The government of Canada wants to update the system of Express Entry, in which the Canadian immigration minister will allow to invite Candidates based on economic goals. The purpose of the changes will improve the ability to select applicants who match the economic needs of Canada.
Strickland wrote, “Through our growing pool of candidates who wish to become permanent residents, this update will allow the IRCC to conduct draws which are aimed to select candidates who are in the queue and who meet certain language skills or qualifications of health care. “It will be important to address the labor shortage economic market of Canada.”
Currently, the changes are being discussed in the Parliament of Canada. Philip Somogyvari of IRCC has presented the proposal for Changes in front of the Standing Committee on immigration and citizenship, a committee that studies immigration-related matters in Canada.
“The qualification requirements to become a member of the category will be settled by the immigration minister and it may be based on factors like work experience, the background of education, or language skills,” said Somogyvari.
The details of the draw along with the unique eligibility criteria will continue to be uploaded on the website of IRCC. Immigration Ministers must also identify the economic target they wish to reach, and report annually to Parliament on using these draws. Asked by Jenny Kwan, the NDP’s immigration critic, which businesses would be specified in these draws, Somogyvari said the government does not currently have any businesses listed.
Currently, the Minister of Immigration does not have the ability to invite those candidates who are in the Express Entry Pool with specific work experience, educational credentials, or who are French speakers assigned to an official language minority community. If the proposed amendments to section 23 of Bill C-19 are passed, that could update.
The changes themselves would allow, for example, to focus on all French-speaking candidates within the Ministerial Express Entry pool,” Somogyvari said, “Currently, candidates who speak French are awarded bonus points which increase their score. Still, every French speaker is not invited to the pool. so, if the minister chose to use the proposed authorizations, then IRCC will be able to conduct an invitation round that virtually identifies and invites all candidates who speak French within the Express Entry pool.
Which group will be selected for the process of determining is still being developed. The government may make such decisions after consulting with a group of employers, said Somogyvari.
About Changes in Express Entry
Express Entry is an application management system that strives to make the immigration system simpler and quicker for applicants. Basically, three programs are managed through Express Entry which is CEC, FSTP, and FSWP.
Candidates who want to immigrate through one of these programs must have to create an Express Entry profile. It is score based program; eligible candidates get a score based on factors such as language skills, work experience, educational background, age, and many other factors. Also, to get ITA from IRCC candidates must have to score-highest.
Recently, IRCC is conducting the invitation round only for those candidates who have got the nomination from the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). After a backlog accumulated in express entry applications during the pandemic, the IRCC halted the invitation rounds for the FSWP in December 2020, and then the CEC draw in September 2021. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser recently announced that draws for these candidates will resume in July, and processing will return to the standard six months for new applicants.
Somogyvari confirmed that the amendments do not affect existing or future processing times.
Current Discussion on Amendment
Kwan called on the government to list the groups that would be affected by the proposed act.
“I am disturbed by the fact that there is no parliamentary inaccuracy as to what these groups will be,” Kwan told the committee. “There is no process as to whether these groups will be impartial or how effective will be in selecting people who make economic contributions to Canada.”
Kwan Said, that he wants established norms and a transparent process where industries can provide a formal presentation on which businesses are needed and an objective committee that determines the needs of these businesses.
Salam Zahid, the standing committee chairman, agreed to request to change in the proposed amendments by 27 May.
The standing committee will receive the letter on finance, according to which it will be decided whether the update in the letter should be converted into amendments to move during clause-by-clause consideration of the bill. It begins on Monday, 30 May at 11 a.m.
