Federal Express Entry Program: Significant Changes to be Introduced This July
This July, the Canadian government will introduce new changes to its Federal Express Entry System. A few notable ones include:
- A faster processing time.
- More number of ITAs (invitations to apply) are to be issued.
- To open targeted draws.
The government will streamline the Canadian immigration process for skilled foreign workers who possess the right set of skills and are willing to migrate to Canada permanently.
Read further to know more about the upcoming Express Entry changes.
Returning to standard application processing times
By July, the processing time for all Express Entry applications is expected to return to the standard of six months.
Due to a considerable application backlog during a pandemic, Express Entry applications were being processed beyond the 6-month service standard.
However, the IRCC expects to significantly reduce the processing inventory before the upcoming all-program EE draw. The move will allow IRCC to return to its service standard of 6 months for processing all new applications.
Issuing More ITAs
As per an internal memo by IRCC, the size of upcoming Express Entry draws is expected to be the same as before the global pandemic. Since Sep 2021, Canada has been holding PNP-specific Express Entry draws, which are much smaller than all-program Federal High Skilled Worker draws. However, before the global pandemic, the average number of ITAs issued in all-program EE draws was nearly 3,500. Therefore, we expect a similar size of new all-program Express Entry draws in July.
Planning to Open Targeted Express Entry Draws
Canada is on the brink of passing Bill C-19, which will change the way applicants will be selected under the Express Entry pool. Currently, IRCC selects Express Entry applicants based only on their CRS scores. However, with Bill C-19, Canada’s Immigration Minister will be authorized to invite applicants based on groupings. The minister will establish the groups based on Canada’s economic goals.
For this reason, we expect that the CRS score requirement for the upcoming targeted draws will likely be lower than any general EE draw.
Introducing the New NOC system in November
Canada is planning to implement a new way to classify Express entry occupations. Currently, applicants with relevant work experience in NOC skill type A, B, or 0 qualify to apply through Express Entry. But as per the new NOC system, IRCC will use a TEER system for organizing occupations by Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities.
Most of the occupations will qualify for Express Entry under the TEER system. However, an additional 16 occupations considered ineligible previously for Express Entry will also become eligible.
Though the Canadian government has not yet confirmed the selected groupings, we expect it to be done based on work experience, English or French language proficiency, and educational background.
