Express Entry Revamp | New Categories-based Selection Process

In the present year, the invitations based on category-based selection will prioritize candidates who possess either excellent French language skills or professional experience in the following sectors:

• Healthcare
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations
• Skilled trades, including carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
• Transportation
• Agriculture and agri-food industry

Category-based selection reinforces Canada’s pledge to embracing sought-after professionals within their regional communities by enabling a larger pool of proficient workers in those fields. Furthermore, the government of Canada has made a specific effort to prioritize Francophone immigration, thereby ensuring that French-speaking communities can persist in their preferred language while residing in Canada.

Express Entry will be made more adaptable to Canada’s evolving economic and job market demands through the implementation of category-based selection, which will also enhance Canada’s successful economic immigration system by capitalizing on its strong human capital strategy. This emphasis ensures that the objective of attracting capable individuals who could assimilate and make valuable contributions to Canada’s forthcoming endeavors is sustained.

Key Takeaways from the speech given by the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

While the new categories-based selection is expected to start shortly, IRCC has confirmed that selection for other programs (ex: FSWC, PNPs, etc.) will continue as usual.

• Express Entry stands as Canada’s premier system for managing applications from individuals aspiring to attain permanent residency through various immigration programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.
• The Canadian Government modified the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in June 2022 to enable the selection of immigrants according to crucial qualities that bolster economic objectives such as possessing specific work expertise or proficiency in French.
• To utilize the latest authorities, the Minister is required by law to conduct public consultations with provinces and territories, industry members, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, as well as immigration researchers and practitioners before establishing a new category. Every year, the IRCC is required to submit a report to parliament, detailing the categories selected in the previous year as well as the selection process, along with an explanation for the reasoning behind these choices.
• The categories were established after extensive discussions with regional and local collaborators, interested parties, and citizens, and after assessing the requirements of the job market.
• In the upcoming months, the initial invitations to apply issuance based on categories are anticipated to start.

• Nearly the entirety of Canada’s labor force growth is attributed to immigration, effectively addressing labor shortages in critical industries.
• The dearth of job opportunities has intensified significantly over the past two years, with the number of professions grappling with scarcities being twice as much in 2021 as it was in 2019, states Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
• As per the agreement between Canada and Quebec, Quebec has the autonomy to determine its own immigration quotas. Between the years 2018 and 2022, French-speaking admissions outside Quebec were largely attributed to the Federal High-Skilled program, making up around 34% to 40% of all admissions during this period.

Contact us today to know if you qualify to migrate to Canada. Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn about finding employment in Canada, making your initial days stress-free, etc.