Immigration Canada

Express Entry: Details Of The Comprehensive Ranking System Announced

DECEMBER, 2014

With less than one month until the much-anticipated Express Entry selection system for Canadian immigration comes into operation, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) this week revealed details about its Comprehensive Ranking System. With this information, potential candidates for immigration to Canada now have a clearer picture of how Express Entry will operate.

The Comprehensive Ranking System will rank candidates who have made an expression of interest in immigrating to Canada and are eligible for one of three federal economic immigration programs:

Once a candidate’s eligibility has been confirmed, he or she will enter the Express Entry pool and be ranked against other candidates in the pool. There are up to 1,200 points available under the system, and these are segmented as follows:

Up to 500 points for the candidate’s core human capital factors, including age, level of education, language ability, and work experience. In the case where the candidate has an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, up to 460 points will be awarded for the core human capital of the principal applicant, with up to 40 points available for the core human capital of his or her spouse or common-law partner. Up to 80 points will be awarded to candidates who have at least one year of Canadian work experience.
Up to 100 points will be awarded for the skills transferability of the candidate. These points are awarded based on a combination of certain human capital factors.
600 points will be awarded for either a qualifying offer of arranged employment from a Canadian employer or a nomination certificate from a Canadian province.

The importance of determining eligibility first

Potential candidates for immigration to Canada through Express Entry should be aware that their score within the Comprehensive Ranking System is only of value once they are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool. Eligibility to enter the pool is determined by a separate assessment that establishes whether a candidate is eligible for one of the federal economic immigration programs listed above.

Once a candidate is eligible, he or she enters the pool and is ranked under the Comprehensive Ranking System with all other eligible candidates for the federal economic programs. Candidates with the highest rankings will then be issued invitations to apply.

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, including the federal economic programs that will be conducted under Express Entry, please fill out a free online assessment today.

Core Human Capital

Of the 1,200 points available under the Comprehensive Ranking System, up to 500 will be awarded for a candidate’s core human capital factors. In the case where the candidate has an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, up to 460 points will be awarded for the core human capital of the principal applicant, with up to 40 points available for the core human capital of his or her spouse or common-law partner.

Points for core human capital of candidates without an accompanying spouse or common-law partner is segmented as follows:

Up to 110 points are awarded for a candidate’s age, with candidates aged 20 to 29 awarded the full quota. Candidates younger than 18 and older than 44 are not awarded any points.

Level of education

Up to 150 points are awarded for education.

First language ability

Up to 136 points are awarded for ability in either English or French, with 34 points awarded for speaking, writing, listening and reading, respectively.

Second language ability

Up to 24 points are awarded for ability in either English or French, with six points awarded for speaking, writing, listening and reading, respectively.

Canadian work experience — Up to 80 points are awarded for the number of years a candidate has worked in a skilled occupation in Canada. Use the free Occupation Skill Level Classifier tool to determine the skill level of the job(s) you may have performed.

Points for core human capital of candidates with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner is segmented as follows:

Up to 100 points are awarded for a candidate’s age, with candidates aged 20 to 29 awarded the full quota. Candidates younger than 18 and older than 44 are not awarded any points.

Level of education

Up to 140 points are awarded for level of education of the principal candidate, with an additional 10 points available for the level of education of the spouse or common-law partner.

First language ability

Up to 128 points are awarded for the principal applicant’s ability in either English or French, with 32 points awarded for speaking, writing, listening and reading, respectively. Up to 20 points are awarded for the spouse or common-law partner’s ability in either English or French, with 5 points awarded for speaking, writing, listening and reading, respectively.

Second language ability

Up to 22 points are awarded for ability in either English or French, with six points awarded for speaking, writing, listening and reading, respectively, with a maximum of 22 points awarded.

Canadian work experience

Up to 70 points are awarded for the number of years the principal applicant has worked in a skilled occupation in Canada, with 10 additional points available for the number of years the spouse or common-law partner has worked in a skilled occupation in Canada.

Skill Transferability

Of the 1,200 points available under the Comprehensive Ranking System, up to 500 will be awarded for a candidate’s skill transferability. This is measured through five combinations of certain core human capital factors, with a maximum of 50 points available for any one combination. The five combinations are as follows:

Education and language ability
Education and Canadian work experience
Language ability and non-Canadian work experience
Canadian and non-Canadian work experience
Certificate of qualification in a trade and language ability

Anticipating and preparing for the Comprehensive Ranking System

“With complete details of the system now in the public domain, candidates are now in a great position to prepare for immigration to Canada through Express Entry,” says Attorney David Cohen. “First, I encourage you to determine your eligibility. If you are not eligible at this time, you can work towards becoming eligible by doing things such as taking or re-taking a language test, or gaining more work experience. If you are eligible, you can begin to gauge how you may rank within the Comprehensive Ranking System and start connecting with Canadian employers to get that all-important job offer. ”

Source: http://www.cicnews.com/2014/12/express-entry-details-comprehensive-ranking-system-announced-124175.html

How Express Entry works

Canadian Provinces and Territories (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Express Entry will manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry system through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet local labour market needs.

