New Canadian immigration policy speeds applications for skilled workers

Global Business

Canada has changed its immigration policies for foreign workers, promising to give some applicants permanent residency in six months or less. But the new system, known as Express Entry, shuts the door on many foreign workers who were previously eligible to stay in Canada. CCTV America’s Kristiaan Yeo reported this story from Toronto.

New Canadian immigration policy speeds applications for skilled workers

Canada has changed its immigration policies for foreign workers, promising to give some applicants permanent residency in six months or less. But the new system, known as Express Entry, shuts the door on many foreign workers who were previously eligible to stay in Canada. CCTV America's Kristiaan Yeo reported this story from Toronto.

Express Entry is the new system of applying for permanent residency and the government hopes it will get skilled workers to Canada faster.

Prior to this, immigrants could submit an application and quickly meet requirements, but now they must submit applications to get into a pool, be ranked against other candidates, and only the most highly-ranked candidates will be selected to apply for residency, said immigration consultant Louise Willis.

“It’s a massive change,” Willis said.

The government said Express Entry is a game changer for Canadian immigration. Those who applied before Jan. 1 will still be processed under the old rules, and for a lucky few in the right professions, things are about to get easier and faster. But for thousands of others, the dream of a new life in Canada could end.