All About Express Entry... Canada PR Visa

[mkshah]

Hi Friends
I am starting this thread for all of us to understand this new system which will come in effect from January 2015..

 

[mkshah]

Link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/express/express-entry.asp?utm_source=slash-express&utm_medium=short-url&utm_campaign=express-entry

This was the first mention of Express Entry on CIC Website..

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/complete-applications.asp

Applications per eligible occupation:
As of May 1, 2014, there is an overall cap of 25,500 for new federal skilled worker applications. This includes a cap of 500 applications from PhD students. There are also sub-caps of 1,000 for each of the 50 eligible occupations. The caps do not affect people with a valid job offer. These are the last applications we will accept under the current system before Express Entry launches in January 2015.

 

[mkshah]

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=841349&_ga=1.231139039.1100600809.1404546377

Preparing for the launch of "Express Entry"

New caps for Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades Programs, and Canadian Experience Class
April 23, 2014 — Ottawa — Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today announced new measures in key economic immigration programs to prepare for next year's launch of Express Entry, Canada's new active recruitment model. Express Entry will lead to a faster and more flexible economic immigration system that will address Canada's economic and labour market needs.

To prepare for the launch of Express Entry in 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will begin accepting applications under new caps for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), starting May 1, 2014. These measures will ensure a steady supply of skilled workers who are settling in Canada permanently and helping to supplement the Canadian workforce in areas where there are skills shortages.

With the FSWP backlog on track for elimination this year, a new cap of 25,000 applications will provide the appropriate number of applications to support expected admissions in 2015. The list of eligible occupations – reflecting the latest labour market needs – will be more than doubled, from 24 to 50 occupations.

To support Canada's need for skilled trades people, the FSTP cap will be increased to 5,000 applications. All 90 skilled trades designated under the program regulations will now be eligible for consideration, although sub-caps remain in order to ensure appropriate representation of occupations.

The CEC cap will be re-set at 8,000 applications, as of May 1, 2014, to cover the transition period leading up to Express Entry.

The full set of Ministerial Instructions will be available in the Canada Gazette on April 26, 2014.

Quick facts

These are the last FSWP, FSTP and CEC applications that will be accepted under the current system before Express Entry launches in January 2015.
Application caps ensure that the immigration programs continue to address labour market needs and that backlogs are not created.
The latest FSWP occupation list was developed based on recent labour market data from Employment and Social Development Canada and input from the provinces and territories on regional labour market needs.
Canada's Economic Action Plan 2014 will invest $14 million over two years and $4.7 million per year ongoing to ensure the successful implementation of Express Entry.
Quote

“With these measures in place for our key economic programs, our government is ensuring our immigration system is addressing Canada's economic and labour market needs while reducing backlogs and improving processing times. We look forward to the launch of Express Entry next January, which will be a major step forward in attracting the skilled workers we need and have them working in Canada faster.”

Chris Alexander, Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister

 

[mkshah]

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=869&t=6

Will skilled immigrants be considered under both the current admissions system and Express Entry in 2015?

No. Each application is assessed according to the eligibility requirements and caps in place at the time CIC receives it. In order to be considered for Express Entry, people will have to apply separately (starting in January 2015) using a new electronic application management system. There will not be any application caps or occupation lists under Express Entry.

There is always a time lag between when people apply and when they settle in Canada. As a result, there will be an overlap between people being processed under these caps in 2014 and people applying under Express Entry in 2015.

 

[mkshah]

About Express Entry::

This is food for thought for all of us who are wondering about what this "Express Entry" will be....


http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/acts-regulations/forward-regulatory-plan/irpr-eoi.asp
Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to support Mandatory Electronic Applications for Prescribed Applications under the Express Entry system
Objective
The Government of Canada is preparing to modernize the way it treats immigration applications for certain immigration categories.

In early 2015, the government will launch a new active recruitment model known as the “Express Entry” system. This system will help switch from the passive processing of applications in the order we get them, to one that prioritizes processing for people with the skills to succeed in Canada.

Express Entry will work in two steps. First, prospective immigrants will indicate their interest in coming to Canada by providing information electronically about their skills, work experience, and other biographical information. Express Entry will be a mandatory first step in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). In addition, provinces and territories will have the option to use Express Entry to identify additional provincial nominees for the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) over and above their provincial nomination allocations to an overall and by-jurisdiction limit. Individuals who meet certain eligibility criteria will have an expression of interest placed in a pool and be ranked against others already in the pool. The authority to require that expressions of interest be submitted electronically already exists in the legislation that received Royal Assent in December 2013.

