almost guarantees that you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from the Canadian RP in your upcoming drawing.

How does Express Entry work?

Launched in 2015, Express Entry is an application management system for three of Canada's most popular immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Candidates eligible for any of these programs can introduce themselves on the IRCC website, where they will receive a CRS score based on their human capital characteristics.

Candidates with the highest scores receive an invitation to apply (ITA) in a draw held approximately every two weeks and are then eligible to apply for permanent residency. Once approved, IRCC will issue them a Confirmation of Permanent Residency (COPR).

Conclusion 

 

The past two years, marked by the pandemic, have presented significant challenges for would-be immigrants seeking to enter Canada through the Express Entry system.
Now that the border is finally open again and Canada's main immigration routes are just months away from a full recovery, the country is expected to see a surge in new arrivals in the coming years.
This means that potential immigrants can finally approach their immigration plans with great optimism.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration