Notice – Express Entry questions and answers
December 1, 2014 - In January 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will launch a new electronic system called Express Entry to manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:
the Federal Skilled Worker Program,
the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
the Canadian Experience Class.
In preparation for the launch, CIC has prepared the following questions and answers to help explain the new system.
Table of Contents
General questions about Express Entry
What is Express Entry and how does it work?
How will the Express Entry system benefit Canada?
When will the Express Entry system be launched?
Which immigration programs will be covered under the Express Entry system?
Will Express Entry change immigration program requirements?
Will there be a cap on the number of candidates admitted to the Express Entry pool?
What will happen to permanent residence applications you receive before the launch of Express Entry?
Provinces/Territories
How will provinces and territories use the Express Entry system?
What is the process for potential candidates who want to use both a Provincial Nominee Program and Express Entry?
Employers
How will the Express Entry system benefit employers in Canada?
Have employers in Canada already been consulted on Express Entry?
How will employers in Canada use the Express Entry system?
Will there be a list of eligible occupations for Express Entry?
Will employers in Canada be able to access the Express Entry pool directly?
Can an employer who currently employs a temporary foreign worker (TFW) use Express Entry to support their application for permanent residence?
Can an Express Entry candidate come to Canada and start working before they get their permanent residence visa?
Will candidates with job offers be given priority?
Labour Market Impact Assessments
Where can I find more information on Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs)?
Will an employer need an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire an Express Entry candidate?
Job Bank
How is Job Bank being modernized?
How does Job Bank work with Express Entry?
How does an employer in Canada get matched with Express Entry candidates in Job Bank?
Are Express Entry candidate profiles in Job Bank matched to more than one employer?
Employer Liaison Network
What is the Employer Liaison Network?
When will the Employer Liaison Network (ELN) launch, and where can employers access or meet with ELN staff?
Will there be any cost for employers to use the Employer Liaison Network (ELN)?
Potential Immigrants
How will I use the Express Entry system?
How will the Express Entry system benefit potential candidates?
Do I need to hire an immigration consultant or lawyer?
I am currently waiting for my application for permanent residence to be processed in the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Can I submit an Express Entry profile?
Express Entry Profile
Is there a fee to submit an Express Entry profile?
When does a candidate’s profile expire?
Express Entry Pool
Do I need a job offer to get into the Express Entry pool?
If I am in the Express Entry pool, could I be eligible for more than one program?
Comprehensive Ranking System
What is the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and how does it work?
Invitation to Apply
How does a candidate get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence?
Do I need a job offer to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA)?
How long is an Invitation to Apply (ITA) valid for?
Processing Times
How will Express Entry result in faster processing times?
When does the six-month processing timeline begin and end?
Language Testing and Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs)
How does Express Entry use the information from language tests or an Education Credential Assessment (ECA)?
Do I need to get an Education Credential Assessment (ECA)?
Does an Education Credential Assessment (ECA) mean that an applicant’s professional credentials have been recognized to get a license in a regulated profession?
What organizations can complete an ECA or language test?
How much does an Education Credential Assessment (ECA) cost?
When will I have to submit my language test results and/or Education Credential Assessments (ECA)?
How long are language test and Education Credential Assessment (ECA) results valid for?
Foreign Credential Recognition
I work in a regulated/licensed profession. Where can I get information on how to get licensed in Canada?
How will Express Entry improve the pathway for newcomers wanting to work in a regulated occupation?
Fraud
Is there a risk of fraud from applicants or employers?
Can employers and potential candidates use recruiters and immigration consultants or Lawyers?
Budget funding and Legislation
What funding is in place to support the implementation of Express Entry?
What legislative provisions support Express Entry?
General questions about Express Entry
1. What is Express Entry and how does it work?
Express Entry is a new way of managing applications in a number of existing economic immigration programs:
Federal Skilled Worker Program,
Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
Canadian Experience Class.
Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool for a portion of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in order to meet local labour market needs.
Through Express Entry, people who meet the criteria for one of these programs will be placed into a pool of candidates. The Government of Canada, provincial and territorial governments, and Canadian employers will be able to select people from this pool.