Second, CIC will invite the best candidates, including those with in-demand skills or with job offers, to submit an electronic application for permanent residence. Would-be applicants to the FSWP, FSTP, CEC and sub-set of PNPs, will not be allowed to make an application for permanent residence unless invited to apply. In this second step, the legislation will provide the authority to prescribe, by Governor in Council regulations, who would be required to submit an electronic application and how, as well as exceptions to submitting applications electronically.

Indication of business impacts
There will be no anticipated business impact. The One-for-One Rule and the Small Business Lens do not apply.

Public consultation opportunities
Members of the public and interested parties may provide comments when regulatory proposals are pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=869&t=6
Will skilled immigrants be considered under both the current admissions system and Express Entry in 2015?

No. Each application is assessed according to the eligibility requirements and caps in place at the time CIC receives it. In order to be considered for Express Entry, people will have to apply separately (starting in January 2015) using a new electronic application management system. There will not be any application caps or occupation lists under Express Entry.

There is always a time lag between when people apply and when they settle in Canada. As a result, there will be an overlap between people being processed under these caps in 2014 and people applying under Express Entry in 2015.[/b]

 

[mkshah]

Though these are news articles and announced not from the cic, it will give us an idea about this new scheme "Express Entry"

check on below links for a better understanding of the same...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/skilled-immigrants-to-be-offered-express-entry-to-canada-in-2015-1.2617961

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/skilled-immigrants-to-be-matched-with-vacant-jobs-in-2015-1.2514673

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/skilled-immigrants-under-express-entry-to-fill-labour-market-needs-1.2666236

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/foreign-worker-reports-death-threats-coercion-1.2630278

http://www.workpermit.com/news/2014-04-15/canadian-immigration-announces-new-and-quicker-express-entry-system

http://www.dcnonl.com/article/id60958/--express-entry-expected-to-prevent-backlogs

guys... what are your thoughts on this???

 

[mkshah]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/skilled-immigrants-to-be-offered-express-entry-to-canada-in-2015-1.2617961

Skilled immigrants to be offered 'express entry' to Canada in 2015

The Canadian government is forging ahead with a new immigration system that will offer "express entry" to qualified immigrants starting in 2015 as a way to help fill open jobs for which there are no available Canadian workers.

Express Entry, formerly known as Expression of Interest, will be "a swifter path to Canada that will select immigrants based on the skills and attributes that Canada needs based on those identified by government but also by employers," said Immigration Minister Chris Alexander during a news conference in Richmond Hill, Ont., on Tuesday.

While the change in the name of the program was quietly announced in a news release two weeks ago, the government has been remodelling Canada's immigration system for the last 18 months or so.


Alexander said Canadian employers would be able to bring in workers through the Express Entry system with the long-term view that they would remain in Canada.

"You can bring your labour market opinion, your job offer, to the Express Entry system and ensure that the person you need comes to Canada as an immigrant, not as a temporary foreign worker. Not as someone who is here with an uncertain future and likely to go back, but as a full immigrant to Canada," Alexander said on Tuesday.

"And that I think is going to be very exciting because it's going to make the match between our economic immigrants and their families, and the needs of the Canadian job market much stronger."

Finding 'a match'

Under Canada's new immigration system, which would come into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, prospective immigrants would apply to express their interest in coming to Canada. In doing so, they would answer a series of questions about their professional skills, their education, languages spoken, etc.

Those applicants would then see their skills matched with labour needs identified by the provinces and territories, as well as employers.

While the subject of skills shortages has been hotly debated, Alexander maintained, "there are many parts of the country that have acute skills shortages, there are many sectors that have acute skills shortages."

In those instances where "a match" has been identified, Express Entry could be offered to anyone who has put in an application through one of the following four programs:

Federal skilled workers.
Federal skilled trades.
Canadian experience class.
Business class.
Alexander said prospective immigrants who apply through the Provincial Nominee Program could also benefit from the system but only if the province and territory in question has brought their program under the federal one.

"Provinces and territories will take their own decisions. We're in close touch with them. We have their support for the Express Entry system, they're very excited about it. And those that choose to come in early will benefit greatly," Alexander said.

