By Shuchita Kapur

For UAE expats looking to move to Canada, this is perhaps the fastest way one can opt for if you have decided to make a move.

As of January 1, 2015, Canada has a new immigration program called Express Entry, which is used to manage applications for permanent residence under three federal economic immigration programmes: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class.

“This immigration program allows skilled individuals to obtain permanent residency visas and relocate to Canada faster,” Julie Beeton, Managing Director of Dubai-based Canadian Immigration Consultants Beeton & Co, told Emirates 24|7.

“Express Entry is not an immigration program in itself, but rather a system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC),” she said.

Who can benefit from this programme?

This programme selects candidates for immigration to Canada under three categories. These include Federal Skilled Worker Class (formerly the Federal Skilled Worker Program), Federal Skilled Trades Class (formerly the Federal Skilled Trades Program) and Canadian Experience Class.

How to apply under this system?

There are certain steps that potential candidates need to follow when applying under the Express Entry.

“Candidates for permanent residency who are eligible for one of the federal economic immigration programmes mentioned above will be required to create an online Express Entry profile in which they provide information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other personal information.

“The IRCC will select the best candidates who are most likely to succeed in Canada rather than those who happen to be first in line. Factors such as your age, level of education, work experience and English or French language proficiency will play a part in determining whether you are selected. Candidates will be given a score out of 1,200 and candidates that meet the minimum Comprehensive Ranking Score will be invited to apply for permanent residency,” explains Beeton.

Under the new Express Entry system, it is estimated that if you have a successful application, you could receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency in 6- 12 months, she highlights.

Will only a limited number of candidates be admitted to the Express Entry pool?

No, there is no limit to the number of people who may enter the Express Entry pool; so your chances don’t become slim based just on the number of intakes.

Express Entry is expected to create an inventory of high-quality candidates who employers in Canada will be able to consider when they cannot find Canadians or permanent residents to fill job vacancies.

In 2015, over 31,000 invitations to apply to permanent residence were issued to a diverse range of highly skilled immigrants and almost 10,000 individuals have landed in Canada as permanent residents.

According to the Canadian Government’s immigration targets tabled in March 2016, Canada will welcome more than 300,000 new permanent residents in 2016.

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