Employers in Canada must first make every effort to try and find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill vacant job opportunities. Eligible employers who cannot find a Canadian or permanent resident for a permanent job will be able to consider candidates from the pool who meet their needs.
Express Entry and the Government of Canada’s Job Bank will let eligible employers in Canada and skilled foreign nationals connect with one another more easily, making integration faster once immigrants arrive in Canada.
Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Candidates will be awarded points for:
a job offer and/or
a provincial/territorial nomination and/or
skills and experience – factors that contribute to success in Canada.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
2. How will the Express Entry system benefit Canada?
The Government of Canada is reforming its economic immigration system to ensure that Canada’s economic and labour market needs are met.
Express Entry is a key part of this. Its goal is to make the system faster and more flexible. It will improve how Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) accepts and processes applications, which will mean:
faster and more efficient processing; and
a better ability to respond to Canada’s labour market.
Under Express Entry, we will only accept applications from people we have invited to immigrate to Canada under certain economic immigration programs. This will prevent the growth of backlogs by ensuring that only the candidates who are most likely to succeed—not simply the first to submit their application—are able to apply to immigrate to Canada.
Most applicants who are invited to apply under the Express Entry system will see their electronic permanent residence applications processed within six months or less. This reduction in wait times will make it possible for Canada to keep pace with peer countries, attract the best skilled immigrants, and get them working and contributing to the Canadian economy faster.
3. When will the Express Entry system be launched?
The Express Entry system will launch in January 2015.
4. Which immigration programs will be covered under the Express Entry system?
The Express Entry system will apply to the following Canadian economic immigration programs:
Federal Skilled Worker Program,
Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
Canadian Experience Class.
Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry system for a portion of the PNPs in order to meet local labour market needs.
5. Will Express Entry change immigration program requirements?
No. Express Entry will not change immigration program requirements. Express Entry is not a new program. It is a new way for CIC to manage the intake of economic immigration applications online.
6. Will there be a cap on the number of candidates admitted to the Express Entry pool?
There is no limit to the number of people who may enter the Express Entry pool. We expect this to result in a range of candidates with a greater variety of skills and experience from which employers, provinces and territories can select to meet their needs. However, we will base the number of candidates who get an ITA for permanent residence on the Annual Immigration Levels Plan. The Levels Plan will still set out the broad admission ranges for the immigration programs that are part of Express Entry.
Express Entry will create an inventory of high-quality candidates who employers in Canada will be able to consider when they cannot find Canadians or permanent residents to fill job vacancies.
Under Express Entry, labour market demand, in the form of a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or a nomination by a province or territory will provide candidates with enough additional points and be ranked high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates. Draws will be made from the Express Entry pool on a regular basis, and instructions for each draw will be posted on our website. Note that all job offers will be subject to Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC’s) LMIA requirements in place at that time.
Employers and potential candidates will also benefit from faster processing. CIC’s goal is a six-month or less processing time from the day we receive a complete application for permanent residence to the day a final decision is made.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
7. What will happen to permanent residence applications you receive before the launch of Express Entry?
Applications received by CIC before the launch of Express Entry will be processed according to the rules in place at that time.
Provinces/Territories
8. How will provinces and territories use the Express Entry system?
Provinces and territories will be able to nominate a certain number of foreign nationals through the Express Entry system to meet their local immigration and labour market needs. If an applicant gets a nomination from a province or territory, they will be given enough additional points to be invited to apply for permanent residence at the next eligible draw of candidates.
Just as they manage their own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) now, provinces and territories will set the criteria they use to nominate Express Entry candidates.
Express Entry candidates may either:
enter the pool first, and then be nominated by a province or territory; or
be nominated by a province or territory, and then complete an online Express Entry profile.
Note: All prospective candidates (whether PNP applicants or not) must meet the criteria of at least one of the federal immigration programs managed through Express Entry in order to enter the pool, and must submit their application online.
Provinces and territories will also continue to be able to make nominations under their regular (“base”) PNPs outside of Express Entry via a paper application process.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
9. What is the process for potential candidates who want to use both a Provincial Nominee Program and Express Entry?
There are two ways to do this. A person can:
apply to the PNP first, get a nomination and then fill out an Express Entry profile; or
fill out the Express Entry profile first. Provinces and territories can then search the Express Entry pool and ask a candidate to apply for their PNP. When the candidate gets a nomination certificate, they will update their Express Entry profile.
