Importance of Canadian experience when picking immigrants

The pandemic forced Canada to impose travel restrictions temporarily. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), however, has increased the number of Express Entry draws during this period. The IRCC usually organized Express Entry draws every two weeks on a Wednesday before the announcement of the travel restrictions. After the travel restrictions came into effect, six draws have been organized till now. Two of the draws were held on the same day, and another four took place within a week.

The draws reflected a pattern in that they targeted the candidates who have provincial nominations and are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class. The coronavirus crisis has prompted Canada to pick more immigration candidates who have Canadian experience.

What is the impact?

According to the IRCC, the program-specific draws will beneficial for candidates who are already living in Canada. The CEC-specific draws have been inclusive and distributed invitations amongst thousands of candidates.

It is reasonable for the IRCC to extend more invitations for permanent residence to candidates with Canadian experience in the short run. Since these candidates are already in the country, it is less likely that they will be impacted by the travel disruptions as compared to the Express Entry candidates who are located internationally.

Many Canadian provinces and territories are asking candidates with Canadian experience to submit their applications for permanent residence via their Provincial Nominee Programs. After the launch of the CEC, the number of streams for students and workers has only gone up. The IRCC has introduced newer immigration programs like the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, and the Atlantic Immigration Pilot that offer dedicated streams for candidates having Canadian experience.

Candidates with Canadian experience will be able to fit into the country’s economy easily, which is why they have gained priority in both federal and provincial immigration. According to Canadian government research, the experience can help candidates to integrate quickly into the market.