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Letter of Employment Requirements for Express Entry Applications

November 22, 2021

Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB

Cassandra specializes in immigration to Canada from the USA, as well as immigration cases pertaining to Procedural Fairness Letters (PFL), post-deportation Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC), Study Permits, PR Card Renewal on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds, Criminal Rehabilitation, Temporary Resident Permits, Canadian citizenship, Family Sponsorship, and Visitor Visas. She advocates for her clients with an impressive success rate, including for applications with prior refusals.

Published by Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB on November 17, 2021

I applied for the 2020 program, what do I need to do?

Earlier this year in September, the IRCC announced potential sponsors who submitted interest to sponsor forms in the fall of 2020 were encouraged to check their emails, as invitations to apply would have been sent to them. They announced that for the 2020 program, the IRCC will be accepting a record 30,000 applications for PGP.

What happens with my 2020 application?

The IRCC intends to ensure that all applicants have a fair chance to apply under the PGP and will automatically include 2020 submissions in the randomized selection along with 2021 submissions. 2020 applicants will not be required to submit a new submission of interest for 2021.

The annual cap for invitations will also be increased, allowing more candidates to complete and submit their sponsorship applications for the combined 2020 and 2021 round period. It must be noted that as per Ministerial Instructions, the IRCC will conduct a randomized intake (draw) based on completed submissions of interests.

What is the response time frame?

The PGP program requires interested sponsors to submit an interest to sponsor form. Qualifying submissions are added to a pool for randomized selection. Invitations are sent out to interested sponsors based on the random selection. Previously a 3-week window was allocated to complete and submit sponsorship applications, which may then be processed by the IRCC.

How many applications are being accepted?

The IRCC aims to accept up to 40,000 completed sponsorship application packages. Those who have been invited based on randomized selection will now have 60 days to submit their sponsorship application and permanent residence application package. It is important to note that the invitation to apply is not transferrable to other potential sponsors or applicants.

How much income is required to sponsor?

For the 2020 tax year, the income requirement will be the minimum necessary income, instead of the minimum necessary income plus 30%, and will allow regular Employment Insurance benefits and temporary COVID-19 benefits, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, to be included towards the sponsor’s income. This measure will ensure that applicants are not penalized for losing income during the pandemic.

I have some changes to report, how do I do that?

Any changes occurring in the life of either the sponsor or the applicant between the submission of interest to sponsor and the actual application package, explanatory documents or information must be submitted along with the application. If there is insufficient information, the IRCC will allow the prospective sponsor to explain the partial mismatch within 30 days.

If the application does not match or appear similar to any interest to sponsor form submission from 2020, the application is considered to have failed validation and is not accepted for processing. The decision is recorded (as above) and the application is returned to the client with an explanatory letter.