In either case, once a person updates their Express Entry profile to show they have a provincial or territorial nomination certificate, they will be given enough additional points to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.
Employers
10. How will the Express Entry system benefit employers in Canada?
Express Entry will give employers more recruitment options and help them better respond to labour shortages where there are no available Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Other benefits:
Eligible employers in Canada will have a direct role in recruiting economic immigrants.
Express Entry candidates with a job offer supported by an Labour Market Impact Assessment or provincial/territorial nomination will be given enough additional points to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.
Job Bank will provide an opportunity for eligible employers in Canada and Express Entry candidates to connect. Later in 2015, Job Bank will “match” eligible employers with Express Entry candidates who meet their job description when there are no Canadians or permanent residents available to do the job.
There will be no LMIA fee for permanent residence applications.
In 80%The majority of cases, permanent residence applications will be processed in six months of less receive
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
11. Have employers in Canada already been consulted on Express Entry?
Yes. Starting in fall 2012, Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) held consultations with employers in Canada on building a fast and flexible immigration system.
CIC is working closely with provincial/territorial partners and ESDC to hold information sessions across the country to prepare employers for Express Entry.
National associations and provincial and local chambers of commerce have helped us identify relevant employers.
Participants represent key industries and stakeholders across Canada, such as the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) and Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
12. How will employers in Canada use the Express Entry system?
Employers in Canada must first make every effort to try and find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill vacant job opportunities. Eligible employers who cannot find a Canadian or permanent resident for a permanent job will be able to consider candidates from the pool who meet their needs.
Employers can access candidates:
through their current recruiting and hiring practices, including private sector job boards; or
through Job Bank later in 2015. Job Bank will help match candidates with eligible employers in Canada and jobs based on their skills, knowledge and experience.
In some cases employers can also work with provinces and territories through the respective nominee programs.
Jobs offered to Express Entry candidates will be subject to the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirements in place at that time. Those who get a job offer supported by an LMIA will quickly be given an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
Note: An ITA does not guarantee that a candidate will be granted permanent residence. Candidates still have to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
13. Will there be a list of eligible occupations for Express Entry?
No. Express Entry will not include an eligible occupation list or occupation caps at the time of launch.
To be eligible to enter the pool, Express Entry candidates must have skilled work experience in a National Occupational Code (NOC) 0, A or B occupation. Jobs offered to candidates in the pool must be in one of these categories.
Job offers are also subject to the LMIA requirements in place at that time.
Candidates must also meet the minimum language requirements (for NOC 0 and A occupations: CLB 7; for NOC B occupations: CLB 5).
14. Will employers in Canada be able to access the Express Entry pool directly?
Employers will be able to access candidates in the pool through Job Bank. Job Bank and Express Entry will let eligible employers in Canada and eligible skilled foreign nationals connect with one another more easily.
Express Entry candidates will need to register with Job Bank if they do not already have a Canadian job offer or a provincial/territorial nomination. This will give them the opportunity to view jobs available with employers in Canada and to begin promoting themselves to employers, recruiters, private sector job boards, etc.
Later in 2015, Job Bank will “match” eligible employers with Express Entry candidates who meet their job description when there are no Canadians or permanent residents available to do the job.
Employers will also be able to direct candidates they find on their own to use Express Entry.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
15. Can an employer who currently employs a temporary foreign worker (TFW) use Express Entry to support their application for permanent residence?
Yes. As long as the TFW is in Canada working under a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), you can offer them a permanent job to support their application for permanent residence. Your TFW would have to create an Express Entry profile and include their job offer information. A job offer supported by an LMIA will give a candidate enough additional points and be ranked high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.
If you are considering permanently hiring a TFW and you do not have a positive LMIA for the job, you will first need to make every effort to try and find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill the job opportunity. You will need to meet LMIA requirements, including posting your job ad on Employment and Social Development Canada's (ESDC) Job Bank in addition to advertising in two other places. If you have done this and have been unsuccessful in filling your job opportunity, you can apply for an LMIA for the TFW through Service Canada. The TFW would then have to create an Express Entry profile, meet the minimum criteria and include their job offer information so they get enough additional points and be ranked high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.
