How the Express Entry selection system works
It is worth noting that Express Entry is not an immigration program, but a system for pre-selecting applications. In fact, it is a filter through which applications pass before they are reviewed by immigration authorities.
This system is primarily designed to accept applications under the federal programs FSWP, FSTP, and CEC, as well as applications under provincial economic programs.
Submitting an application is done electronically and essentially involves creating an individual Express Entry profile in the unified database of the Canadian immigration system, the Express Entry Pool. Moving forward, note that if your situation changes after submitting your application (for example, you improve your English language test results), you can make corresponding changes to your profile.
At this stage, there is no separation by program – a single standardized form is filled out, regardless of the immigration program. However, when applying through the Express Entry system, you must meet the eligibility requirements of at least one immigration program.
If the information you provide does not meet the eligibility requirements of any immigration program, you will be refused, and your application will not be accepted into the Express Entry Pool. Thus, an initial screening of applications takes place.
Then, points are awarded to the application based on a number of parameters according to the Comprehensive Ranking System algorithm. The maximum possible number of points is 1200. The higher your score, the greater your chances of successfully immigrating to Canada.
Immigration authorities will regularly conduct draws, selecting those with the highest ranking (those who have scored the most points). The dates of draws and the number of applications selected are not regulated; all of this is left to the discretion of the immigration authorities. However, the draw date, number of applications selected, and which program the draw is for will be announced in advance. In particular, the first draw is expected to take place at the end of January 2015.
Applicants who are selected in a draw receive an Invitation to Apply to submit a complete set of documents for immigration under a specific program. You have 60 days to submit the documents. If you fail to submit the documents within this period, the Invitation to Apply is canceled, and your application is removed from the Express Entry Pool database. You can reapply for immigration only after 12 months have passed since your application was removed from the Express Entry Pool database.
Once the documents are submitted, they are reviewed in accordance with the rules and procedures of the specific immigration program.
Those applications in the Express Entry Pool that are not selected within a year are canceled and removed from the database. You can reapply for immigration after 12 months.
The Express Entry system and the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Given that the Express Entry system arose from the need to modernize the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the new selection process could not help but affect the immigration program for skilled professionals. According to published explanations, there are indeed changes, and they are significant.
I should immediately note that the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Canada has not yet provided any explanations regarding how the FSWP program will be changed from January 2015. The CIC website still lists the current requirements. What is described above is a logical conclusion from the new rules of the Express Entry selection system.
So, what follows from this new system?
First, you will be able to apply for any occupation. Apparently, starting from January 2015, there will no longer be a list of in-demand occupations.
Second, the parameters for awarding points are changing. Since the current requirements for the FSWP program, with the need to score a passing 67 points, do not align at all with the points system of the new Express Entry system, it is highly likely that the current requirements will be replaced by the selection requirements of the new Comprehensive Ranking System. In that system, the main factors are age, education, proficiency in Canada's official languages, and work experience in Canada, for which you can collectively earn up to 500 points.
What is notable is that immigration in the new version is focused on young people aged 20 to 29, who receive the maximum 110 points for the "age" parameter. As soon as age exceeds 29, the points for age begin to decrease. For example, individuals who are 40 years old receive half as many points – 50. Those who are 45 years old receive no points at all.
Also striking is the absence in the Comprehensive Ranking System of points for work experience (outside Canada), which in the current rules plays a crucial role. More precisely, in the main set of parameters, points are awarded only for work experience in Canada, but we are still talking about specialists from abroad, most of whom do not have such experience. Moreover, if such work experience exists, then the need to immigrate through the FSWP program disappears; for this category of specialists, there is the Canadian Experience Class program.
Having work experience outside Canada (even a small amount) is only taken into account if you have very good language skills or work experience in Canada. However, even if these conditions are met, you can only get 50 points, which is generally very little.
That is, work experience has strangely ceased to be important. It is also strange, but education obtained in Canada is not encouraged in any way.
Another innovation is the separate scoring for individuals who immigrate alone and those who have a spouse. Overall, individuals passing through alone find themselves in a better position than married couples.
Looking at the overall picture, it is clear that immigration authorities are primarily interested in young people without families, with a good education and good command of English or French. At the same time, the points awarded under the Express Entry system are only needed for the purpose of selecting applications for which an invitation to apply for a specific program – Invitation to Apply – is given.
After receiving the Invitation to Apply and submitting a complete package of documents to the immigration authorities, all that is required is to meet the minimum requirements of that program. At least, that is how it looks at the moment.
Considering that applications that do not meet the minimum requirements of the program are cut off at the very initial stage of submission, the Invitation to Apply actually means a positive decision on your case (provided you can confirm with documents all the points of the profile you filled out). Read related material:
Pitfalls of the Express Entry system
Elena RYABININA.
«Русский Торонто»