Canada signals easier Express Entry rules: What's changing and how Indian applicants could benefit

Canada may soon make its flagship immigration pathway, the Express Entry programme, more accessible for certain groups of skilled workers, a move that could benefit many Indians.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released a draft proposal for public consultation, focusing on changes to the system. While the final decision is yet to be made, Ottawa is considering creating new categories that would make entry easier for some applicants.

The proposal, now live on the Canadian government’s website, is open for public feedback until September 3. If approved, the new categories would take effect in 2026.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an online system the Canadian federal government uses to attract skilled foreign workers, and it’s especially popular among Indians.

Express Entry remains a key pathway for skilled workers to immigrate to Canada. In 2024, a total of 98,903 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued, compared with 110,266 in 2023 and 45,115 in 2022. The program’s peak year was 2021, when 114,431 ITAs were granted.

It’s one of the main ways for foreigners to secure permanent residency in Canada. The process works through “Express Entry draws”, in which the government invites top-ranking candidates to apply. These invitations are called invitations to apply (ITAs).

Applicants are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which scores candidates based on factors like age and marital status; education level and qualifications; Canadian degrees, diplomas, or certificates; and Language test scores in English and French (taken within the past two years).

The Canadian government issues ITAs in several rounds each year. To qualify, an applicant’s CRS score must be above the cut-off score for that round. Those who make the cut have 60 days to submit a full application.

The cost is around $1,100 CAD (Rs 96,000) for the main applicant and the same for a spouse, plus $188 CAD (Rs 16,500) per dependent child. Processing times vary by category.

What’s in the new draft?

The headline change is a new ‘Leadership and Innovation’ category.

According to the draft, this would allow senior managers, researchers, and scientists to gain a pathway to permanent residency. Senior managers are defined as “highly skilled workers who oversee the operations of a company or organisation and who lead a team of employees”.

The IRCC says such leaders could “inject fresh perspectives, accelerate digital transformation, boost productivity, and help organisations meet strategic goals”.

Similarly, the proposal states researchers and scientists could “enhance productivity and performance” and “stimulate economic growth”, though it doesn’t yet specify which types of scientists or researchers would get priority.

Why Canada wants this change

The government argues the move would boost Canada’s competitiveness and help tackle labour shortages in key sectors — healthcare, trades like construction, education, STEM fields, and agriculture.

Canada is also looking at creating a category to attract highly skilled military recruits from allied nations to support the Canadian Armed Forces.

This isn’t the first time Ottawa has created new Express Entry categories to plug labour gaps. In May 2024, Canada issued 1,000 invitations under a brand-new Education Occupations category, aimed at bringing in educational professionals, a sector where the country faces severe shortages.

That category, added in February, gave preference to candidates with Canadian work experience.