16. Can an Express Entry candidate come to Canada and start working before they get their permanent residence visa?
Express Entry candidates cannot usually come to Canada to work until they have their permanent resident visa. In some cases, candidates will already be in Canada with a temporary work permit.
Employers who need a worker to start before the permanent resident visa is processed, can apply for a “dual intent” Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Note that in this type of situation, an employer will need to pay the LMIA processing fee. A “dual intent” LMIA means a person can come to Canada as a temporary foreign worker (TFW) first and work while they wait for a decision on their permanent residence application. In this case, a candidate must still apply for a work permit and meet the requirements for TFWs.
Express Entry candidates who have a job offer and have been invited to apply will not automatically be given a temporary work permit or temporary resident visa.
17. Will candidates with job offers be given priority?
A job offer supported by an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will give a candidate enough additional points to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates. Potential candidates who have a valid job offer or provincial/territorial nomination when they complete their Express Entry profile will not need to register with Job Bank.
Labour Market Impact Assessments
18. Where can I find more information on Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs)?
You can find more information on the LMIA process.
19. Will an employer need an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire an Express Entry candidate?
In most cases, employers will need an LMIA from ESDC. An employer may use an existing LMIA to hire their temporary foreign worker permanently.
Job Bank
20. How is Job Bank being modernized?
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) recently modernized Job Bank, which has resulted in:
an improved online user experience;
upgrades to the site’s security features to match industry standards; and
more up-to-date labour market information so that users can make better and more informed career decisions.
The enhanced Job Bank website also provides employers with information on human resources management services and Job Match. This will help employers to:
hire Canadians and permanent residents for available jobs; or
view matches of eligible foreign job seekers in the Express Entry pool if no Canadians or permanent residents are available.
Job Match, available through Job Bank, is an example of how the Government of Canada is finding ways to better utilize technology to connect employers with Canadians and eligible Express Entry candidates who have in-demand skills and training.
Visit Job Bank for more information.
21. How does Job Bank work with Express Entry?
Job Bank and Express Entry let eligible employers in Canada and eligible skilled foreign nationals connect with one another more easily. Every effort must be made by the employer to first try and find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill their job vacancy before a skilled immigrant can be considered.
In most cases, employers wishing to hire a foreign national must register with Employment and Social Development Canada's (ESDC) Job Bank and post their employment ad for a minimum of 30 days (as well as meet other advertising requirements). If a Canadian or permanent resident is not found, employers can extend their job ad and broaden their candidate search to include foreign workers. If a qualified foreign national is found, the employer can then apply for an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The employer must apply for an LMIA in order to hire the foreign candidate.
ESDC will assess all LMIA applications. In many cases, employers will need a positive LMIA to make a qualifying job offer to a foreign national under Express Entry.
Should the Express Entry candidate choose to apply to a job opportunity, the recipient employer will then be required to go through their usual interview or assessment process. If the employer finds that the Express Entry candidate meets their needs, and they are eligible to hire a foreign national, they can offer them a job.
Employers with a positive LMIA will then provide this information along with a job offer letter to the candidate to include in their Express Entry profile. This is so they can more quickly be offered an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the next eligible draw.
Eligible employers can be matched later in 2015 with qualified candidates in the Express Entry pool.
Through Job Bank, Express Entry candidates will be able to explore jobs and, later in 2015, they will be able to sign up with Job Match to view jobs that match their skill set and qualifications.
22. How does an employer in Canada get matched with Express Entry candidates in Job Bank?
Later in 2015, Job Bank will start to make matches between eligible employers in Canada and eligible Express Entry candidates if the employer’s job has been advertised to Canadians for one month or longer.
Employers will continue to be matched to Canadian and permanent resident Job Seeker profiles while their job is advertised on Job Bank. Matches will be made based on an employer’s job listing and a candidate’s skills, knowledge and experience. To be matched, candidates must be eligible through Express Entry.
