Canada, December 25:
The Canadian government has announced a significant change to the Express Entry process for Permanent Residency (PR). Starting in 2025, applicants will no longer receive additional points for job offers. This decision aims to curb fraudulent activities within the system.
This change is expected to particularly impact Punjabi youth, many of whom have been leveraging job offers to strengthen their PR applications. The Canadian immigration department clarified that the new rule will apply to all candidates seeking PR through the Express Entry system.
Impact on Indian Applicants
Experts have acknowledged that while this step could effectively tackle fraud, it may also negatively affect skilled applicants and their employers. They suggest that instead of eliminating points for job offers, the government should implement stricter screening processes. Currently, over 135,000 PR applications are in the system, many of which have relied on job offers to gain additional points.
Current System and Points Allocation
Under the existing rules, candidates with valid job offers under Express Entry can receive 50 to 200 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. These points often make the difference between receiving an invitation to apply for PR or not.
The Canadian immigration department has stated that removing these additional points for job offers is a temporary measure. However, no specific timeline has been provided for when this policy might end.
Who Will Be Affected?
The removal of CRS points for job offers will impact both existing and new candidates in the Express Entry pool. This includes individuals who are already working temporarily in Canada.
Visa expert Parvinder Montu, based in Edmonton, noted that the immigration department has not differentiated between types of job offers. Once implemented, the change will apply uniformly to all job offers.
While this decision aims to make the system more transparent and fraud-free, it has created significant challenges for applicants relying on job offers to secure PR.
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