EXPRESS ENTRY OFFICIAL Q&A (3): EMPLOYER RELATED
How will the Express Entry system benefit employers in Canada?
Express Entry will give employers more recruitment options and help them better respond to labour shortages where there are no available Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Other benefits:
Eligible employers in Canada will have a direct role in recruiting economic immigrants.
Express Entry candidates with a job offer supported by an Labour Market Impact Assessment or provincial/territorial nomination will be given enough additional points to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.
Job Bank will provide an opportunity for eligible employers in Canada and Express Entry candidates to connect. Later in 2015, Job Bank will “match” eligible employers with Express Entry candidates who meet their job description when there are no Canadians or permanent residents available to do the job.
There will be no LMIA fee for permanent residence applications.
In 80%The majority of cases, permanent residence applications will be processed in six months of less receive
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
Have employers in Canada already been consulted on Express Entry?
Yes. Starting in fall 2012, Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) held consultations with employers in Canada on building a fast and flexible immigration system.
CIC is working closely with provincial/territorial partners and ESDC to hold information sessions across the country to prepare employers for Express Entry.
National associations and provincial and local chambers of commerce have helped us identify relevant employers.
Participants represent key industries and stakeholders across Canada, such as the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) and Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
How will employers in Canada use the Express Entry system?
Employers in Canada must first make every effort to try and find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill vacant job opportunities. Eligible employers who cannot find a Canadian or permanent resident for a permanent job will be able to consider candidates from the pool who meet their needs.
Employers can access candidates:
through their current recruiting and hiring practices, including private sector job boards; or
through Job Bank later in 2015. Job Bank will help match candidates with eligible employers in Canada and jobs based on their skills, knowledge and experience.
In some cases employers can also work with provinces and territories through the respective nominee programs.
Jobs offered to Express Entry candidates will be subject to the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirements in place at that time. Those who get a job offer supported by an LMIA will quickly be given an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
Note: An ITA does not guarantee that a candidate will be granted permanent residence. Candidates still have to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
Will there be a list of eligible occupations for Express Entry?
No. Express Entry will not include an eligible occupation list or occupation caps at the time of launch.
To be eligible to enter the pool, Express Entry candidates must have skilled work experience in a National Occupational Code (NOC) 0, A or B occupation. Jobs offered to candidates in the pool must be in one of these categories.
Job offers are also subject to the LMIA requirements in place at that time.
Candidates must also meet the minimum language requirements (for NOC 0 and A occupations: CLB 7; for NOC B occupations: CLB 5).
Will employers in Canada be able to access the Express Entry pool directly?
Employers will be able to access candidates in the pool through Job Bank. Job Bank and Express Entry will let eligible employers in Canada and eligible skilled foreign nationals connect with one another more easily.
Express Entry candidates will need to register with Job Bank if they do not already have a Canadian job offer or a provincial/territorial nomination. This will give them the opportunity to view jobs available with employers in Canada and to begin promoting themselves to employers, recruiters, private sector job boards, etc.
Later in 2015, Job Bank will “match” eligible employers with Express Entry candidates who meet their job description when there are no Canadians or permanent residents available to do the job.
Employers will also be able to direct candidates they find on their own to use Express Entry.
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
Can an employer who currently employs a temporary foreign worker (TFW) use Express Entry to support their application for permanent residence?
Yes. As long as the TFW is in Canada working under a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), you can offer them a permanent job to support their application for permanent residence. Your TFW would have to create an Express Entry profile and include their job offer information. A job offer supported by an LMIA will give a candidate enough additional points and be ranked high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.
If you are considering permanently hiring a TFW and you do not have a positive LMIA for the job, you will first need to make every effort to try and find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill the job opportunity. You will need to meet LMIA requirements, including posting your job ad on Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank in addition to advertising in two other places. If you have done this and have been unsuccessful in filling your job opportunity, you can apply for an LMIA for the TFW through Service Canada. The TFW would then have to create an Express Entry profile, meet the minimum criteria and include their job offer information so they get enough additional points and be ranked high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.
Can an Express Entry candidate come to Canada and start working before they get their permanent residence visa?
Express Entry candidates cannot usually come to Canada to work until they have their permanent resident visa. In some cases, candidates will already be in Canada with a temporary work permit.
Employers who need a worker to start before the permanent resident visa is processed, can apply for a “dual intent” Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Note that in this type of situation, an employer will need to pay the LMIA processing fee. A “dual intent” LMIA means a person can come to Canada as a temporary foreign worker (TFW) first and work while they wait for a decision on their permanent residence application. In this case, a candidate must still apply for a work permit and meet the requirements for TFWs.
