Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the introduction of new selection categories for Express Entry candidates.
The announcement by Mr. Sean Fraser, Canada’s immigration minister, signals the beginning of category-based Express Entry selection draws. The new category-based Express Entry draws will target Francophone candidates with work experience in these sectors:
- Healthcare
- STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, and Mathematics) professions
- Trades, including plumbers, contractors, and carpenters
- Transport
- Agri-food and agriculture
The decision to launch category-based Express Entry selection of candidates will align the selection of candidates with Canada’s labor market needs. The earlier selection system relied on Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores besides the type of federal economic immigration programs like the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Advantage of new Express Entry categories
The federal immigration programs rank candidates on CRS scores by assessing human capital factors of work experience, occupation, education, and language ability. The top-ranking candidates receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency status.
Canada faces chronic labor shortages across crucial sectors besides a severe shortfall of French-proficient candidates in several Francophone communities. The recent changes to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) empower the immigration minister to modify immigrant selection criteria according to Canada’s economic and demographic priorities. The shift to the new category-based Express Entry selection will help address labor market, economic and social issues more effectively.