23. Are Express Entry candidate profiles in Job Bank matched to more than one employer?
Later in 2015, when Job Match for Express Entry candidates is in place, an eligible Express Entry candidate could be matched to more than one employer if the candidate’s skill set matches the needs of more than one job description. This could be the case for any Job Seeker profile in Job Bank.
Employer Liaison Network
24. What is the Employer Liaison Network?
The Employer Liaison Network (ELN) will help employers navigate the Express Entry system. It will provide employers with useful and up-to-date information on permanent economic immigration programs and policies related to Express Entry. Its goal is to increase employer awareness and use of the Express Entry system, as well as to facilitate matches between employers in Canada (outside of Quebec) and skilled labour overseas. The ELN will not address case-specific enquiries or work permit issues. Its focus is on the permanent resident streams (i.e. not temporary resident streams).
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
25. When will the Employer Liaison Network (ELN) launch, and where can employers access or meet with ELN staff?
It is anticipated that the ELN will be in place in early 2015. We will have more details on this site later in 2014.
26. Will there be any cost for employers to use the Employer Liaison Network (ELN)?
No. The ELN will help employers understand the Express Entry system and work to increase the employer’s part in recruiting and selecting permanent residents.
Potential Immigrants
27. How will I use the Express Entry system?
First, you will express your interest in immigrating to Canada by creating an online Express Entry profile. You will give us information about your skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other details that contribute to success in Canada.
If you meet the criteria, you will be put into the Express Entry pool of candidates, which is a group of people that we can draw from to fill immigration spaces.
At the launch of Express Entry, you will need to create a Job Seeker Account with Job Bank if you do not already have a Canadian job offer or a provincial/territorial nomination. This will give you the opportunity to view jobs available with Canadian employers. It is important for Express Entry candidates to promote themselves to potential employers/recruiters and use private sector job boards and other resources to learn about jobs available in Canada.
Note: Candidates who create a Job Seeker Account with Job Bank between January 1 and January 25 will need to return to their Job Seeker Account after January 26 to create their profile. After January 26, candidates will be able to create their Job Seeker Account and profile without delay.
To qualify for the Express Entry pool, you must meet the criteria of at least ONE of three federal economic immigration programs:
Federal Skilled Worker Program,
Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
Canadian Experience Class.
Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) to meet local labour market needs.
You will be given a score by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Your score will be based on the information you gave in your Express Entry profile and will be used to determine your rank within the pool. Note that your score will change only when you update your profile information. How your score ranks will depend on the scores of other candidates in the pool and will change regularly as people are added and removed from the pool.
Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Candidates will be awarded points for:
a job offer;
a provincial/territorial nomination; and
skills and experience factors that contribute to success in Canada.
Note: Entry into the Express Entry pool does not guarantee you will get an ITA for permanent residence. Even if you receive an ITA, you still have to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).
If you get an ITA, you will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence in one of the immigration programs listed above. Your ITA will tell you which program you are eligible to apply for.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will process most applications (completed applications that include all the supporting documents needed) in six months or less.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
28. How will the Express Entry system benefit potential candidates?
Express Entry will offer many benefits, including:
faster processing times: we expect to process most applications %in six months or less, from the time we get a complete application for permanent residence to a final decision; and
an easier way to get a job offer from an eligible employer in Canada before you arrive in Canada: the Government of Canada’s enhanced Job Bank will let eligible employers in Canada and skilled foreign nationals connect with one another more easily, making economic integration faster once immigrants arrive in Canada.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
29. Do I need to hire an immigration consultant or lawyer?
No. You do not need to hire an immigration consultant or lawyer to use the Express Entry system or any other CIC immigration program, to complete an Express Entry profile, or to complete an application for permanent residence.
30. I am currently waiting for my application for permanent residence to be processed in the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Can I submit an Express Entry profile?
You may submit a new Express Entry profile, but it is not necessary. However, we will not refund any processing fees paid related to your original application. Your existing application will be processed based on the rules in place at the time you applied.
If you choose to create an Express Entry profile and are invited to apply, you will be required to submit a new application for permanent residence and the associated processing fees.
From:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/notices/2014-12-01.asp#30
