The IRCC is set to submit its plan for Express Entry to the Deputy Minister of Canada.
The IRCC hasn’t come to any particular date for executing applications of Express Entry while the applications for FSWP and CEC will be released after 2022.
The memo containing this information was deposited to the Deputy Minister of IRCC. The Deputy Minister is ranked among the most senior officials existing in each Government department of Canada. While the elected ministers are required to execute agenda tasks of the Canadian government, the deputy minister is required to provide advice related to technical skills and so on.
The memo has the following elements
The invitation procedure for FSWP, CEC, and FSTP will not start this year. Instead, it will commence next year.
The existing halt made for CEC, FSWP, and FSTP applications will continue till the end of this month as the government is currently focusing on PNP invitations.
The extension in the halt will give the IRCC more time for backlogs.
The IRCC after formulating a concrete plan regarding Express Entry applications by mentioning things like dates, the number of applications considering Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 will move back to Deputy Minister by the end of this month.
The IRCC accepts for the inconvenience in Express Entry and works permit applications in the short term.
An increase in the backlog of Express Entry applications has occurred because of the COVID pandemic. While the IRCC had focused on 4,01,000 candidates landing. This backlog has caused an extension in the processing time of more than 180 days. Although the online portal still mentions completing Express Entry applications within 180 days.
Until this year, the only proficient way of entering the Canadian province was through the Express Entry system. Before the pandemic prevailed, the IRCC was calling top scorer candidates without the need of matching the eligibility criteria to apply for Canadian PR. A majority of them were either sent through CEC or FSWP. While the FSTP constituted only 1% of the total applications. The IRCC tried to complete the application processing within 6 months.
In March 2020, the IRCC was releasing applications only through PNP and CEC. This move was taken to modify CEC candidates to Canadian permanent residents whilst the pandemic prevailed. As CEC were the ones to convert into PRs more quickly. Whereas PNP was focused to assist the requirements of the labor market of Canada.
By the beginning of 2021, the FSWP applications were put at a halt whereas applications of CEC were released in high numbers. This decision was taken to transition more immigrants to Canadian PRs to achieve its set target. The target of the Canadian Government was 4,01,000 while more than 4,000 applicants arrived in the country.
The IRCC also released applications for TR2PR students coming from abroad as well as for workers residing in the country and applying for Canadian PR. This was also one of the ways to accomplish the set targets of the Levels Plan of 2021.
Emphasis on TR2PR and CEC applications increased the number of existing backlogs which further led to an elongated processing time of 180 days which is why the IRCC had to put a halt for applications of the CEC category.
The latest Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 was launched the previous month. And in the new Levels, Plan has reduced the number of applications for Express Entry in 2022 and its preceding year to complete the application procedure of TR2PR. This will shift the Express Entry system after PNP. While the targets for Express Entry will return to their normal numbers in 2024 targeting to call more than 1 lakh immigrants through Economic class.
The halt put in FSWP and CEC applications has caused a sort of unpredictability among its candidates. The FSWP has been one of the major sources of inviting skilled workers since the time it was launched in 1967. Whereas the CEC candidates undergo the fear of departing the country. The IRCC has still not updated with any guidelines for extending the status.
The IRCC has completed 4,000 applications of FSWP backlogs in the last 14 days which it couldn’t do in the past 210 days last year.
The latest data of IRCC indicates that it is focusing on clearing off all the backlog applications of Express Entry. If the current pace prevails, the backlog can completely come to 0 by the coming summers.
This does not give an assurance of commencing FSWP and CEC applications. But it will reflect the accomplishment of one of the IRCC’s goals.
More number of FSWP applications have been completed by the IRCC in the past 75 days in comparison with applications cleared in the previous year. In the previous month, the IRCC had completed more than 4000 applications.
While the backlog inventory of FSWP was counted to be 41,300 which was 44,300 14 days ago. It has processed the total applications in 2 weeks then it took 7 months to complete.
The prevalent rate of processing indicates that the FSWP backlog can be finished by the end of this year.
The backlog inventory of CEC applications can be finished by the coming summer.
There are only 10,000 applications left in the backlog under the CEC category. The CEC is quickly processing 2,000 applications in 2 weeks. And if this current pace prevails, the IRCC can clear all the backlog by the coming summers.
The memo contradicts the statement of the immigration minister of resuming the applications of Express Entry soon. The memo has no such confirmed dates of Express Entry. Although there are few positive indications for applicants of CEC and FSWP by sending invitations this year. The IRCC processes FSWP applications more quickly and preferably.
While the PNP application is processed in the original form twice a week.
