A Look Back at 2022 for Express Entry

In 2023, the number of Express Entry ITAs will increase thanks to fewer draws and a revised NOC.

Canada’s Express Entry application management system has had a remarkable year. After an 18-month hiatus that began in December 2020, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is once again working toward, pre-pandemic targets of Express Entry invitations now that all-program draws have resumed.

The department has been working hard all year to reduce its application backlog and increase its immigration quotas for the coming years.

If you are a skilled worker or economic immigrant hoping to enter Canada through the Federal High Skilled Immigration Program, you will need to use the Express Entry application management system.

The Express Entry program allows applicants who meet certain criteria to submit a profile to the IRCC online database. Following this, they will be given a score on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which is used to place applicants in order. The odds of getting an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency rise for those with higher scores.

Number of ITAs

According to ministerial directives, 46,538 ITAs were granted to Express Entry hopefuls across 23 draws in 2022. This total comprises all draws held between January and July, which were reserved for participants in provincial nominee programs (PNPs). In total, there were 35,750 ITAs awarded throughout the year for all-program draws, which began in July and ran through the end of the year.

It was announced in April the previous year, Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser that, beginning in July, draws for the Express Entry program would once again be open to applicants from all eligible countries. On July 6th, 1,500 people entered the first drawing and 500 were selected.

The freeze in ITA draws over the first half of the year has resulted in a lower total number of ITAs awarded than in previous years. The smallest number of winning tickets was drawn on July 6. The next ten draws saw increases of either 250 or 500 candidates, culminating in the three draws on October 26, November 9, and November 23 with a total of 4,750 candidates invited in each.

CRS Scores

In the most recent Express Entry draw, a minimum CRS score of 491 was required.

There has been a drop of 66 points over the past ten draws since the draws resumed. The first draw in July had a CRS score of 557.

After resuming on July 6, draws continued to decrease by one point with each new draw. The initial few draws all resulted in a drop of six to eight points. The three most recent draws all resulted in losses of only four to two points.

In 2023, changes will be made to Express Entry.

A New and Improved Network Operations Center

This change from NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 was completed by IRCC on November 16th.

The 2016 NOC stipulated that Express Entry applicants needed work experience in one of three NOC skill types: 0, A, or B. The IRCC is now using the TEER system, which measures a person’s training, education, experience, and responsibilities in preparation for their role in the NOC in 2021.

For newcomers to Canada’s labor force, the new system will facilitate a smoother understanding of their skills and experience. In addition, the TEER system has opened up Express Entry to sixteen new professions.

The use of targeted draws

As of the end of the month of June, 2017, the Canadian government had officially approved Bill C-19 in the House of Commons. The Bill gives the Minister of Immigration the power to invite Express Entry candidates based on economic need rather than just their CRS score.

The minister acknowledged that there is room for development in Express Entry, despite the fact that it already gives Canada a competitive advantage.

If your economy is facing any unique difficulties in the future, that is where [the Express Entry system] could use some work right now. As Fraser put it, “we don’t have the ability to tailor invitations to apply to the Express Entry system to meet those in-demand skills or qualifications.”

In the spring of 2023, IRCC will presumably begin conducting occupationally-specific draws.