Canada will resume Express entry draws for all immigration programs in July. The number of invitations sent out could resemble that from pre-pandemic times. CIC News could not get specific numbers for the invitations because they were redacted.
Still, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that they intend to keep up the average number of invitations.
To get this in perspective, the average draw size in 2020 ranged between 3,400 and a whopping 4,500 invites. This was before March 18, when Canadian immigration took a hit from the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the pause, IRCC has not been laying on their laurels; the organization has put together systems to allow applications to be processed within a record-breaking six months.
The IRCC has set targets for yearly invitations. The current inventory of express entry applications is enough to surpass the target for 2022. The target for 2023 is much higher and requires more time to achieve, which is why the IRCC is set to open between July and September.
Covid-19 and express entry
Before the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in Canada, the IRCC would send out invites every two weeks. These invites were sent to express entry candidates from all programs. Program-specific draws were only performed on occasion.
Once the effects of the pandemic became evident, the Canadian government closed its borders in March 2020. The border closure prompted the IRCC to switch gears and pay more attention to program-specific draws. During the first few months of the pandemic, only a few candidates received invites to apply. The lucky candidates were from the Provincial Nominee program and the Canadian Experience Class.
