The Canadian Parliament recently announced that it was going to add more than one million new permanent residents in next three years (2019-2021). It is foreseeable that more than half of the new permanent residents will arrive on one of the three economic programs in the Express Entry program – the Federal Skilled Worker (“FSW”) Class, the Federal Skilled Trades (“FST”) Class, and the Canadian Experience (“CE”) Class. The Provincial Nomination Program (“PNP”) is also expected receive a great deal of additional applicants in the coming years.
The Express Entry program is tailored to attract immigrants who are highly-educated and experienced in their field. In 2018, the top ten occupations of the principal applicants were: Software Engineers and Designers; Information Systems Analysts and Consultants; Computer Programmers and Interactive Media Developers; Financial Auditors and Accountants; Administrative Assistants; Professional Occupations in Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations; Financial and Investment Analysts; University Professors and Lecturers; Professional Occupations in Business Management Consulting; and Advertising, Marketing and Public Relation Manager.
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (“AIP”), another federal economic program, has also been gaining popularity in recent years. The program is in a partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and four Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador), which addresses demographic challenges, fill labor gaps and support economic growth in the Atlantic Region.
For our readers who are new to the Express Entry program, we take this opportunity to elaborate more upon the process. The Express Entry is an application management system for key economic immigration programs which are – the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. Potential candidates are first required to complete an online profile. The profile is electronically screened to determine if the candidate meets the criteria of at least one of the three federal immigration programs mentioned above.
Using the same information, candidates are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. They are then placed in the Express Entry pool and ranked on their CRS scores. The pool is dynamic and the candidate’s rank changes based on circumstances such as other candidates joining and leaving the pool; candidate’s change in circumstances; or new ministerial instructions regarding the ranking criteria. The highest ranking candidate from the pool is picked and sent an Invitation to apply for permanent residency, which occurs every few weeks throughout the year.
At NPZ, our U.S and Canadian Immigration Law Specialists seek to assist clients with regard to employment and family immigration issues. If you or your friends or family should have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@visaserve.com or you can call our offices at 201-670-0006 (ext. 100). We look forward to being able to assist you.