What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an application administration system introduced in 2015. It handles three of Canada’s most renowned economic immigration initiatives: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the famous Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. Using the Comprehensive Ranking System, each program assigns a point value to several in-demand human capital variables, occupation, including age, education job experience, and language proficiency.
Points may also be awarded to candidates who immigrated with a spouse or partner, had a sibling living in Canada, or scored highly on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) in French and English. The scores for these categories add up to a candidate’s total CRS score, whereby applicants with the highest scores in a forthcoming Express Entry draw have the best chance of receiving an ITA.
Introduction of additional draws
Additionally, last year, the IRCC implemented category-based selection draws for Express Entry applicants who met specific requirements, such as having a particular language proficiency or job experience. There were six categories selected, including:
- Medical Care
- STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
- Trades
- Transport
- Agri-food and agriculture
- Proficiency in French
IRCC selected these categories following stakeholder consultations and represent Canada’s desire to close skills gaps in high-demand industries and demographic goals. For instance, the department gave a high priority to proficiency in French to aid in reaching its goal of having newcomers settle in French-minority regions outside of Quebec. Once applicants receive their ITA, they have 60 days to submit their last application to IRCC. The department’s service standard for handling a completed Express Entry application is six months.
