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Canada’s Express Entry program, a popular immigration pathway, is being modified with 2025 category-based draws and more in-Canada draws to reduce labour shortages. The program introduces a new education category and prioritizes Canadian Experience Class stream applicants.
Canada’s Express Entry program, a popular immigration route for foreigners seeking employment and permanent residency, is being amended. To address employment shortages, Canada has announced category-based Express Entry draws for 2025 and proposals for new in-Canada draws.
The 2025 Express Entry program includes two key changes: the addition of a new education category and a special focus on persons with work experience in Canada who wish to apply for permanent residence. This indicates that the Canadian government will prioritize the Canadian Experience Class stream when welcoming foreigners for permanent residency.
In order to match the selection of federal economic immigrants with the nation’s long-term labor shortages, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, has announced the 2025 Express Entry categories, which include a new education category. Miller highlights the significance of immigration in fostering economic growth.
The Canadian Experience Class is for skilled Canadian workers seeking permanent residency, requiring at least one year of paid skilled work in Canada and language fluency, obtained as a temporary resident.
The Canadian Experience Class is intended for skilled Canadian workers who are applying for permanent residence; it has minimum requirements for proficiency in the language and Canadian skilled work experience.
You must have done at least one year of paid skilled work in Canada (or an equivalent amount of part-time work) in the three years before to applying for the Canadian Experience Class. Additionally, you must have gained this work experience while temporarily residing in Canada.
You must receive payment in the form of a salary or commissions for your skilled job experience; volunteering and unpaid internships are not acceptable forms of remuneration.
However, you are not eligible for the Canadian Experience Class if you earned your work experience while temporarily living outside of Canada and employed without authorization.
On February 5, 2025, 4,000 foreign nationals received invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency in the final Express Entry draw for the Canadian Experience Class, which had a cut-off score of 521.
Attracting qualified workers to contribute to Canada’s future is a top concern, and this includes converting temporary residents into permanent residents. Since immigrants make up almost all of Canada’s workforce, they significantly contribute to the country’s labor force expansion and serve to alleviate labor shortages in key sectors.
Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for those seeking to immigrate permanently through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.
In category-based rounds of invitations, IRCC invite candidates in the Express Entry pool who are eligible for a specific category.
Currently, the categories are – French-language proficiency, Healthcare and social services occupations, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations, Trade occupations, Agriculture and agri-food occupations.
The federal economic class draws for 2025 will primarily target Canadian Experience Class candidates with prior work experience in Canada for permanent residence applications.
Additionally, to meet Francophone immigration targets and meet the acute needs in health, trades and education, IRCC will conduct category-based invitation rounds in the following categories:
• Strong French language skills, or
• Work experience in the following fields:
• Health care and social services, such as family physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and chiropractors
• Trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
• Education, such as teachers, child care educators and instructors of persons with disabilities.
Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/business/investing-abroad-canada-express-entry-program-for-foreigners-seeking-permanent-residence-modified-3764970/
