Skilled Worker Draws For Targeted Express Entry To Start
Last Updated: November 16, 2022
Skilled Worker Draws For Targeted Express Entry To Start in 2023
According to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, Canada is prepared to begin targeted Express Entry draws for skilled workers as early as next year in an effort to address the severe labor shortage.
In an interview with the Reuters global news agency, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser vowed to cooperate with provinces that make it simpler to recognize the credentials of foreign physicians and nurses with the help of a targeted program for skilled workers that focus on in-demand professions.
There is a severe labor shortage in Canada.
According to Statistics Canada’s Payroll Employment, Earnings and Hours, and Job Vacancies, August 2022 report, there were 958 thousand unfilled positions in Canada in August.
In response, Ottawa increased immigration to Canada to previously unheard-of levels.
The federal government has set a goal of 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023, 485,000 in 2024, and 500,000 in 2025 as part of its 2023–2025 Immigration Levels Plan.
In all, 1.45 million immigrants will arrive in Canada over the next three years.
However, many employers believe that Canada needs to do much more to use programs for economic immigration to draw skilled workers to the nation.
Goldy Hyder, president and chief executive officer of the Business Council of Canada, issued a statement saying that, “Unfortunately, economic-class permanent residents only account for 58.5% of total admissions in the plan announced (by the immigration minister last week).
The low number here is significantly less than what is required to maintain the high standard of living in Canada.
Data for the first eight months of this year from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) show that 186,195 new permanent residents entered the country through programs for economic immigration.
Economic Class Immigration is expected to account for more than 60% of all immigration to Canada this year.
Based on that pattern, Canada is already on track to accept 279,292 new permanent residents through economic programs this year, or about 2.6% or 7,267 more than Ottawa anticipates through the new immigration levels plan for the following year.
If the country adopted the Business Council of Canada’s target of 65% for economic immigration, out of the 465,000 total new permanent residents in 2017, 302,250 would come under these programs.
Economic immigration, according to the Business Council of Canada, is essential to the expansion of the Canadian economy.
Through the International Mobility Program (IMP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), Canadian employers can find and hire foreign workers (IMP).
Under normal processing conditions, the Global Talent Stream (GTS), a component of the TFWP, can result in the approval of Canadian work permits and the processing of visa applications in under two weeks.
Employers can use the Express Entry system, which accepts online immigration applications, to hire foreign nationals to fill open positions.
It drives the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades (FST), and Canada Experience Class (CEC) programs, all of which draw applicants from the Express Entry applicant pool. Invitations to Apply (ITAs) are then sent to those who have the necessary Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores in regular draws.
Overview of Express Entry
The Canada Express Entry Program is an electronic immigration program designed by the Government of Canada. It allows people from all over the world to apply for immigration to Canada based on their skills. As we are much aware that Canada needs skilled workers for various trades, it has come up with the Express Entry Program to attract as many qualified people as possible. So basically the Canada Express Entry Program allows skilled workers to immigrate to Canada and work there and might as well lead to a person getting a PR. Since there are different levels of skilled workers, the Canadian government has designed four different programs within the Express Entry. These programs are known as economic immigration programs as they attract skilled workers and help Canada economically. The different Programs designed are :
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): It is designed for all skilled workers with foreign work experience to immigrate to Canada. it requires an excellent understanding of English and French language. it also requires proof of stability which shows continuous work experience for a year in the specific occupation within the last 10 years
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): This program is for skilled workers in specific trades. It requires a Level 5 or 4 of language proficiency in English or French and also requires a valid Job offer from a Canadian Company stating that they possess high skills in their trade.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): It is for those skilled workers who have work experience within Canada and hold Level 5 or 7 in language proficiency in English or French and should have a year of experience in Canada for the last 3 years
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) It is designed for the provinces of Canada so that they nominate and select particularly skilled workers which fulfill their needs. The provinces manage this program and only use the Express Entry portal to receive profiles online.
All the programs mentioned above vary in the requirement to qualify based on language skills, occupation, and work experience.
What Is A Comprehensive Ranking System?
The Comprehensive Ranking System compares immigration prospects in the Express Entry pool (CRS). An Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence is given to the top applicants.
The Canadian government created a points system giving applicant in the Express Entry pool a score to rank immigration hopefuls. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is for assigning points to applicants. Managed by Express Entry are three programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Every applicant gets a CRS score of 1200 points while uploading a profile to the Express Entry pool of candidates. The government holds an Express Entry draw every two weeks and send ITAs for PR to the top applicants. Note that IRCC withholds information on the draw’s date.
Requirements For An LMIA Work Permit.
