The Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has recently announced three substantial changes to the Express Entry System starting June 6, 2017.

Firstly, candidates who achieve a language benchmark of 7 in French can be awarded at least 15 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, depending on their English skills. Bilingual applicants will gain the most CRS points, being awarded 30 points for having both a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 or better in English and 7 or better in French. Secondly, the Express Entry system will also begin to award points for individuals with siblings in Canada. To qualify for these points, the sibling must be 18 years of age or older, living in Canada, and a citizen or permanent resident. Finally, the Job Bank registration for Express Entry candidates becomes voluntary for all candidates. Previously, it was mandatory for a candidate to create a Job Bank account if they do not have a valid job offer or a provincial or territorial nomination before they are placed in the Express Entry pool and become eligible for an invitation round.
 
IRCC's ​​decision to award additional points to French-speaking and bilingual applicants continues the the trend of creating additional opportunities for French-speaking applicants. This program echos the Mobilité Francophone work permit program, implemented in June 2016, where French-speaking skilled workers can quickly qualify for Canadian work permits without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

If you would like to know more about these upcoming changes, and how they may affect your chances of being selected under Express Entry, we encourage you to contact Green and Spiegel for a consultation and assessment. 

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