Canada Issues First Express Entry Visa Invitations
On February 2, 2015, the Canadian government announced that it had issued 779 skilled foreign workers an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada under its new “Express Entry” immigration system. Among those who received an Invitation to Apply for a PR Visa to Canada were skilled foreign workers in the construction and electrical trades, as well as professionals in applied and natural sciences.
According to Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, “Express Entry is already getting impressive results in its first month. The fact that everyone who was invited to apply for permanent residence in this round of invitations already has a valid job offer or provincial nomination shows that Express Entry is working to fill Canada’s existing labor market gaps.” He further declared, “With Express Entry, highly skilled candidates with a high chance of success in Canada are invited to apply for permanent residence, bringing them to Canada more quickly and easily than ever before.”
The new Express Entry Canadian immigration system was launched on January 1, 2015. As its name suggests, the Express Entry system was designed to speed up the process of selecting and approving the most qualified skilled foreign workers to be issued a PR Visa to Canada so they can more quickly arrive in the country and contribute to the Canadian economy. For example, the 779 skilled foreign workers who were issued an Invitation to Apply for a PR Visa to Canada on January 31, 2015, will have 60 days to submit their complete visa applications, along with all of the required documents and fees, and will then receive a visa decision within only six months in most cases. If you also want to live and work in Canada and would like to find out if you and your family may be eligible to apply for Canadian immigration through the Express Entry system, click here!
