Canada to change 'Express Entry' rules from 2023

More than two months after re-opening the "Express Entry' scheme, the Canadian government is expected to clock in massive changes which will reflect in the 2023 calendar. Reportedly, in an attempt to address the labour shortage in the country, 

The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will now be issuing an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to candidates with specific work experience, education or language abilities that are well-positioned to support Canada's economy and labour force.

Succinctly put, the move will ensure that apart from the top-ranking candidates in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), other applicants with a much narrow but efficient ability are also given a chance. 

Currently, vacancies are at an all-time high in the country which might have necessitated such a move. 

“Canadas high immigration targets, including those through Express Entry programs, stem from several factors including a job vacancy rate that currently stands at 5.7 per cent," a CIC report said. 

In an attempt to bring more labour force to the country, the Canadian government has reduced the CRS score to as low as 504 in the recent round of draws. Moreover, in the latest draw, IRCC invited  3,750 candidates, which was an increase of 500 candidates over the previous draw. 

What exactly is the Express Entry scheme?

The 'Express Entry Scheme' for permanent residency was reopened in Canada after a hiatus of 18 months. In simple terms, this scheme is an application management system used to select and zero in on candidates best suited to live and work in the North American country. 

Currently, IRCC uses CRS to rank prospective candidates based on parameters such as age, education, language skills and work experience. 

Three separate programs concurrently run under this scheme viz. Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Draws for FSWP and FSTP were put on hold in December 2020 while CEC was halted later in September 2021. 

While it is not necessary to have a job offer in hand to be eligible for the aforementioned schemes, it does help in gathering the minimum marks for CRS.

Once an applicant has figured out their CRS score and the scheme they want to apply to, they need to create a profile and simply fill it out. If the marks are good enough and the documentation water-tight, they will receive an ITA.

Afterward, they need to fill out the form and upload the documents, all within two months of receiving the ITA. The Canadian government or IRCC will attempt to process the applications within a timeframe of six months or less.