Invitations Sent to More Permanent Residence Applicants Due to Recent Proactive Changes to The Express Entry System
Recent changes to Canada’s Express Entry system have made it possible for more candidates to be eligible for permanent residence. Candidates are drawn from the Express Entry pool based on their scores (rankings). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) calculates their score. Candidates earn points through the CRS based on skills, experience, education, language, and other factors. These help to determine a candidate’s economic value to the Canadian workforce.
Those who are drawn from the Express Entry pool are then sent an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The recent changes to the CRS are meant to meet the demands of Canada’s workforce and improve Canada’s economy. For more information on the Express Entry process, contact an immigration lawyer in Canada.
According to a recent article discussing the Express Entry system, the first quarter of 2017 had the greatest number of Express Entry ITAs than any other period, barring the prgoram’s introduction in January 2015. The number of ITAs issued increased 160 percent compared to the first quarter of 2016. Recent changes to the Express Entry system are part of the reason for this increase.
The minimum amount of CRS points required for recent draws has decreased significantly. The minimum was 786 in November 2016, compared to 434 in March 2017. As a result, it’s now possible to draw more candidates. There were also changes to the CRS that came into effect in November, including awarding more points to those with a Canadian post-secondary education. But points awarded to those with Canadian job offers decreased from 600 to 50 or 200 (depending on the job position). However, the overall qualifications have become more relaxed and fair.
The number of provincial nominations through Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) has also increased. PNPs still award the greatest amount of points—600—for the CRS, and provinces offer at least one enhanced program stream that is part of the Express Entry program.
A factor that has made it possible for more Express Entry ITAs involves a reduced backlog of applications for the federal economic immigration program. There is also the introduction of Canada’s Immigration Plan for 2017 that focuses on applicants with the skills and experience to meet the current demands of Canada’s workforce.
Since the introduction of the Express Entry system in January 2015, 43,000 permanent residents landed in Canada through this program. At the beginning, numbers were lower since candidates had to wait for an ITA, then go through the application process, which normally takes six months. After the first six months of the program, Express Entry admissions continuously increased.
The Express Entry system is the leading program for economic immigration to Canada and the recent changes are improving Canada’s society and economy. For those interested in entering the Express Entry pool, an immigration lawyer in Canada can help with the process.
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Arghavan Gerami
Arghavan Gerami is the Founder and Senior Counsel at Gerami Law Professional Corporation ('PC'), a full-service immigration law firm in Ottawa, Ontario. Since 2011, Ms. Gerami has focused her practice on immigration and refugee litigation. Prior to that, Ms. Gerami worked at the Ministry of Attorney General and the Department of Justice and had the privilege of serving the Honourable Mr. Justice M. Evans at the Federal Court of Appeal on immigration and administrative law appeals. Ms. Gerami contributes to the Immigration Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Ms. Gerami has also published numerous journal articles and presented at various immigration and refugee law conferences and events across Canada.