Having a valid job offer, or a provincial or territorial nomination would guarantee that Express Entry candidates receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Other features

Under the new program:

Canada will be able to select "the best candidates" who are most likely to achieve success in Canada, "rather than the first person in line."
An improved Job Bank will make it easier to find matches between Canadian employers and Express Entry candidates.
The government will invest $14 million over two years and $4.7 million per year ongoing to ensuring the successful implementation of Express Entry.
Qualified applicants can expect faster processing times of six months or less when invited to come to Canada, down from a wait of up to two years.
NDP immigration critic Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe was critical of the new system, saying it, "will promote the exact queue-jumping the Conservatives say they are trying to combat."

“This new program will put applicants in limbo because they may never be given a definitive answer on their application,” said Blanchette-Lamothe in a written statement.

McCallum told CBC News today that Canada's current immigration system is "anything but express." The Liberal immigration critic said he would like to see the government explain how it will process these applications in six months or less.

Alexander was in Richmond Hill on Tuesday to mark "the record number" of Chinese students and permanent residents welcomed to Canada in 2013.

China was once again "a top source" country for permanent residency in Canada, Alexander said.


Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Express Entry is different from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program which has come under heavy criticism after CBC uncovered several instances where employers are favouring foreign workers over Canadians.

In those cases, the government has launched investigations, and revoked or suspended foreign worker permits pending the outcome of the investigations. The program is also said to be under review.

Liberal immigration critic John McCallum sent the auditor general a letter on Tuesday asking that his office audit the TFW Program. In a telephone interview with CBC News, McCallum said an audit could shed light on whether "the program is being used to displace Canadian workers or drive down wages."

 

[mkshah]

Skilled immigrants to be matched with vacant jobs in 2015
New immigration system set to launch in 2015 is being compared to 'a dating site'

The federal government is looking to match skilled immigrants with unfilled jobs, in what it's calling a new "fast and flexible system of economic immigration" it intends to have in place in January 2015.

Under this new system, which the government has compared to "a dating site," Ottawa would act as chief matchmaker between immigrants who want to move to Canada for work and Canadian employers looking to fill job vacancies.

"We're looking for an economic match," said Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander in an interview with CBC News.

Alexander is currently working to build an "expression of interest" system to manage applications for immigration to Canada.

"We are moving from defence to offence. We're moving from a passive system to a proactive system. We're moving from a system based on processing whatever applications showed up, to a system focused on recruitment of the people that we know we need," Alexander said on Jan. 23.

By next year, Canada will no longer be obligated to process all applications in the order they were received.

The new system would work in two stages.

First, prospective immigrants would apply to express their interest in coming to Canada. In doing so, they would answer a series of questions about their professional skills, their education, languages spoken, etc.

In the second stage, Alexander said, those applicants would see their skills matched with labour needs identified by the provinces and territories, as well as employers.

That means provincial governments and employers alike would have access to the pool of applications — in essence, an "employment database" that did not exist before.

"We will share it with employers in a way that protects privacy," Alexander said.

Employers to play key role

Under the proposed system, employers would play a key role in searching the pool for prospective candidates, conducting interviews and identifying candidates.

Only once a match has been identified would the skilled immigrant be invited to apply for permanent residence.

This new system of immigration would apply to anyone who has put in a bid through one of five immigration programs:

Federal skilled workers.
Federal skilled trades.
Canadian experience class.
Business class.
Provincial nominees.
Alexander said the federal government doesn't want to "pick the winners," per se.

"We can't socially engineer this ourselves. We need data from across the federal government ... the provinces, as well as strong input from employers to make these determinations."

"It's going to give us a much more tailored immigration flow and a workforce that will make itself at home in a Canadian economy much more quickly."

Under the new system, the government is proposing to shrink the processing time from upward of two years to six months.

According to a report issued by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce earlier this month, employers will buy into the new system only if it's fast.

Aiming to cut the processing time down to six months, did not appear to win employers over.

“This wait is far too long for businesses, many of whom have jobs that needed to be filled yesterday,” Allan O'Dette, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce said in the report.

Canada's system is said to be modelled after similar systems which are already in place in New Zealand and Australia. Under the Australian model, visas for permanent residence are processed within 60 days.

The government must ensure the new immigration system reflects the needs of employers, the report said.

Details missing

While the system is still a year away from being implemented, it's not the broad strokes of the system that worry the opposition parties, but rather the lack of details about a new system that will process the majority of new immigrants to Canada.

"There are a lot of details missing. We feel that they want to flatter themselves about what they're doing but at the same time when we are asking for details, we have none," said NDP immigration critic Lysanne Blanchette-Lamothe in an interview with CBC News last Thursday.

