Canada Launches Express Entry Immigration Selection System

At 12 p.m. Eastern Time on January 1, 2015, the government of Canada launched its much anticipated Express Entry selection system for immigration to Canada. This marks the culmination of years of planning and discussion between the federal government, provincial governments, Canadian employers, immigration advocates, and other interested parties.

Now that the long wait is over, eligible candidates are in a position to create their online profiles and maximize their chances of receiving an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence. With Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) having stated that the first invitations to apply will be issued before the end of January, 2015, candidates who act quickly may be in the best position to take advantage and begin their route to Canada.

What is Express Entry?

Designed on similar systems that have already been implemented in Australia and New Zealand, Canada’s Express Entry system is modelled around potential candidates for Canadian immigration making an “expression of interest” in immigrating to Canada. Express Entry will change how Canadian immigration is managed by moving it from a supply-driven system to a demand-driven one.

Express Entry strives to make the immigration process simpler and quicker, with the entire process now being conducted online. It is not an immigration program in itself, but rather a system used by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to select candidates for immigration to Canada. The federal government and provincial government, as well as Canadian employers, are able to select candidates from the Express Entry pool, which is made up of candidates who must be eligible for one of the federal economic immigration programs. These programs are:

Selected candidates are then issued an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada, whereupon they will have just 60 days to submit a complete application and all supporting documents. From the date the application is received, CIC aims to process applications within six months.

To learn more about the Express Entry process, please refer to the CanadaVisa Express Entry candidates page. The CanadaVisa Express Entry FAQ sheet provides additional information arising from common questions.

How may candidates prepare?

The preliminary step that should be taken by all potential candidates for immigration to Canada through Express Entry is to determine eligibility. Only those individuals who are eligible for Canadian immigration under one of the federal economic immigration programs may enter the Express Entry pool having filled out an online profile.

If a candidate is eligible for one of these programs, he or she can create his or her Express Entry profile and enter the Express Entry pool, where he or she will be ranked against other candidates according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Candidates may increase their chances of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence by improving their ranking under the CRS.

If a candidate is not eligible for one of the federal economic immigration programs, he or she may strive to become eligible by improving his or her core human capital factors in areas such as work experience, language ability, and education credentials.

The reaction

“As 2015 comes around, many people from around the world are making a New Year’s resolution that this will be the year they immigrate to Canada,” says Attorney David Cohen. “With Express Entry launching this week, potential candidates who prepare early and take advantage of the system will be in a good position to realise their Canadian dream.

“Canada is searching for a certain type of immigrant — one who is active, not passive, one who is prepared to work on improving his or her skills and land a skilled job. If anything, the Express Entry system is one that supports candidates who play to win.”

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, including the federal economic programs that will be conducted under Express Entry, please fill out a free online assessment today.