US immigration to Canada is shooting up

In 2019, more than 10,000 US residents immigrated to Canada through the federal Express Entry immigration system. However, in 2015, only 600 US residents immigrated to Canada through the Express Entry system. Thus, the number of immigrants has increased considerably over the last few years. Here, let us see why more immigrants are coming from the US to Canada. The Express Entry system is the primary pathway for skilled workers to apply for Canadian immigration. Eligible candidates can apply under one of the three major immigration streams of the Express Entry program based on various human capital factors such as age, education, language ability, work experience, and adaptability. All the candidates who have applied through any immigration streams of the Express Entry program are graded under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). To invite potential immigrants to apply for permanent residence in Canada, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) organizes the Express Entry draws in every two weeks. After sending an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to qualifying candidates, the IRCC aims to process all the successful applications within the next six months to welcome newcomers. Express Entry draws are being held throughout the coronavirus pandemic, as Canada aims to invite over one million new immigrants by 2022.

A Quick Scan of the US Skilled Workers Immigration to Canada

The Express Entry system has been the primary immigration program to welcome skilled workers to apply for Canadian permanent residence. However, there are other prominent pathways to attract US skilled workers to gain permanent residency in Canada. The second-most chosen pathway after the Express Entry system is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). According to Canada’s Constitution, both the federal and provincial governments have parts to play in the Canadian immigration process, with major share of power being enjoyed by the federal government. Out of 13 provinces and territories of the country, 12 have their immigration programs to invite and nominate applicants. As a result of the special status within the federation, Quebec’s Canadian province has introduced its skilled worker immigration system. The rest of the provinces and territories have their PNP streams to target skilled workers. Each province and territory have their specified selection criteria under the provincial programs to nominate applicants. These selection factors are designed to evaluate the eligibility of the applicants to meet the local labour-market needs.  Thus, skilled workers who are willing to settle permanently in Canada can obtain permanent resident status through the PNP. While a certain number of PNP immigrants are processed through the Express Entry-aligned PNP streams, the data does not show the actual number of the US immigrants who immigrated through the PNP or any other federal immigration pathway. Hence, there is a possibility that the number of US immigrants who came through the Express Entry to Canada in 2019 can be higher than 10,000, but might be the data is capturing that number in the PNP.

Why is US immigration to Canada rising?

There are a number of reasons that have resulted in the rise of skilled worker immigration from the US. These are as follows: 1. The Express Entry immigration system has contributed significantly to attracting skilled workers. In 2015, its launch year, only 26,000 applicants received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence; however, now that number has increased over 85,000 annually. The Express Entry program is a rank-based system that grades applicants on the basis of language ability, education, and work experience. US skilled workers have more competitive Express Entry profiles as compared to applicants from other countries, possessing higher chances of being invited to apply. 2. In 2017, Canada introduced its Global Skills Strategy to welcome foreign tech talent to Canada to fulfill the workforce requirement of Canadian employers. The most crucial component of this strategy is applications under the Global Skills streams can be fast-tracked. That is, the stream enables Canadian employers to bring foreign tech workers to Canada within one month. On the other hand, processing times for non-tech workers is longer. Any new immigrant from the US, who is arriving in Canada under the Global Skills Strategy can obtain permanent residency in Canada within just two weeks after acquiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) approval. Another major reason that has tremendously increased the number of US immigrants to Canada is the speculative environment of the US immigration policy. While there is a requirement for foreign workers in the US, but the uncertain political circumstances have made US immigration a challenge. Due to which many foreign nationals living and working in Canada have started pursuing permanent residency.

Steps to submit an Express Entry profile from the US

Let us check the step-to-step process to submit an Express Entry profile from the US: Step 1: Check your eligibility in any one of the three immigration streams under the federal Express Entry program. For applicants who have not lived in Canada before, the Federal Skilled Worker Program tends to be the most feasible option. Step 2: Second step includes the submission of an Express Entry profile. In the process, applicants have to take an approved language test accredited by the IRCC in English or French to prove language proficiency. Also, another important component of the application process is to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment, for applicants who have complete their studies outside of Canada. Step 3: After entering the Express Entry pool, you may receive an ITA for permanent residence, if nominated. After every two weeks, the IRCC organizes the Express Entry draws. Another benefit enjoyed by the applicants under the Express Entry pool is that their application will be reviewed by provinces and territories, and they might receive a provincial nomination through any PNP. Step 4: After receiving an Invitation to Apply, the next step is to submit an application for permanent residence. The aim of the federal department is to process all the PR applications within six months. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs