Last week, many hopeful Canadian immigrants woke up to the disappointing news that their applications for the Canadian Experience Class Program would not be processed, after it was revealed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that the cap for applications had been reached on October 20, 2014.
Between May and the end of December 2014, The Canadian Experience Class program received 8,000 permanent residency applications. However, applications continued to stream in long after the cap had been reached because CIC did not update their website to show that the program had effectively closed its doors to new applicants.
Applicants rushed to apply for permanent residency via the Canadian Experience Class Program before the new Express Entry system was set to kick into place at the start of the year, with the hope of being accepted under the old rules. Unfortunately, many of those hopes have been dashed.
Which Applications are Affected?Â
Only applications for permanent residency via the Canadian Experience Class stream that were received after October 20, 2014 are affected. So, if you’ve applied via the Provincial Nominee Program or either of the Federal Skilled Worker/Trade programs, your application will not be affected by the latest news.
However, if you were one of the unlucky applicants to apply through Canadian Experience Class stream after October 20, 2014, your application will be returned to you, along with your unprocessed application fee. You may still apply for permanent residency, but this must now go through the new Express Entry program.
Your Next Steps
If you do decide to resubmit your application for permanent residency, your application will be managed electronically under the new Express Entry system. You must also:
- Qualify for one of the three main application streams
- Submit an online profile via Express Entry
- Register your details with the Job Bank (providing you do not already possess a qualifying job offer)
- Regularly update your profile and wait until you are invited to apply for permanent residency
Once your profile enters the Express Entry pool, it will be regularly reviewed along with the profiles of other eligible applicants. You will be ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) according to various factors, including your qualifications, age and relevant work experience. A job offer or provincial nomination will automatically provide a significant points boost.
After you have been selected, you will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency and will be given 60 days to complete your application.
Are you Interested in Applying for Canadian Experience Class via Express Entry?Â
If you applied for Canadian Experience Class after October 20, 2014, it may seem like you’re back to square one. However, you can still make your Canadian dream a reality by applying via Express entry. That is we at Niren & Associates come in handy. The most important aspect of the Express Entry program is to get an invitation to apply for permanent residence. Our job is to make you STAND OUT from the crowd.Â
We will assess your case, highlight the best aspects of your application, and make sure that the government notices you! Call us today for an assessment to see if you are eligible for Express Entry to Canada, or fill out our online assessment form.
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President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
