Commencing in 2023, IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) will be using new authorities for holding Express Entry draws, which invite applicants based on specific characteristics than their overall CRS score.
The anticipated changes to Express Entry were made possible by Bill C-19 which received Royal Assent or passed in both houses of parliament, on June 23. The immigration minister, under the Bill, has the authority to invite applicants with any in-demand skills or abilities.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told CIC News in an interview last year in June that the changes made to the Express Entry would help the country choose immigrants who are already prepared for economic success.
The minister stated although Express Entry already gives Canada a competitive advantage, there is room for improvement.
“Where [the Express Entry system] could be improved is at present if there are particular challenges that your economy is facing, it might be facing in the long term. We don’t have the ability to tailor the invitations to apply to the Express Entry system to meet those in-demand skills or qualifications,” Fraser declared.
IRCC states that the Bill will allow Canada to invite Express Entry candidates on a new basis, one that would support an economic goal identified by the minister.
Who will be invited?
Until now there is no confirmation of which candidates would receive ITAs (Invitations to apply) in targeted draws. The minister said he would be consulting with Canadian provinces, business councils, and other stakeholders to best assess which candidates to target.
Healthcare, for example, is seen as one of the most pressing occupational categories. In October, the rate of job vacancies within the sector stood at 6%. The Canadian Government has been taking measures to fulfilling jobs in the sector. These include removing some obstacles for globally trained physicians who are already in the country and the more recently announced Foreign Credential Recognition Program. It is still reasonable that future Express Entry draws may target only applicants with backgrounds in healthcare professionals for filling vacant positions at a quicker rate.
Why is the system changing?
At present, Canada is going through a labour shortage owing to an aging population as well as a low birth rate. It is anticipated that 9 million people in Canada will hit the retirement age of 65 by 2030. And there are not sufficient younger Canadians to fulfilling their positions, which leads to a high number of job vacancies that will be a challenge in itself to fill. The North American country extensively relies on immigration for maintaining its labour force and keeping the economy robust.
To help maintain as well as grow the labour force, the immigration levels plan 2023-2025 aims at admissions of up to 500,000 new permanent residents per year by 2025. Of these, more than 110,000 will be admitted through Express Entry programs.
How Does Express Entry Work?
The Express Entry application management system makes an effort to simplify processing for skilled workers applying under 3 economic immigration programs. These programs are listed below:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Since the Express Entry application management system came into effect in January 2015, applicants have been chosen to receive ITAs exclusively based on their score within the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System).
Applicants, under the CRS, are assessed on numerous factors, including education, work experience, language ability, and other human capital factors like their age or if they have a family already residing in the country. Each factor is allocated points and the applicants with the majority of overall points have the highest CRS scores; hence, they are more likely to receive an ITA in an Express Entry draw.
With targeted draws, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada would still require that applicants meet eligibility criteria for an Express Entry program. However, the CRS score of an applicant would not be the deciding factor when receiving an invitation to apply. The draws could be tailored to applicants with specific work experience, education, or language abilities.