The Express Entry system has two steps:

Step 1) Potential candidates complete an online Express Entry profile

Potential candidates will complete an online Express Entry profile. This is a secure form that they will use to provide information about their:

skills,
work experience,
language ability,
education, and
other details that will help us assess them.

Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs listed above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.

Anyone who does not already have a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (if you need one), or a nomination from a province or territory, must register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. Job Bank will help connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in Canada.

Candidates are also encouraged to promote themselves to employers in other ways, such as using job boards, recruiters etc.

In most cases when there is a job being offered to a candidate, employers will need an LMIA from ESDC. The LMIA process ensures employers have made an effort to hire Canadians for available jobs. There will be no LMIA fee for permanent resident applications.

Note: Entry into the Express Entry pool does not guarantee a candidate will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Invited candidates still have to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).

Step 2) The highest-ranking candidates in the pool will be invited to apply for permanent residence

Candidates will be ranked against others in the pool using a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Points are awarded using the information in their profile.

Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply. Candidates will be awarded points for:

a job offer, and/or
a nomination from a province or territory, and/or
skills and experience factors.

A candidate can get additional points for:

a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or
a nomination by a province or territory

These additional points will make a candidate rank high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.

If someone is invited to apply, they will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete applications (meaning those with all the necessary supporting documents) in six months or less.

Candidates can stay in the pool for up to 12 months. If they do not get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence within 12 months of submitting an Express Entry profile, they may submit a new profile. If they still meet the criteria, they can re-enter the pool. This will prevent backlogs and ensure quick processing times.

Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/express-entry/index.asp

Getting Ready to Launch Express Entry

In-demand immigrants’ applications will be processed in six months or less

December 1, 2014 — Ottawa — Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today confirmed it’s one month and counting until Express Entry launches a new phase of active immigration recruitment to meet economic and labour market needs. Potential candidates can create their profile on January 1st, 2015, with the first Invitations to Apply issued within weeks.

Express Entry will help select skilled immigrants based on their skills and experience. Those with valid job offers or provincial/territorial nominations will be picked first. Details published today in the Canada Gazette explain how candidates will be ranked and selected, based on these factors that research shows are linked to success in the Canadian economy. Research shows these criteria will help ensure newcomers participate more fully in the Canada’s economy and integrate more quickly into Canadian society.

Minister Alexander also highlighted that additional information was published on the CIC website to help potential immigrants and employers understand the new system, and to promote Canada as a destination of choice based on a strong economy, low taxes and job opportunities.

Express Entry will result in faster processing and will allow the Government of Canada to be more flexible and respond better to Canada’s changing labour market needs.

Quick facts

Express Entry will manage applications for three federal economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.
Provinces and Territories will be able to use the Express Entry system to select a portion of candidates for their Provincial Nominee Programs.
Express Entry will launch at 12 noon EST January 1st, 2015. The first draw for an invitation to apply is scheduled for the last week of January.
Once candidates have been selected from the pool they will need to complete the immigration process, which includes health and security checks. Applications will be processed in six months or less.
Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, with clean and friendly cities, world-class universities, and business and job opportunities.Choose Canada.

Government of Canada Replaces the Live-in Caregiver Program

Janet Morris, Director of Bet Tzedek's Family Caregiver Program, with clients. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On November 28, 2014, the Government of Canada issued Ministerial Instructions completely overhauling Canada's caregiver immigration programs.

The changes consist of:

Suspending the in-take of applications under the existing Live-in Caregiver Program;
Establishing the Caring for Children Class; and
Establishing the Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class.

The above changes all take effect on November 30, 2014.

Suspending the in-take of applications under the existing Live-in Caregiver Program

No new permanent resident applications under the Live-in Caregiver Class will be accepted for processing unless they are supported by evidence that the underlying work permit associated with the foreign national's initial entry to Canada as a live-in caregiver was based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment application that the employer requested on or before November 30, 2014.

Establishing the Caring for Children Class

Individuals will be eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Caring for Children Class if they:

Have acquired, within the four years of applying for permanent residence, at least two years of full-time work experience in Canada as a Home Child Care Provider, within the meaning of that occupation as set out in National Occupational Classification code 4411, other than experience as a foster parent;
Meet the employment requirements of being a Home Child Care Provider;
Have attained (through the completion of a language exam) a level of English or French language proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark 5,
Have obtained either a Canadian educational credential of at least one year of post-secondary studies, or a foreign equivalent as demonstrated through an educational credential assessment; and
They intend to reside in a province other than Quebec.

The full-time work experience in Canada referred to above must have occurred while a foreign national was authorized to work in Canada under a work permit, and cannot include any period during which the foreign national was engaged in full-time study or was self-employed. It is imperative that open work permit holders complete medical examinations and ensure that their work permits allow them to work as Home Child Care Providers before they begin working.

