Canada Immigration Minister Sean Fraserhas announced the launch of category selection raffles for Express Entry candidates.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will focus on Express Entry candidates who have a strong command of the French language or work experience in the following fields:
- health care
- science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers
- trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- transport
- agriculture and agri-food
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The minister says allowing IRCC to invite more skilled workers into these specific professions will support Canada’s commitment to welcoming professionals in demand in communities across the country.
A full list of occupations eligible under the new categories are available here.
Draws for the new categories are expected to begin later this summer.
Why are there new Express Entry categories?
The new categories are intended to fill open positions across Canada. Immigration is seen as a vital component in reducing labor shortages as well as increasing the prominence of the French language in minority French communities outside of Quebec.
“Everywhere I go, I hear loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labor shortages,” says Fraser. “These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labor shortages while increasing the pool of French-dominant candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities. Simply put, Canada’s immigration system has never been more responsive to the country’s social or economic needs.”
Category-based draws were expected to begin this year following changes made in June 2022 to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The changes give the minister the authority to select immigrants based on key attributes that support Canada’s economic priorities.
How were the categories chosen?
The categories were chosen following legislative requirements that the Minister engage in public consultation with provinces and territories, industry members, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and professionals. .
Every year, the IRCC will report to Parliament on
- the categories chosen the previous year
- why and how they were chosen
- instructions for setting up a category
- the number of invitations issued for each category
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry was established in 2015 to respond to Canada’s changing economic and labor market needs. It is an application management system that oversees three economic immigration programs, the Federal Skilled Worker Programhe Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.
These programs use the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to score candidates based on human capital factors such as work experience, language ability, occupation, education, and more. Candidates with the highest overall CRS score were more likely to receive a Invitation to Apply for permanent residence.
reference: www.cicnews.com