For people who seek to immigrate to Canada, Express Entry is one of the most popular ways of gaining entry. IRCC issued 2,250 Invitations to Apply for permanent residence with a Comprehensive Ranking System score (CRS) of 525. The invitation, however, did not specify any specific favorable program, meaning that every program, including Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), are eligible for invitation.
Since all-program draws resumed, 7,500 candidates have received ITAs. The number of invited candidates increased by 250 applicants with every draw. On the other hand, the minimum CRS draw saw a steady weekly decline by eight or nine points. Unlike the July 6 draw, the cut-off score is 524, and the current CRS is lower than the August 3 draw by 8 points.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada paused All-program Express Entry draws for over 18 months. During the pause, the only candidates eligible to apply for permanent residence were those under the CEC or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). However, the CEC draws were ultimately paused in September.
During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an immense number of applicants for permanent residence. The country’s border closure and travel regulation forced IRCC to pause all applications until the surge in the pandemic eased.
Changes to Express Entry in 2023
The sheer low levels of labor forces in Canada have inspired the Express Entry program to target talented young workers to help close the lagging labor gap. The targeted cohorts include French language immigrants outside Quebec to respond to the labor market demands. In 2022, Canada planned to use the Express Entry program to welcome 55,900 permanent residents, which the IRCC projects to increase to 111,500 by the end of 2024.
The Express Entry program is a very efficient way for IRCC to process applications faster because the candidates already meet the eligibility score. IRCC struggles for a processing six months standard for new applicants now that draws have resumed.