The government introduced the new system in Bill C-4, a budget implementation bill which has since been passed despite the lack of details.

Liberal immigration critic John McCallum said that "in principle it's probably a good idea, but we have some issue with the details."

"I have come to the conclusion that immigration is becoming much more of a buyer's market than a seller's market. Countries like Canada, the U.K., and the U.S. are all in competition for immigrants because we all have an aging population," the Liberal MP said in an interview with CBC News last Thursday.

McCallum said the onus is on the federal government to persuade prospective applicants to immigrate here instead of taking their skills elsewhere.

"The really important point is to use this expression of interest system to radically speed up our immigration, and it's not at all clear that the government has got its sights high enough," said McCallum.

But according to Alexander, reducing the processing time to six months is not only "doable," it's "exciting" from an economic perspective.

After all, the government is looking for a long-term match.

"We don't want break-ups and divorces in this case. These are people coming here for the rest of their lives," Alexander said.

"Making that match is more challenging than ever, but when you get it right, the benefits are greater than ever."

 

[carielilviztie]

I will try my luck again on this "Express Entry" system, all documents are now ready except for my bank statement (12K CAD) which will be available at the end of January 2015..

 

[mkshah]

Why to wait till Launch of Express Entry in January 2015... Don't you qualify under any of 50 NOC in FSWP2014??

I will try my luck again on this "Express Entry" system, all documents are now ready except for my bank statement (12K CAD) which will be available at the end of January 2015..

 

[canfsw]

cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/employers/express-entry-presentation.asp

 

[canfsw]

cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/employers/express-entry-presentation.asp

Background

Canada is implementing a new application management process for economic immigration programs to meet current needs.
New changes will allow for:
more recruitment possibilities for employers; and
more opportunities for prospective skilled immigrants.

New Economic Immigration System

Starting January 2015: Express Entry

The New Two-Step Application Process
Image described below Text version: The New Two-Step Application Process
How Express Entry Will Work
Image described below Text version: How Express Entry Will Work
Moving from the old system…

Recruitment of global talent at employer time and expense
Difficult to navigate the immigration system due to multiple players
First applicant in, first to be processed
Average of 12-14 months to process an application

… to Express Entry

Government of Canada, provinces and territories (P/Ts) and Employers will have a direct role in economic immigration
New and improved Job Bank will connect Canadian employers with a comprehensive pool of candidates if they can't find Canadians or permanent residents to do the job
Express Entry candidates with a valid job offer or P/T nomination will quickly be invited to apply for permanent residence
CIC will be able to select candidates that are most likely to succeed in Canada, rather than the first in line
Express Entry candidates will benefit from processing times of six months or less Footnote 2

Step 1: Express Entry profile

Potential candidates will submit an online Express Entry profile.
They will be assessed according to a skills based ranking system that looks at:
Language proficiency
Education
Canadian work experience
Other factors that lead to success in Canada
At this stage, skills will be self-declared based on appropriate test results.
Candidates who meet the criteria of one of the federal economic immigration programs subject to Express Entry will be placed in the Express Entry pool.
Candidates will need to promote themselves:
Registration with Job Bank will be required
They will be encouraged to signal their presence in the Express Entry pool to recruiters, on private sector job boards etc.

Step 2: Invitation to Apply (ITA)
Image described below Text version: Invitation to Apply (ITA)
When an employer offers a job to a candidate:

They will quickly be offered an ITA for permanent residence (PR);
Express Entry candidates will benefit from processing times of six months or lessFootnote 2.
Candidates with an ITA will have 60 days to apply for permanent residence through one of four existing economic immigration programs:
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)Footnote 3
Applicants will need to meet the criteria set out in the immigration program which applies to them

Provinces and Territories = Key Partners

Provincial and territorial (P/T) nominations will continue and grow under the new system.
P/Ts will be able to nominate candidates who meet their unique regional labour market needs.
When an Express Entry candidate is identified through a PNP, they can be handpicked and quickly invited to apply for permanent residence.
CIC will process applications in six months or less.Footnote 2

Summary

The changes to economic immigration will benefit employers by:
Making it easier to find the candidates they need to fill available positions
Linking LMIA and Job Bank will simplify employer's LMIA advertising requirements
Allowing for greater flexibility
Eliminating backlogs and introducing 6-month processing timesFootnote 2

Next Steps:

The modernized Job Bank will be launched in late 2014 for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
The Express Entry system will be launched in January 2015.
At that time, the modernized Job Bank will be accessible to Express Entry candidates.
CIC will continue to engage employers after launch to get feedback on the system and work on continuous improvements.