Although the Ministerial Instructions do not mention any application caps for the Caring for Children Class, in a press release on October 31, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced that the program would be capped at 2,750 applications per year.

Establishing the Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class

Individuals will be eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class if they:

Have acquired, within the four years of applying for permanent residence, at least two years of full-time work experience in Canada in one of the following occupations:
- Registered Nurse or Registered Psychiatric Nurse within the meaning of National Occupational Classification code 3012;
- Licensed Practical Nurse within the meaning of National Occupational Classification code 3233;
- Nurse Aide, Orderly, or Patient Service Associate within the meaning of National Occupational Classification code 3413; or
- Home Support Worker, but not Housekeeper, within the meaning of National Occupational Classification 4412.
Meet the employment requirements of their respective occupation;
Have attained (through the completion of a language exam) a level of English or French language proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for Registered Nurses or Psychiatric Nurses, and Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for the remaining professions,
Have obtained either a Canadian educational credential of at least one year of post-secondary studies, or a foreign equivalent as demonstrated through an educational credential assessment; and
They intend to reside in a province other than Quebec.

The full-time work experience in Canada referred to above must have occurred while a foreign national was authorized to work in Canada under a work permit, and cannot include any period during which the foreign national was engaged in full-time study or was self-employed. It is imperative that open work permit holders complete medical examinations and ensure that their work permits allow them to work as Home Child Care Providers before they begin working.

Although the Ministerial Instructions do not mention any application caps for the Caring for Children Class, in a press release on October 31, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada previously announced that the program would be capped at 2,750 applications per year.

More information about the Ministerial Instructions can be found here.

Source: Steven Meurrens, Barrister & Solicitor

Canada Set to Announce New Immigrant Investor Plan

BEN DUMMETT and

ALISTAIR MACDONALD

Updated Nov. 27, 2014 3:09 p.m. ET

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Canada is set to announce a new program that would enable some prospective immigrants to acquire residency visas by investing at least 1 million Canadian dollars ($890,000) in a venture-capital fund, a scheme some other western countries have used to attract wealthy, mainly Chinese, newcomers.

Ottawa will create an new immigrant class for individuals who could place C$1 million to C$2 million in a VC fund that would in turn invest in startups, according to a person familiar with the matter. The government is targeting investments totaling around C$120 million, that person said.

Ottawa scrapped a previous immigrant-investor scheme in February, and canceled a backlog of tens of thousands of mainly Chinese applicants. That move was seen as another sign that Canada was becoming less welcoming to China and its investment, coming not long after Ottawa shut the door on Chinese state-owned investment in Canada’s oil sands.

Ottawa denied that view, saying the visa program, which granted permanent residency to those who committed C$800,000 to a five-year zero-interest loan to a Canadian province, allowed people to effectively buy their way into the country without making an investment or taking any risk.

In recent years, Canada has let in more immigrants per capita than any other Group of Seven country.

The new venture-capital linked scheme addresses the view that the previous scheme undervalued Canadian permanent residency and enabled some applicants to gain residency without moving to Canada. Canada signaled for the plan in February, but has yet to release any of the program’s details.

A spokesman for Canadian Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said details governing the new venture capital fund are still being finalized and would be unveiled in due course. He declined to elaborate on specific features of the fund.

Under the new program, investors aren’t guaranteed a return from their investment and could face losses depending on the performance of the VC fund’s investments.

The new program comes as VC fundraising declined 29% year-to-date in the third quarter, according to Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association.

Ottawa has encouraged venture-capital investment as way of generating innovation, skilled-job creation and long-term economic growth. The government has earmarked C$400 million for existing and new venture-capital funds as a way to kick-start private money flows into this style of funding, which typically takes bets on early stage or startup companies. Ottawa also wants the private sector to commit two dollars for every dollar it allocates to VC funding.

Other Western governments have offered residency or passports in exchange for immigrant investment. Under one U.K. scheme, anyone with the intention and means to invest GBP2 million in the country can get a visa. In the past, European countries, including Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus, have allowed investors a residency permit for buying as little as EUR250,000 ($340,950) of real estate.

Last month, Australia offered a faster 12-month pathway to permanent residency for people investing A$15 million ($13.2 million) or more into the country. The Premium Investor Visa program targets investment in higher-risk infrastructure priorities rather than lower-risk sovereign bonds and managed funds. The new visas build on an existing plan—Significant Investor Visas—offering residency in four years for people investing at least A$5 million. As on Nov 24, China accounted for 90.8% of applications, and 87.7 % of visas granted.

—Rob Taylor and Paul Vieira contributed

Write to Ben Dummett at ben.dummett@wsj.com and Alistair MacDonald atalistair.macdonald@wsj.com

Source: http://online.wsj.com/articles/canada-set-to-announce-new-immigrant-investor-plan-1417110338?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB11659981523255993497704580302972932810424.html

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