July 20, 2015 – Citizenship and Immigration Canada has issued its 13th round of Invitations to Apply for Permanent Residence, following a drawing of candidates from the Express Entry pool. A total of 1,581 invitations were issued to applicants with scores of 451 or higher. This is the lowest qualifying score to date.
Background
Express Entry is Canada's new immigration application management system. Applicants are awarded up to 600 points based on a number of factors meant to assess their ability to succeed in Canada, including age, language skills, education and work experience. An additional 600 points are awarded for holding a job offer supported by a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Since inception, the program has elicited criticism that the comprehensive scoring system unfairly disadvantages international students and other LMIA-exempt foreign nationals. Despite the downward trend in qualifying scores, due to the uncertainty and lack of transparency in the selection process, Green and Spiegel continues to advise that employers wishing to support an employee's application for Permanent Residence should obtain an Labour Market Impact Assessment or Provincial Nomination Certificate in order to guarantee selection.
If you have questions about Express Entry, would like to create a profile, please contact Green and Spiegel LLP.
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