Canada immigration: UAE among top source countries

Indians top the list of nationals that apply for Canada immigration through the Express Entry system, announced the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

The CIC distinguishes between country of residence and country of origin. Among the countries of residence, the UAE ranked 9th as countries where most applicants lived at the moment they submit their application.

Since January this year the federal immigration system of Canada has been streamlined under a single scheme: the Express Entry system.

Although application is still possible through the provincial programmes, the Express Entry is the single entry possibility on the federal level.

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has released a mid-year report, indicating how applicants fared under the new scheme.

As of July 6, 2015, the number one country of origin among applicants this year was India. With 2,687 applications, Indians accounted for 20.8 per cent of the files submitted.

Second came Americans, followed by Filipinos, Britons, Irish and Chinese applicants.

Looking at the country of residence, the ranking of the 10 most common countries looks somewhat different.

The UAE appears in the list as the 9th most common country of residence among applicants.

Surprisingly, the country topping the list is Canada itself.

"The vast majority of these candidates were working in Canada, were familiar with Canada’s immigration system and were able to submit a profile quickly," wrote the CIC.

The high number of applicants already in Canada can be explained as these applicants had entered Canada on previous streams, such as international student programmes. In order to remain in Canada, these applicants must now apply through the Express Entry system.

Due to the high number of points awarded to applicants with a job offer and additional Canada experience, these candidates have proven to be successful.

“Almost all candidates invited in the first four invitation rounds had job offers supported by LMIAs," wrote the CIC.

Among the countries of residence India comes in second, followed by the United States, the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

The Express Entry system functions as an application bank where potential candidates are ranked according to points awarded for personal and professional qualifications.

The Canadian government, the provinces as well as employers, are able to select the candidates that are most likely to succeed.

For more information on how it works, click here.

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