Canada Immigration - Haven’t Got A Job Offer? No Problem!

According to the new statistics revealed by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), changes in the method of ranking candidates in the Express Entry process has benefitted those who do not have legitimate job offers.

In the first half of 2017, around 90% of candidates under the Express Entry program who got the ITA or Invitation to apply for permanent residence had no job offers from Canadian organizations.

This increase in the acceptance of candidates for permanent citizenship without job offers was due to the reduction in the number of points allotted to job offers by the IRCC in the month of November, 2016.

Human capitals scores are now given greater weight age while considering their applications for permanent citizenship. Mainly candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker Class program have gained from this change.

How is the human capital score calculated?

The human capital factors which are taken into consideration while calculating the final score are:

• Age
• Educational qualifications
• Proficiency in French and English
• Work Experience

All these factors are combined to form the Comprehensive Ranking System Score (CRS). The maximum points which can be awarded under this category are 600. IRCC states that these human capital factors contribute to a higher scope of earning. Immigration experts believe that these qualities can help newcomers succeed in Canada in the future and adapt to the changes in the economic condition.

Changes in the ITA process

Earlier, a job offer could add an additional 600 points to the total score of an Express Entry candidate. It was a game-changing factor. ITA’s offered at that time were divided into the following categories:

– 40%- candidates with job offers

– 60%- candidates without job offers

After the changes, the weight age given to job offers was reduced to the range of 50 to 200 points. The ITA’s issued after November 2016 so a marked change in the above mentioned figures:

– 10%- candidates with job offers

– 90%- candidates without job offers

Though job offers no longer play a significant role in determining a candidate’s eligibility for applying for citizenship, the Provincial Nominee Programs carry 600 points 

which a candidate can benefit from.

Commenting on these changes, Attorney David Cohen states that:

“Dropping the value of a job offer has brought more objectivity to express Entry’s ranking system, and that’s good news for candidates who are relying on their core CRS scores. Candidates should also remember that Express Entry’s ranking system is dynamic, meaning their scores, and their ranking, can be improved.”

Another important change is the emphasis on Canadian Study points. The IRCC has made provisions for former international students who have studied in Canada till a level above high school. These candidates now form a major part of the Express Entry program. They are given preference because of their age, education, experience and skills. Most importantly, the time that they have spent in Canada as temporary citizens makes it easy for them to become permanent citizens.

Reasons for the change

The Express Entry program was initially meant to facilitate the entry of immigrants with job offers in order to meet the needs of the short term labor market. However, this program resulted in the arrival of cooks and food service supervisors instead of talented professionals from diverse fields. The focus was not on human capital.

The system was revamped to encourage people with high Canadian educational credentials who could succeed in several occupations in the long term and contribute to the growth of the country.

According to Faith St. John, spokesperson for Immigration Canada:

“Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for key economic immigration programs. Programs managed through the system attract highly skilled foreign workers who want to live in Canada permanently and whose in-demand skills are needed by employers across the country,””As a result, newcomers are able to more quickly put their skills to use and help strengthen and grow Canada’s economy.”

So if you haven’t got a job offer, there’s no need to panic. You can get the opportunity to become a permanent resident of Canada through the new Express Entry Program!