 

[carielilviztie]

Why to wait till Launch of Express Entry in January 2015... Don't you qualify under any of 50 NOC in FSWP2014??

I am qualified but it requires settlement fund which I don't have as of this moment, it will be available at the end of January 2015.. So I will wait for the "Express Entry" to open but at the same time I have lodged already my application under QSW category....

 

[pankaj.kumar]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/skilled-immigrants-to-be-offered-express-entry-to-canada-in-2015-1.2617961

Skilled immigrants to be offered 'express entry' to Canada in 2015

The Canadian government is forging ahead with a new immigration system that will offer "express entry" to qualified immigrants starting in 2015 as a way to help fill open jobs for which there are no available Canadian workers.

Express Entry, formerly known as Expression of Interest, will be "a swifter path to Canada that will select immigrants based on the skills and attributes that Canada needs based on those identified by government but also by employers," said Immigration Minister Chris Alexander during a news conference in Richmond Hill, Ont., on Tuesday.

While the change in the name of the program was quietly announced in a news release two weeks ago, the government has been remodelling Canada's immigration system for the last 18 months or so.


Alexander said Canadian employers would be able to bring in workers through the Express Entry system with the long-term view that they would remain in Canada.

"You can bring your labour market opinion, your job offer, to the Express Entry system and ensure that the person you need comes to Canada as an immigrant, not as a temporary foreign worker. Not as someone who is here with an uncertain future and likely to go back, but as a full immigrant to Canada," Alexander said on Tuesday.

"And that I think is going to be very exciting because it's going to make the match between our economic immigrants and their families, and the needs of the Canadian job market much stronger."

Finding 'a match'

Under Canada's new immigration system, which would come into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, prospective immigrants would apply to express their interest in coming to Canada. In doing so, they would answer a series of questions about their professional skills, their education, languages spoken, etc.

Those applicants would then see their skills matched with labour needs identified by the provinces and territories, as well as employers.

While the subject of skills shortages has been hotly debated, Alexander maintained, "there are many parts of the country that have acute skills shortages, there are many sectors that have acute skills shortages."

In those instances where "a match" has been identified, Express Entry could be offered to anyone who has put in an application through one of the following four programs:

Federal skilled workers.
Federal skilled trades.
Canadian experience class.
Business class.
Alexander said prospective immigrants who apply through the Provincial Nominee Program could also benefit from the system but only if the province and territory in question has brought their program under the federal one.

"Provinces and territories will take their own decisions. We're in close touch with them. We have their support for the Express Entry system, they're very excited about it. And those that choose to come in early will benefit greatly," Alexander said.

Having a valid job offer, or a provincial or territorial nomination would guarantee that Express Entry candidates receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Other features

Under the new program:

Canada will be able to select "the best candidates" who are most likely to achieve success in Canada, "rather than the first person in line."
An improved Job Bank will make it easier to find matches between Canadian employers and Express Entry candidates.
The government will invest $14 million over two years and $4.7 million per year ongoing to ensuring the successful implementation of Express Entry.
Qualified applicants can expect faster processing times of six months or less when invited to come to Canada, down from a wait of up to two years.
NDP immigration critic Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe was critical of the new system, saying it, "will promote the exact queue-jumping the Conservatives say they are trying to combat."

“This new program will put applicants in limbo because they may never be given a definitive answer on their application,” said Blanchette-Lamothe in a written statement.

McCallum told CBC News today that Canada's current immigration system is "anything but express." The Liberal immigration critic said he would like to see the government explain how it will process these applications in six months or less.

Alexander was in Richmond Hill on Tuesday to mark "the record number" of Chinese students and permanent residents welcomed to Canada in 2013.

China was once again "a top source" country for permanent residency in Canada, Alexander said.


Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Express Entry is different from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program which has come under heavy criticism after CBC uncovered several instances where employers are favouring foreign workers over Canadians.

In those cases, the government has launched investigations, and revoked or suspended foreign worker permits pending the outcome of the investigations. The program is also said to be under review.

Liberal immigration critic John McCallum sent the auditor general a letter on Tuesday asking that his office audit the TFW Program. In a telephone interview with CBC News, McCallum said an audit could shed light on whether "the program is being used to displace Canadian workers or drive down wages."

will the whole system will be based upon job offer .....

 

[mkshah]

yes.. that is what they are planning from january 2015 with "Express Entry" system

will the whole system will be based upon job offer .....