The latest Express Entry Year-End Report for 2023 reveals a remarkable increase in the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued compared to 2022. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued a staggering 110,266 ITAs across 42 draws from January 11 to December 21, 2023. This represents a dramatic 136% increase from the 46,539 ITAs issued in 2022.
Express Entry Overview
Express Entry is Canada’s primary application management system for economic immigration. Launched in 2015, it streamlines the selection process for applicants under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Candidates are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which scores each applicant out of 1200. Those with higher scores are more likely to receive an invitation to apply. If you have a low score at first you can still work towards getting higher scores in coming years.
In 2023, the system saw significant changes, key amongst which was the introduction of category-based selection draws which were a welcome change. These draws target candidates based on their occupation or language skills, regardless of the program under which they apply.
Distribution of ITAs by Program
The distribution of ITAs among the different programs highlights some interesting trends. The Canadian experience class received the majority of ITAs, with 40,052 issued to candidates under this program. The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) followed with 26,445 ITAs, while the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) saw 17,898 invitations to apply issued. Interestingly, the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) received only eight ITAs. This low number can be attributed to IRCC’s processing hierarchy, where candidates eligible for multiple programs are typically invited under the program with the highest priority.
The introduction of category-based selection rounds in June 2023 had a notable impact. Out of the 110,266 ITAs issued, 25,870 (23%) were from these category-based draws. Specifically, 12,073 ITAs went to Canadian experience class candidates, 13,790 to the federal skilled worker program candidates, and just seven to federal skilled trades program candidates.
CRS Scores and Demographics
The CRS scores for most candidates ranged between 300 and 550, making up 93% of the pool. After category-based selection rounds began, the average CRS score for all-program draws increased to above 500. Notably, men received the majority of ITAs, with 57% of the total issued to male candidates and 43% to female candidates. This trend was consistent across the CEC and PNP programs, where men received a higher percentage of ITAs compared to women. Conversely, women had a higher likelihood of receiving ITAs through the FSWP, reflecting a similar pattern observed in 2022.
Occupational Trends
The 2023 report shows that candidates from computer, tech, and finance occupations were prominent among those who received ITAs. A significant 48% of ITAs were issued to candidates in “other” occupations not specifically listed in the report. Software engineers and designers led the list with 7,259 ITAs, followed by software developers and programmers with 5,183 ITAs. Among the 15 listed occupations, ten were classified as TEER 1 under the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system, typically requiring a university degree.
