The process of holding regular Express Entry draws is not governed by any specific requirements. Express Entry draws have undergone a recent change in protocol. Every two weeks draws are typically held on Wednesdays. IRCC, however, canceled draws for six weeks beginning on November 23. They invited 5,500 applicants on January 11. The same number of applicants was drawn again a week later.
There is no clarification for the change in routine. On November 23, 2022, the Express Entry invitation round was postponed because of technical problems brought on by the November 16, 2022, deployment of the new NOC 2021 categorization system. However, these technical problems have now been resolved, despite causing great inconvenience to IRCC clients. Invites for Express Entry’s first round were sent out on January 11, 2023.
A more frequent schedule of Express Entry invitations to apply (ITAs) is being implemented by IRCC, according to the department. There have been questions raised about how the IRCC chooses the frequency of draws and the number of candidates after the sudden pause and the draws that followed it in short succession.
A part of the Express Entry application management system targets three programs: the CEC, FSTP, and FSWP. Economic immigrants with high skill levels are considered candidates for these programs.
Trends in Express Entry
Express Entry has conducted 23 to 30 draws per year on average since it launched in 2015. IRCC developed it to bring in potential permanent residents with desirable skills who can quickly acclimate to the workforce and contribute to Canada’s economic growth.
Each year until 2019, one or two draws specifically for the FSTP have been held. However, the majority of draws are all-program draws. The number of applicants selected for the all-program draws in 2015 and 2016 was less than 2,000. During 2017–2019, this changed, and draws with 3,000+ contestants became more frequent. Due to IRCC’s plans to manage all applications online via Express Entry, it was moving away from managing its current paper-based FSWP, CEC, and FSTP applications. The IRCC began switching to ITAs at the beginning of 2017 after gradually increasing the number of ITAs. As a result, paper-based applications were no longer in inventory.
A major disruption of the Canadian immigration system occurred in 2020 due to COVID-19, including travel restrictions, border closures, and staff members’ inability to function. IRCC stopped conducting FSWP – (Federal Skilled Worker Program) and FSTP – (Federal Skilled Travel Program) draws in December 2020. A Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw was held until September 2021, but that was also suspended. IRCC has still been inviting candidates to express entry through the Provincial Nominee Programs.
The program kept the number of draws under control, but they still happened often.
Since July of last year, the Express Entry draws have been increasing every two weeks, and CRS scores have dropped to allow more applicants to receive ITAs. By November 23, the largest Express Entry draw since December 2020 had 4,570 participants.
The rules governing Express Entry draw process
Frequency
Under the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA), there is no fixed rule regarding how often Express Entry draws must be conducted. Express Entry draws are entirely under the control of the immigration minister and IRCC. As part of ministerial directions, the immigration minister determines the number of candidates to be invited and the minimum score required for the CRS.
Using Canada’s economic priorities, the minister extends invitations to candidates to increase labor force participation. They have a responsibility to:
- Resolve persistent labor market shortages and future planning.
- Encourage the immigration of Francophones and the development of Francophone minority communities’ economies.
By issuing ministerial instructions, the government can ensure that the invited candidates can easily integrate into Canada’s workforce while also improving the overall quality of the country’s workforce.
Total number of ITAs
Express Entry has an annual goal, just like all immigration routes in the Immigration Levels Plan. It was planned to hire 55,900 highly skilled workers by 2022. To achieve the target of 82,880 by 2023, the IRCC will have to extend invitations to more candidates during the course of next year. In 2024, IRCC will welcome 109,020 applicants for Federal High Skilled jobs, an increase from current numbers.
Ministers and IRCC need to evaluate and plan how many applicants they will invite, which includes choosing high CRS scores without necessarily constricting the number of applicants.
The government and immigration minister are entirely at liberty to determine how Express Entry draws are conducted, as there are no laws dictating such matters in IRPA.
The process of Express Entry draws will undergo changes
IRCC plans to contact applicants based on occupational, job history, educational, and linguistic factors starting this spring. Bill C-19 was passed by the Parliament in June of last year and the IRCC has begun developing additional categories for Express Entry candidates ever since. As a result, candidates with high CRS scores will no longer only be invited. Canada will then be able to concentrate on economic goals and the fields with the greatest shortages of talent and labor, according to the minister of immigration.
The IRCC website requires applicants to upload a profile and meet the Express Entry requirements in order to earn a CRS score. ITAs will be more likely to be awarded to candidates with higher CRS scores, even in targeted draws.
Draw timetables are yet to be determined by how targeted draws will affect them. As long as immigration targets remain high, the IRCC will likely continue holding regular draws.
Conclusion
The Express Entry website will still require Express Entry applicants to upload their profiles despite all the latest modifications. A targeted drawing may also award ITAs to top-scoring candidates.
We have yet to determine how targeted draws will affect Express Entry draw schedules. We can presume that the IRCC will hold regular draws given the higher immigration levels.
