Canadian Immigration Minister Chris Alexander has introduced an immigration model titled “Express Entry,” which will serve as Canada’s new system to actively recruit economic immigrants.
Commencing in 2015, the new Express Entry system is designed to make Canada’s immigration system more flexible and responsive to the country’s labor needs. Alexander explained that the new immigration model will also expedite permanent residency for candidates with valid job offers that can’t be filled by Canadians.
In fact, the expedited permanent residency will serve as a key difference between the Express Entry system and the current Temporary Foreign Worker program.
The name Express Entry replaces “Expression of Interest,” the title previously used for \the new 2015 immigration model. Under the new system, the Canadian government will be able to select the immigrants that it deems to be best suited for available openings, rather than simply those who were the first in the application line.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) also believes the new system will help cut back on immigration backlogs, allowing the government to determine immigration numbers that are more in line with the country’s economic needs of the day.
The CIC is promising that under the Express Entry system, applicants who are invited to work in Canada can expect visa processing time of six months or less when employed in four key economic streams:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
- And a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Under the new Express Entry model, employers will also play a large role in selecting immigrants, as well as providing evidence to support their applications. In keeping with that fact, Alexander also announced that CIC will co-sponsor, along with the province’s and territories, a series of cross-Canada information sessions. The sessions will be designed to familiarize employers with their role in the new Express Entry system.
The federal government plans to invest $14 million over the next two years in the Express Entry model, with an additional annual commitment of $4.7 million per year after that.
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