Groundbreaking Fifth Express Entry Draw For Canadian Immigration

CIC issues invitations to apply for permanent residence to candidates without a job offer or provincial nomination

For the first time since launching its much-anticipated Express Entry selection system for immigration to Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has issued invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence to candidates who do not have a qualifying job offer from a Canadian employer or a provincial nomination.

The latest draw from the Express Entry pool, the fifth so far, was performed on March 20. It resulted in 1,620 invitations to apply being issued to candidates with 481 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.

Prior to this draw, every candidate selected to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry had either a qualifying job offer supported by a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or nomination from a Canadian province.

“This landmark draw from the Express Entry pool was what many candidates had been wishing for,” says Attorney David Cohen. “Earlier this month, I said that the overall trend across the first few draws offered real hope to candidates who did not yet have a job offer or provincial nomination. The latest draw will provide relief to those individuals who were selected, while giving candidates who were not selected this time more reason to be optimistic.”

(The dotted line at 600 represents the maximum number of points a candidate can be awarded without obtaining a qualifying job offer from a Canadian employer or a provincial nomination)

“While the sharp decrease in minimum points required, as compared to previous draws, represents good news for all eligible candidates, it should be remembered that obtaining a qualifying job offer or provincial nomination remains the surest way of being issued an invitation to apply. Express Entry is a system that rewards proactive candidates,” added Attorney Cohen.

“What this fifth draw brings into play in a very real way, however, is that improving one’s human capital factors can make a big difference. For example, candidates who make efforts to improve their language skills and re-take a language test may find that this will get them over the line, as may those who increase their level of education or add work experience to their profiles.”

Important information for all candidates and applicants

Once an invitation to apply has been issued to a candidate, he or she has 60 days to file a complete application and all supporting documents. No extensions will be granted. Candidates who have been issued an invitation to apply are encouraged to submit their complete applications in good time to avoid disappointment, while those who have not yet been selected from the Express Entry pool are encouraged to gather these documents in advance.

Moreover, when taking the penalties for misrepresentation into account, it is important that the information provided and documents submitted are completely accurate in order to avoid misrepresentation. Penalties for misrepresentation may include a five-year ban on applying to immigrate to, or even visit, Canada.

Express Entry 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 using the following economic immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class
• a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs

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

© 2015 CICnews All Rights Reserved