Express Entry is likely to see major changes soon:
In Canada, job vacancies are at a record high currently. “Canadas high immigration targets, including those through Express Entry programs, stem from several factors including a job vacancy rate that currently stands at 5.7%," a CIC report suggested.
And to address this, Express Entry will be changing in 2023.
IRCC will soon have the authority to issue ITAs to candidates with specific work experience, education or language abilities that are well-positioned to support Canada’s economy and labour force. This change will impact the importance of high a CRS for candidates as there may be targeted draws that weigh other factors more heavily.
Sharp increase in PR invites in the latest Express Entry draw
In its latest Express Entry draw, Canada's IRCC issued permanent residency invitations to 3,750 candidates, which is an increase of 500 invitations issued over the previous draw. This was the seventh all-program draw since they resumed on July 6.
This was an all-program draw for IRCC, and hence, invitations were issued to eligible candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), all programs that operate under the Express Entry system. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score was 504.
All that you need to know about the latest draw:
- This is the third time in a row that IRCC issued exactly 500 invitations more than the previous draw.
- The September 14 draw invited 3,250 candidates and the August 31 draw invited 2,750.
- Since Express Entry resumed, It is also the lowest minimum CRS since all-program draws resumed. CRS scores have been decreasing in increments from 557 on July 6.
- Over the first five draws, scores decreased by eight or nine points for each draw. The September 14 draw saw a decrease of only six points and this week’s draw was the same.
Express Entry all-program draws were paused for over 18 months starting in December 2020 due to a backlog in applications caused COVID-19 related travel restrictions. During the pause, only candidates from the CEC or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) were issued invitations to apply. In September 2021, IRCC also paused draws for the CEC.
