The Express Entry application management system oversees three programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are already eligible for at least one Express Entry program.
A recently released report from IRCC summarizes Express Entry data for 2021, which was a unique year in the program’s history. The report shows that there were 114,431 ITAs issued in 2021; which were all program-specific draws for the PNP and the CEC and no ITAs were issued to FSWP or Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates.
The report also notes that starting in December 2020, all-program draws were paused to ease the backlog caused by COVID-19 related travel restrictions and border closures. IRCC, however, continued to issue ITAs to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) until September 2021 when CEC draws were also paused. Over half, 64%, of ITAs were issued to recipients between the ages of 20-29 years. Under the Comprehensive Ranking System, where candidates in this age range receive 100 CRS points. Candidates receive fewer points after they turn 30.
Further, the report indicates that because of the pauses, the majority of ITAs were issued to candidates who were already living in Canada as temporary residents. However, there were still some ITAs issued to candidates living abroad.
The top five nationalities were:
- Canada – 102,806 ITAs issued,
- India: 3,826 ITAs issued,
- Nigeria: 1,432 ITAs issued,
- USA: 806 ITAs issued,
- People’s Republic of China: 687 ITAs issued.
