Canada is planning big changes in its Express Entry immigration route

Canada is planning a major overhaul for its point-based Express Entry system - allowing the Canadian government to invite candidates who fulfill real-time labour requirements.

According to the proposed bill, the new version of the Express Entry system will allow invitations to be based on criteria like specific academic credentials, and industry-based occupations.

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Immigration minister Sean Fraser indicated that the Express Entry program as it stands today is being reviewed along these lines in various discussions with stakeholders, or in public forums.

Currently, the Express Entry system ranks candidates from a general pool, using factors such as age, education, work experience, job offer, language skills (including in French). Those who meet the cut-off in the Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) are invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

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Immigration to Canada via Express Entry is classified into three classes

• Canadian Experience Class (those having at least a year’s experience in Canada)
• Federal Skilled Workers (skilled workers having qualification and experience)
• Federal Skilled Traders (those having work experience)

Canada is set to resume its Express Entry draws for all three classes in early July, and expects the wait time for new applications to be 6 months - as was the case pre-pandemic.

Canada had halted Express Entry draws for the CEC category in the latter half of 2021 and draws for FSWP candidates were halted since December 2022.

Recently, the country also announced additional benefits for international students.

Starting in summer 2022, international students in Canada and have a post-graduation work permit expiring between January and December 2022 will qualify for an additional open work permit valid up to 18 months. “We are exploring a simplified, expeditious process for this, and details will be made available in the weeks ahead,” states IRCC.

About 95,000 PGWPs will expire in 2022, and as many as 50,000 PGWP holders could benefit from this new open work permit.

Indians have remained the top benefactors of PR permits as well as student visas. In 2020, Indian citizens bagged 50,841 invites to apply for permanent residence in Canada, under the ‘Express Entry’ route. In 2021, nearly 100,000 Indians became permanent residents of Canada as the country admitted a record 405,000 new immigrants in its history.

There are over 622,000 foreign students in Canada, which included 217,410 Indians, as of December 31, 2021.