VANCOUVER — With the federal election on the horizon, Conservatives are pushing Express Entry as fast tracking immigrants and serving the needs of employers and provinces alike.
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander did his photo op with new Express Entry permanent residents Thanikachalam Ananthakrishnan from India, and Ms. Zoe Cremin, from Ireland, to Canada.
Ananthakrishnan was accepted under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. He is employed as a Front End Engineer at custom menswear company, Indochino, in Vancouver.
Alexander also welcomed Cremin, the first permanent resident under the Express Entry stream of the Provincial Nominee Program for British Columbia. She works as a software engineer at Sycle.net Technologies Ltd.
“Not too long ago, highly qualified candidates had to wait at the back of a very long line before being considered for permanent residence. Under Express Entry we can now select the best candidates with skills our labour market needs and they’ll arrive ready to contribute to our economy and communities more quickly,” Alexander said.
British Columbia is the first Canadian province or territory to welcome a provincial nominee as a permanent resident through Express Entry.
“The Express Entry stream of the PNP program supports BC’s economic growth by providing a pathway to permanent residency for high-skilled in demand workers. While our priority is to ensure that British Columbians come first in line for jobs, with one million job openings anticipated as a result of retirements and economic growth, the Express Entry program will be an important way to help meet our workforce needs,” said Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour.
Launched in January, Express Entry is a new way of managing applications for Canada’s key economic immigration programs. Candidates create an online profile and express their interest in coming to Canada permanently.
Candidates who meet the minimum criteria are accepted into the pool and ranked according to various factors, including language proficiency, education and work experience. Each is a leading indicator of one’s likelihood of integrating fully and quickly into Canadian society and making an optimal contribution to the economy.
Quick facts
· Most complete electronic applications under Express Entry will be processed in six months or less.
· Provinces and Territories can use Express Entry to find and nominate candidates that meet their specific labour market needs. Under the Provincial Nominee Program, provinces and territories have an agreement with the Government of Canada that lets them nominate immigrants who want to settle in their province.
· As of May 10th, British Columbia has nominated the highest number of Provincial Nominee candidates coming through Express Entry.
