Changes to the Federal Express Entry Program Upcoming

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has outlined new program changes to the Express Entry program to make it more assessable to foreign nationals who have been living and studying in Canada to qualify for Permanent Residency.

The most significant changes is that there will be a new way of improving your score without obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is worth 600 points currently. If you have an employer willing to offer you a job position, your employer may soon not not have to go through the process of applying for an LMIA, rather your employer can offer you a job position and you can be awarded either 50 or 200 points, depending on the skill level of the position.

Other additional measures have been put forward to increase your points total such as working in Canada under an International Agreement or if you had graduated from a Canadian educational institution. Previously the Express Entry system did not award international students who had completed a study program in Canada.

These new changes reflect the efforts made by IRCC to provide a pathway for International Students and other Temporary Foreign Workers to obtain Permanent Residency. As these demographic groups already have the educational and work experience to integrate immediately into the local labour force.

We can only assess whether these new changes will have a positive or negative impact on the invitation process when they are in full effect. Regularly check up on our news section to keep yourself and your friends and family members updated on all immigration matters.