Posted on February 14 2015
Labour, Employment and Human Rights Bulletin
As of January 1, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada ("CIC") implemented its new electronic Express Entry ("EE") system, which must now be used by potential applicants for permanent residence under certain economic immigration programs. These programs include the Canada Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program, the Federal Skilled Trades (FST) Program and the Provincial Nominee Program, in participating provinces.
The EE system has been presented as a win-win solution for applicants, employers and CIC alike. The idea is that this system will assist CIC to better manage its incoming permanent residence applications, while also providing facilitated access to applicants for employers who are struggling with labour market shortages. Applicants will benefit from an expedited six month processing time. However, behind these attractive objectives, many practical details remain to be worked out.
Overview of the EE System
The new EE System consists of a four-step process:
Details of the EE System
As with any new system introduced to streamline a complex process, the devil is in the details. Here are some crucial facts for employers and applicants to consider:
The EE system is in its infancy at the moment as the first draw from the EE pool was conducted very recently - on February 1, 2015. We note that in this first draw, a maximum of 779 ITAs were available for issuance. Further, CIC set a high bar for the minimum CRS score required in order for applicants to be granted an ITA. This minimum score was higher than the one some potential applicants had obtained in spite of the additional points they received for having an LMIA-supported job offer. As such, much remains to be seen about how the new system will work in the coming months and how it will practically impact Canadian employers and applicants seeking permanent residence. We will monitor the progress of this new initiative and keep readers updated on future developments.
For more news and updates, assistance with your visa needs or for a Free Assessment of your profile for Immigration or Work Visa’s just visit www.y-axis.com
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