The Immigration Department of Canada announced that every single person in the Express Entry pool who was eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) was invited to apply for permanent residence. Yes, you heard that right; Latest Canada immigration news 2021 is that on 13 February, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) welcomed 27,332 CEC applications, almost six times the number of ITAs given than the previous record of 5,000. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut was 75, another record-breaker, while the average CRS score of the invited candidates was 415, said IRCC.
According to a spokesperson, the tie-break rule was an administrative necessity, but the IRCC did not use it, which means that there were no CEC-eligible applicants in the pool with a score of 75 or less who submitted their profile before 12 September 2020.
It is too early to say if the massive draw has led to an uptick in the number of new Express Entry profiles, particularly for people in Canada and qualified for the CEC.
More Canada immigration news 2021
We know Canada prioritizes candidates who are already in Canada because of high immigration targets and travel restrictions. Besides, the Government acknowledges that Canada still needs immigrants to help the population expand. Before Covid-19, it was well known that Canada would need to look at immigration to maintain population growth and ensure that there were enough workers on the labour force to fill the shortages created by older citizens.
“Immigration remains crucial to addressing Canada’s longstanding demographic challenges and labour market shortages, especially during the pandemic,” the IRCC spokesperson said in an email. “While travel restrictions remain in place to protect the health and safety of Canadians, IRCC is exploring new ways for those who have already worked hard in Canada to stay permanently.”
To apply for the Canadian Experience Class, you need to submit a profile to the Express Entry system. You will then get a score based on your education, work experience, English or French language skills, age, and other variables.
IRCC will then invite you to apply for permanent residence if you meet the specific CEC eligibility requirements.
Some main eligibility requirements include:
Having 1,560 hours of paid Canadian work experience in a professional profession, which is equivalent to about one year of full-time work or two years of part-time work;
- Having a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 for management or specialist occupations (NOC 0 or A) or CLB 5 for specialized workers and skilled trades (NOC B).
- You will need to enter Canada and live outside the Quebec province, which has its immigration system.
Approximately 90% of CEC-eligible candidates already live and work in the country, although this is not necessary for eligibility. However, it is difficult for many candidates outside Canada to cross the border with the new travel restrictions.
When you are invited to apply, you have 90 days to apply for Canadian immigration or to reject your invitation. If you allow 90 days to run without action, the ITA will expire, and you will not be in the Express Entry pool of candidates.
It is also an excellent time to verify if you still meet the CEC’s eligibility requirements or the other Express Entry program that you have been asked to apply to. If any changes in your situation result in you or your spouse losing CRS points, IRCC recommends that you recalculate your score.