In the first quarter of 2023, IRCC intends to begin conducting Express Entry draws for applicants based on labor market objectives.
According to the legislation, the department must consult a wide range of stakeholders before adding additional categories to Express Entry. At the same time, the department of IRCC is getting ready for technical implementation in the first quarter of 2023.
In accordance with the newly passed Bill C-19, the immigration minister may select Express Entry candidates to be invited based on standards that promote local economic requirements. It enables IRCC to conduct Express Entry invitation rounds based on a candidate’s language, occupation, or level of education, as opposed to their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
In accordance with the new legislation, the minister must also conduct a public consultation process and provide a yearly report to parliament outlining the draw’s specifics, including its economic objectives.
Why might Express Entry be changed?
As per the recent interview, Sean Fraser mandated that without the change, the Express Entry system does not enable IRCC to modify ITAs to match in-demand skills or certifications.
“The Express Entry system that currently exists has the potential to attract people who may not be a perfect fit for the needs of the Canadian economy if you are in a situation where you have a lot of applications in a particular industry and the industry doesn’t even have high needs in Canada,” Fraser said.
As we observed throughout the pandemic, IRCC has shown that it is capable of inviting as many applicants as it likes for any program. On February 13, 2021, Canada delivered invites to every member of the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) pool, which amounted to more than 27,000 invitations. This was one notable instance.
We witnessed IRRC’s ability to invite as many applicants as it wants for any program it chooses throughout the pandemic. One notable instance occurred on 13 February 2021, when Canada extended invites to every candidate in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) pool, a total of more than 27000 invitations.
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the IRCC was able to change its strategy and invite Express Entry applicants based on which program they were qualified for under the applicable law at the time. In the beginning, this was done to focus on Express Entry candidates who were eligible for one of two programs: the CEC since these candidates were likely already in Canada and were therefore exempt from travel restrictions, or those who had a nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
The IRCC was unable to target Express Entry applicants in the pool which is based on the candidate’s language proficiency, or academic credentials prior to Bill C-19 getting royal assent. Although PNPs can invite qualified individuals to the Express Entry program using more precise criteria, the system itself does not have this feature. Candidates for a PNPs must go through a separate application process with the provincial or territorial authority in order to get one and thereby meet regional demands.
The objective, according to Fraser, is to position newcomers for success in the areas in which they’ll live.
Because workforce participants know they have an opportunity because that is the basis of their invitation to apply, Fraser predicts that retention rates could increase.
A transparent hiring procedure was also acknowledged by the minister. The possibility that special interest groups could urge the government to welcome a particular sort of Express Entry candidate was one of the first concerns leveled against the measure. In order to get information on how to set up a draw to support a goal, an amendment was put out that calls for the Minister to engage in a public consultation process with stakeholders.
“I would be heading down an incredibly dangerous path if I sat in my office in Ottawa and started making decisions about what regions and what sectors deserved to benefit from this modern structure,” Fraser said. “I need to be closely connected to people in the neighborhood. I need to work closely with business boards and sectors that have significant demands in order to meet those needs.
While waiting, all-program draws will start again
From December 2020, individuals were invited to the first all-program draw that IRCC held on 6 July regardless of whatever Express Entry-managed program they were eligible for.
The minimum CRS score was 557, and 1,500 candidates in all were invited.
On July 20, there will likely be another Express Entry draw.
