The Bill C-19 gained royal assent on 23rd June 2022. It includes a significant amendment to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). This amendment brought by Bill C-19 will enhance the Express Entry system that manages the PR applications of foreign skilled workers. It is because of Bill C-19 that the IRCC introduced the category-based Express Entry draws.
The IRCC constantly tries to improve and transform the immigration system according to the economic and labor requirements of the country.
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Changes Proposed by Bill C-19
Bill C-19 is a measure taken by the Canadian government through which it would invite more skilled workers through the Express Entry immigration program. The Express Entry would no longer be a straightforward point-based system eligible only for NOC skill levels O, A, or B. It would now become a system that facilitates and invites immigrants based on urgent and crucial economic goals. These economic goals would be determined by the Immigration minister who would accordingly create in-demand categories that would be eligible to receive ITAs.
These in-demand categories would be created by the minister after consultation with the stakeholders such as immigration researchers, provinces and territories, workers, employers, industries, and immigration practitioners and lawyers. This consultation before creating any new categories for foreign skilled workers will assist the immigration minister in getting suggestions, information, and recommendations about the condition of the Canadian labor market. The consultation will also help assess which occupations will suffer labor shortages in the near future.
It is interesting to note that these speculated changes in the Express Entry are similar to how the Canadian provinces invite skilled immigrants based on the provincial labor requirements.
Category-Based Express Entry Draws – A result of Bill C-19
The introduction of Category-based Express Entry draws is the most important result of Bill C-19. In a category-based selection, IRCC issues an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to those candidates who belong to a specific category. IRCC announced the category-based draws on 31st May 2023 and conducted the very first category selection on 28th June of the same year. IRCC invites candidates from six categories:
- Healthcare Occupations
- STEM occupation
- Trade Occupations
- Transport Occupations
- Agriculture and Agri-food occupations
- French Language Proficiency category
Thus, to get an ITA in a category-based Express Entry draw, you must:
- Be eligible for Foreign Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, or Foreign Skilled Trades Program
- Have an active Express Entry
- Belong to one of the six categories that is announced in the draw
- Get a CRS score higher or equal to the cut-off mentioned in the draw
Limitations of Express Entry.
The amendment of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) is a measure to make the Express Entry system more responsive to Canada’s immediate and crucial labor market requirements. Previously, the Express Entry program was a points-based, straightforward system that blindly issued Invitation to Apply (ITAs) to eligible Federal Skilled Workers with a CRS score above the minimum cut-off.
However, this competitively high CRS requirement made the Express Entry system out of reach of many skilled workers who would have been capable of beneficially contributing to the Canadian economy.
The category-based selection will now enable eligible workers from specific occupations to get Canada PR visas through Express Entry.
How will Bill C-19 Benefit You?
The main benefit of Bill C-19 is that it has made Express Entry easier. The implementation of draws for specific categories has resulted in a lower CRS score.
It will also lead to a fair competition. For example, in draws exclusively for Healthcare occupations, the CRS score cut-off will be relatively higher. On the other hand, selection for transport occupations will have a lower CRS cut-off. In this way, category-based draws, candidates from these occupations will get equal opportunity. Before, individuals from all occupations had to compete with each other. This made Express Entry a very competitive immigration pathway.
Experts on Bill C-19
This is the best time to be in the Express Entry pool even if you feel your chances are slim. A regulated Canada Immigration representative will ensure you get all the legal guidance and assistance required to get you into the Express Entry pool.
Being India’s only CICC-licensed Canada immigration consultants in India, we are the first to get notified about any new changes to the popular Express Entry system.
Consult us and build a strong profile that maximizes your chances of a successful Canada Immigration.
