Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is expected to implement changes to three of the federal economic immigration programs on January 1, 2015, which may make the process of obtaining permanent resident status in Canada significantly more difficult for some applicants. A new program, dubbed Express Entry, will be implemented on that date and will affect applicants who would otherwise qualify for the following three programs:

  • the Federal Skilled Worker Program;
  • the Federal Skilled Trades Program; and
  • the Canadian Experience Class.

The Express Entry program will require applicants who qualify for any of these three programs to enter a pool and wait for an invitation from CIC before submitting an application for permanent residence. While those applicants who are selected and invited to apply for permanent residence may have their applications processed within six months, there is no guarantee that any particular applicant will be selected. We therefore strongly encourage anybody who meets the requirements for any of these three programs to apply now, as they may receive preferred status within the Express Entry program if their application has been processed to the stage where they have received their letter of eligibility before January 1. For more information on this program or any other federal or provincial immigration program, please contact us at 604.609.3094 or by email at dpenner@watsongoepel.com