Express Entry candidates who have a job offer and have been invited to apply will not automatically be given a temporary work permit or temporary resident visa.
Will candidates with job offers be given priority?
A job offer supported by an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will give a candidate enough additional points to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates. Potential candidates who have a valid job offer or provincial/territorial nomination when they complete their Express Entry profile will not need to register with Job Bank.
Where can I find more information on Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs)?
You can find more information on the LMIA process.
Will an employer need an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire an Express Entry candidate?
In most cases, employers will need an LMIA from ESDC. An employer may use an existing LMIA to hire their temporary foreign worker permanently.
How is Job Bank being modernized?
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) recently modernized Job Bank, which has resulted in:
an improved online user experience;
upgrades to the site’s security features to match industry standards; and
more up-to-date labour market information so that users can make better and more informed career decisions.
The enhanced Job Bank website also provides employers with information on human resources management services and Job Match. This will help employers to:
hire Canadians and permanent residents for available jobs; or
view matches of eligible foreign job seekers in the Express Entry pool if no Canadians or permanent residents are available.
Job Match, available through Job Bank, is an example of how the Government of Canada is finding ways to better utilize technology to connect employers with Canadians and eligible Express Entry candidates who have in-demand skills and training.
How does Job Bank work with Express Entry?
Job Bank and Express Entry let eligible employers in Canada and eligible skilled foreign nationals connect with one another more easily. Every effort must be made by the employer to first try and find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill their job vacancy before a skilled immigrant can be considered.
In most cases, employers wishing to hire a foreign national must register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank and post their employment ad for a minimum of 30 days (as well as meet other advertising requirements). If a Canadian or permanent resident is not found, employers can extend their job ad and broaden their candidate search to include foreign workers. If a qualified foreign national is found, the employer can then apply for an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The employer must apply for an LMIA in order to hire the foreign candidate.
ESDC will assess all LMIA applications. In many cases, employers will need a positive LMIA to make a qualifying job offer to a foreign national under Express Entry.
Should the Express Entry candidate choose to apply to a job opportunity, the recipient employer will then be required to go through their usual interview or assessment process. If the employer finds that the Express Entry candidate meets their needs, and they are eligible to hire a foreign national, they can offer them a job.
Employers with a positive LMIA will then provide this information along with a job offer letter to the candidate to include in their Express Entry profile. This is so they can more quickly be offered an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the next eligible draw.
Eligible employers can be matched later in 2015 with qualified candidates in the Express Entry pool.
Through Job Bank, Express Entry candidates will be able to explore jobs and, later in 2015, they will be able to sign up with Job Match to view jobs that match their skill set and qualifications.
How does an employer in Canada get matched with Express Entry candidates in Job Bank?
Later in 2015, Job Bank will start to make matches between eligible employers in Canada and eligible Express Entry candidates if the employer’s job has been advertised to Canadians for one month or longer.
Employers will continue to be matched to Canadian and permanent resident Job Seeker profiles while their job is advertised on Job Bank. Matches will be made based on an employer’s job listing and a candidate’s skills, knowledge and experience. To be matched, candidates must be eligible through Express Entry.
Are Express Entry candidate profiles in Job Bank matched to more than one employer?
Later in 2015, when Job Match for Express Entry candidates is in place, an eligible Express Entry candidate could be matched to more than one employer if the candidate’s skill set matches the needs of more than one job description. This could be the case for any Job Seeker profile in Job Bank.
What is the Employer Liaison Network?
The Employer Liaison Network (ELN) will help employers navigate the Express Entry system. It will provide employers with useful and up-to-date information on permanent economic immigration programs and policies related to Express Entry. Its goal is to increase employer awareness and use of the Express Entry system, as well as to facilitate matches between employers in Canada (outside of Quebec) and skilled labor overseas. The ELN will not address case-specific enquiries or work permit issues. Its focus is on the permanent resident streams (i.e. not temporary resident streams).
Note: The Province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.
When will the Employer Liaison Network (ELN) launch, and where can employers access or meet with ELN staff?
It is anticipated that the ELN will be in place in early 2015. We will have more details on this site later in 2014.
Will there be any cost for employers to use the Employer Liaison Network (ELN)?
No. The ELN will help employers understand the Express Entry system and work to increase the employer’s part in recruiting and selecting permanent residents.