just got this info
http://moving2canada.com/immigration-to-canada/express-entry/
Details of the long-mooted ‘Express Entry’ (formerly known as ‘expression of interest’) system for residency programs for Canada were disclosed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) earlier this month. Under the new system, cases will no longer be judged exclusively on a first come, first serve basis. Instead, potential immigrants with the skills to succeed in Canada will receive priority. The aim of this is for Canada to attract the highly skilled labour pool it desires, while also reducing processing times across the board.
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), as well as some Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP).
The new system is modeled on similar practices in Australia and New Zealand. While CIC has not yet announced specifically how this program will work, we can infer based on how Australia and New Zealand’s programs operate how Canada’s Express Entry program will operate.
1) Applicants will make an “express their interest” to immigrate to Canada.
2) There will be a points criteria of some sort which will qualify applicants.
3) If eligible, applicants will enter a pool of people eligible to immigrate to Canada.
4) They will be given an “invitation to apply” based on either A) having experience in an “in-demand skill” or B) having an LMO-sponsored job offer from a Canadian employer.
5) Once issued an “invitation to apply” they will then be able to file their application for Permanent Residence.
Matthew Iwama, a Vancouver-based Canadian Immigration Consultant, has helped us by answering some likely questions that people may have in mind regarding the Express Entry system. You can reach Matthew and his team by filling out this form for a free assessment.
How does this affect my move to Canada?
People who are seeking to apply for economic Permanent Residence (meaning: based on your occupation) before entering Canada will only have the option of applying under the Express Entry Program. They will need to either have an in-demand skill or a validated Canadian job offer. In actuality, the situation won’t be much different than it is now, but I expect that the CIC will implement a more complex web-based platform to facilitate this entire process.
What are the criteria?
We don’t know yet. I suspect that the powers that be in Ottawa are still trying to figure that our themselves. I can guess that the points criteria will be weighted towards younger, English-speaking, educated people who have experience in skilled trades, engineering, IT and health care. Further, valid IELTS results will be required, as well as an Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA) in a similar fashion to the current FSWP requirements.
What can I do to prepare?
If you haven’t done so already, register and sit for the IELTS – General Training exam. This will be a requirement for application and in some countries, securing test dates can take upwards of 4-5 months. As a reminder, IELTS – Academic results are not accepted for Federal Canadian immigration programs.
What residency programs will this affect?
The introduction of the Express Entry Program will affect the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) as well as the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
What are the processing times likely to be?
Both the former Minister of Immigration, Jason Kenney, and the current Minister of Immigration, Chris Alexander, have announced that their goal is to have processing times for this program to be under six months around the world to keep in line with their main goal of responsiveness. Last year’s FSWP applicants were processed very quickly in comparison to year’s previous, so I feel confident that the processes and systems will be in place to facilitate this expedited processing.
