COVID-19 impact on express entry

COVID-19 has had a great impact worldwide and the Canadian immigration system is no exception. This pandemic has slowed down immigration.

Recent rounds have been focused on candidates in Canada

Due to COVID, the recent rounds have focused on sending invites to the “Canadian Experience Class” program. These are individuals who have had at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada and of course have the language test results (such as IELTS). However some rounds also had Federal Skilled Trades and PNP. So, it will be a little slow for you if you are outside of Canada and trying to get an invite.

What if you are starting the process now?

There are few considerations if you are starting the process now. Agencies have modified the process to for a low-touch experience during COVID times.

1. Security clearance certificate – Pre-COVID, a visit to the local police station or embassy was needed to procure this certificate. Different embassies have changed their guidelines. For instance the Indian embassy in Toronto has changed its guidelines so that folks can send a copy of the passport and fill out their request form to procure the security clearance. So definitely check out their websites for revised guidelines.

2. Language test exams such as IELTS – For select countries, the “IELTS indicator” site has been launched to be able to take the test online. This is just a temporary measure for COVID. For all other countries, in-person tests are still on. Besides, to minimize impacts due to COVID, not all centers are open for business. In order to enforce physical distancing, at a time, fewer folks are allowed in the center. Masks are required during the tests. Visit the IELTS site for details.

3. Educational degree evaluation – Institutions like WES evaluate your educational degree if you had one outside of Canada. While many of the educational institutions support digital transmissions, others don’t. So if you havent procured your evaluation then there could be some delays.

4. The rest of the process should be online only. We highly recommend you to book your slots accordingly so that you can get the security clearance certificate, educational evalution and get thru the language tests sooner. Age is a factor for the express entry score. The sooner you apply the higher your score is. Your application would be there in the pool and will be picked eventually.

5. The uncertainty around US H1B visas is leading to more and more people move to the north of the border. In fact, last year itself, many people got their PR as a backup in case things got worse in the US. And it did help them. Many of them are making their way to Canada. So definitely take the 1^st step and get thru your application. The process is slow in the interim but will catch up in the coming months because the immigration PR numbers are way behind the target numbers and they ‘d like to make up for it.

6. Since many people are actively applying to Canada, the cut-off scores will increase and the earlier you submit, your chances of getting invites is higher.

7. Many folks whose applications were in progress have got to the final step but due to COVID, applicants outside Canada haven't been asked for their passports. It is just a matter of time before this part picks up.

COVID situation in Nova Scotia

Many folks have asked us this question. So we have been lucky to be in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Until now, as of 6^th Sep 2020, there are only 1085 cases and since the last 2 months there has been 0-1 active case in Nova Scotia. By and large people and the authorities have done great to control this. Masks are mandatory in indoor places like restaurants, stores etc..

Schools are opening too in fall but with obviously a much different experience. Many universities too are online but it would be interesting to see how lab experiments or practical projects which cannot be done online would be conducted. We are lucky to be able to do our jobs online and we should appreciate it more often because in a lot of fields, they don't have that luxury. With employers switching over to online way of working, more remote job opportunities are opening up.

Real estate is booming in Halifax because mortgage lenders are offering better interest rates and more people are moving over to this place from especially Toronto and Vancouver areas.

Same is the case with all our neighboring Atlantic provinces, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Since COVID is in control in these provinces, they opened the borders for the residents of these provinces I.e no 14 day quarantine needed if you reside in these provinces. Although they are tracking every out-of-state visitor. 14 day self-isolation is needed if you are traveling from anywhere else in Canada or internationally. Nova Scotia is a great tourist destination and we get a lot of visitors between April and November. That is usually a huge source of income. Until July the tourism business did take a huge hit due to restrictions. However when they opened up the Atlantic provinces we are seeing folks traveling to support these local businesses and help them cut down their losses.

We will share more info as the situation evolves with COVID. Please take care and continue working on your application!

Disclaimer - This is our experience in Halifax and others may have it differently.  I am just sharing information from my interactions with others. So, take it with a grain of salt.