Fifth Round of Express Entry Program Shows More Flexibility in Selection

Following the implementation of the Express Entry program at the start of 2015 and the first draw on January 31, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) held its fifth draw on March 20. While CIC has advised that candidates with a valid Labour Market Impact Assessment/Labour Market Opinion or a Provincial Nomination certificate at the time a profile is set up are guaranteed selection, this is the first draw where candidates with neither document were selected. 

Of those who submitted an Expression of Interest, 1,620 candidates were invited to apply for permanent residence, with the minimum score being 481. 

Projection for Future Draws 

While the frequency and size of future draws will continue to be at the discretion of CIC, it is anticipated that scores are likely to increase to over 600 again as provinces such as Ontario set up their Express Entry categories and more foreign nationals obtain LMIAs. 

The points are based on a comprehensive ranking system that focuses on factors such as core human capital and skill transferability, among others. 

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals 

This recent draw demonstrates that employers should not dismiss the possibility of sponsoring employees for permanent residence simply because they do not hold an LMIA or PN certificate. Although possessing such documents guarantees selection, they are not necessarily required in order to set up an Express Entry profile and be selected in future draws. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

_{© 2015 Fragomen}