Potential Express Entry Reforms and Expedited Work Permit Processing Option Announced
May 26, 2016

Country / Territory
Related offices
Related offices
At an event hosted by the Toronto Board of Trade and the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy on May 24, 2016 to address Canada’s immigration policies and regulations from an economic standpoint, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Hon. John McCallum, announced potential immigration policy changes. A House of Commons committee is reviewing the existing temporary and permanent worker programs and the government plans to use the Committee’s recommendations to create policies that increase the number of economic immigrants and ensure national competitiveness.
Notable Potential Policy Changes
The Minister announced the following potential changes to Canadian immigration policy:
- Greater access to permanent residence status for international students via the Express Entry program, including potentially providing extra points for university graduates to increase their chances of selection to apply for permanent residence.
- Further reforms to the Express Entry program, specifically for Labor Market Impact Assessment-exempt work permit holders. The Minister stated that a labour market assessment should not be a decisive factor for determining access to permanent residence status.
- The potential option for employers to pay for an expedited work permit process.
- Faster processing times for temporary and permanent economic stream applications, since the government has now resettled 25,000 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and February 2016 that it promised to resettle.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
Employers and foreign nationals should be prepared for further guidance regarding changes to Canadian immigration policies and options.
Fragomen will monitor the proposed changes and report more information as it becomes available.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
Country / Territory
Related offices
Related offices
Explore more at Fragomen
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Senior Immigration Analyst Nicole Dobromirova discusses updates to the UK visitor visa process, including the shift from visa stickers to electronic visas and how travellers can access their digital immigration status.
Media mentions
Partner Daniel Pierce discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court's latest Temporary Protected Status ruling.
Blog post
In this blog, Senior Counsel Jo Antoon explores what multinational employers need to know about pay transparency, cross-border workers and mobility-related compensation differences as implementation unfolds across the EU.
Media mentions
Immigration Supervisor Sanjay Parmar discussed how recent UK Basic Compliance Assessment changes are driving universities toward more data-led, proactive compliance management.
Blog post
In this blog, Fragomen’s Nadine Barnole, Jonathan Hill, Anastasia Vasiljeva and Nicole Williams examine how higher Skilled Worker salary thresholds, rising sponsorship costs and proposed Graduate Route changes are making it harder for employers to attract and retain international engineering talent.
Media mentions
Practice Leader Colm Collins explains how Ireland's employment permit updates can help employers address workforce shortages while strengthening the country's ability to attract global talent.
Blog post
Senior Associate Arta Djahanschiri and Associate Iris Barthel discuss how EU-Turkey Association Law, including Association Council Decision No. 1/80, can provide Turkish employees and their family members in Germany with residence and labor market rights that may extend beyond protections available under the German Residence Act.
Media mentions
Poland Immigration Strategy Director Tomasz Rogala and Senior Associate Tomasz Rdzanek explain Polish legislative changes affecting residence rights, employment authorization and long-term immigration pathways.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Senior Immigration Analyst Nicole Dobromirova discusses updates to the UK visitor visa process, including the shift from visa stickers to electronic visas and how travellers can access their digital immigration status.
Media mentions
Partner Daniel Pierce discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court's latest Temporary Protected Status ruling.
Blog post
In this blog, Senior Counsel Jo Antoon explores what multinational employers need to know about pay transparency, cross-border workers and mobility-related compensation differences as implementation unfolds across the EU.
Media mentions
Immigration Supervisor Sanjay Parmar discussed how recent UK Basic Compliance Assessment changes are driving universities toward more data-led, proactive compliance management.
Blog post
In this blog, Fragomen’s Nadine Barnole, Jonathan Hill, Anastasia Vasiljeva and Nicole Williams examine how higher Skilled Worker salary thresholds, rising sponsorship costs and proposed Graduate Route changes are making it harder for employers to attract and retain international engineering talent.
Media mentions
Practice Leader Colm Collins explains how Ireland's employment permit updates can help employers address workforce shortages while strengthening the country's ability to attract global talent.
Blog post
Senior Associate Arta Djahanschiri and Associate Iris Barthel discuss how EU-Turkey Association Law, including Association Council Decision No. 1/80, can provide Turkish employees and their family members in Germany with residence and labor market rights that may extend beyond protections available under the German Residence Act.
Media mentions
Poland Immigration Strategy Director Tomasz Rogala and Senior Associate Tomasz Rdzanek explain Polish legislative changes affecting residence rights, employment authorization and long-term immigration pathways.

