Canada welcomes first permanent residents under Express Entry

Express Entry working to make top international talent permanent residents

April 10, 2015 — Toronto — Changes to Canada’s economic immigration system are proving successful in selecting people needed in Canada’s economy and giving them permanent resident status quickly. Just three months after the launch of Express Entry, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander welcomed three of the first Express Entry candidates to become Canadian permanent residents—Emma Hughes, Yaoyao (Anita) Zheng and Xin (Frank) Zhao.

Hughes is a successful candidate from Ireland who applied under the Federal Skilled Worker stream. She now works as an application scientist for EcoSynthetix in Burlington, Ontario.

Zheng and Zhao were both international students who applied under the Canadian Experience Class. Zheng came to Canada from China and in 2012 she graduated in Supply Chain Management from Humber College. Today, she works as a dispatch logistician at DMA Logistics in Mississauga, Ontario.

Zhao also came to Canada from China as an international student and graduated in 2003 from Mohawk College in business accounting. Zhao is currently employed at Wing on New Group Canada, in Markham, Ontario.

Launched in January, Express Entry is a new way of managing applications for Canada’s key economic immigration programs. Candidates create an online profile and express their interest in coming to Canada permanently. Candidates who meet the minimum criteria are accepted into the pool and ranked according to various factors, including language proficiency, education and work experience. Each is a leading indicator of one’s likelihood of integrating fully and quickly into Canadian society and making an optimal contribution to the economy.

Quick facts

  • 6,851 Express Entry candidates have received an invitation to apply for permanent residence. Most complete electronic applications under Express Entry will be processed in six months or less.
  • International students are well placed for success under the Express Entry system because of their high education, Canadian work experience, strong official language skills and youth. They can transition to permanent residence through any of the programs under Express Entry for which they meet the requirements, including the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program or the Provincial Nominee Programs.

Quotes

“I’m very pleased to welcome some of our very first Canadian permanent residents under Express Entry—Emma, Anita and Frank—and the many more to follow in their footsteps. As they build their life permanently in Canada, their skills and experience will bring them much success and also help to contribute to the Canadian economy.”

Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister

“Not too long ago highly qualified candidates had to wait at the back of a very long lineup before being considered for permanent residence. Under Express Entry we can now select the best candidates with skills our labour market needs and they’ll arrive in Canada, ready to contribute to our economy and communities more quickly.”

Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister

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Photos of Minister Alexander available at: www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/photos/index.asp

Contacts

Kevin Menard
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.

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