Following a temporary pause that has been in place since September 2021, Express Entry invitation rounds for CEC candidates are set to resume in July. Also, the processing standard for new applicants is expected to return to six months.
As a program managed by the Express Entry system, people who are eligible for the CEC get a score on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Roughly every two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) holds Express Entry draws inviting the highest scoring candidates to apply for Canadian immigration.
The CEC requirements are based on a pass or fail model. If the minimum requirements are met, the applicant is eligible to enter the Express Entry pool.
Once you’ve filled out your profile, you can submit it and IRCC will figure out which Express Entry program you are eligible for.
IRCC will ask for proof of the information you submitted in your Express Entry profile. Immigration officers will assess whether the information you provided in your application is different from your profile. If they find false information, or important details left out, they may refuse your application, find you inadmissible, or bar you from applying for immigration for five years.
Declining an invitation means you will be put back into the Express Entry pool of candidates and you may be considered for future rounds of invitations if you are still eligible. It does not affect whether you are invited to apply later. There is no guarantee you will be invited to apply again, however, you may be able to improve your chance by updating your Express Entry profile or getting a higher CRS score.
If you do not respond to your ITA in 60 days, IRCC will take your profile out of the pool. To be considered for future draws, you will have to fill out a new Express Entry profile.
CEC has become more prominent since its launch in 2008. Last year it accounted for one-third of the record 405,000 landings.
Starting this summer, IRCC will offer a new open work permit to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders, which will give them more of a chance to become eligible for the CEC.
Studies have shown that CEC immigrants tend to fare well in the labour market thanks to their Canadian experience before completing their permanent residency landing.
