New information from the Government of Canada offers a more comprehensive insight into the human capital characteristics of individuals who were extended an Express Entry invitation from January to September 2023.
Within this timeframe, Canada issued 53,455 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Express Entry pool. It’s important to note that the data excludes ITAs granted by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in Express Entry draws throughout October. An additional 9,173 ITAs were issued in October.
The figures are meticulously categorized to illustrate the distribution of ITAs based on program, province, Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, age, and occupation.
Express Entry serves as an application management system for candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Additionally, it oversees a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) segment.
While each program has distinct eligibility criteria, all candidates undergo evaluation and ranking using the Comprehensive Ranking System, which assigns points for human capital attributes such as work experience, age, language proficiency, and education.
The data also considers Express Entry candidates who have received a nomination through the PNP. A provincial nomination automatically contributes an extra 600 CRS points to the profile of an Express Entry candidate.
From the available data, the most probable candidates to receive an ITA are those in their twenties within the Canadian Experience Class, employed as software engineers, and residing or planning to reside in Ontario.
Express Entry ITA by Program
During the initial nine months of 2023, most Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were extended to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. CEC candidates, all possessing at least one year of eligible Canadian work experience and meeting IRCC’s language proficiency criteria, accounted for 23,910 ITAs, constituting nearly 45% of the total.
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates received the second-highest number of ITAs, totaling 15,855 (approximately 30% of all ITAs). Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates secured the third-highest with 13,655 (around 26% of all ITAs).
Notably, no ITAs were issued to Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates.
Leading Occupations
There was some convergence in the top occupations that received the most ITAs across different programs. Software engineers emerged as one of the top five occupations for three programs:
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
- Other occupations: 970
- Software engineers and designers: 820
- Information systems analysts and consultants: 615
- Computer programmers and interactive media developers: 595
- Welders and related machine operators: 420
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Software engineers and designers: 1,725
- Computer programmers and interactive media developers: 1,745
- Information systems analysts and consultants: 1,375
- CEC Food Service Supervisors: 1,240
- Administrative assistants: 855
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Financial auditors and accountants: 650
- Dentists: 570
- Software engineers and designers: 565
- Professional occupations in advertising, marketing, and public relations: 505
- Database analysts and data administrators: 420
Express Entry ITA By Age
The age range of 19-29 saw the highest number of candidates receiving ITAs, totaling 28,970. In the next age bracket of candidates in their thirties, 20,865 received ITAs, whereas less than 4,000 candidates aged 40 and older were issued ITAs.
The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assigns a higher Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score to younger candidates, aligning with Statistics Canada’s longitudinal analysis, indicating that younger immigrants tend to have more time for language improvement, Canadian work experience, and professional network development. For instance, a single 20-29-year-old candidate receives 110 CRS points, while a 19-year-old candidate receives 105 points.
Express Entry ITA By CRS Score
Approximately half of all Express Entry candidates (26,070) possessed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in the range of 451-500, while 11,640 candidates fell within the 501-600 score range.
ITAs were issued to only 225 candidates with a CRS score between 601-700, and 60 candidates scored between 701-800. Additionally, 790 candidates fell within the 801-900 score range.
Notably, more than 7,550 Express Entry candidates held a CRS score between 901-1,000, and over 5,040 had scores surpassing 1,000. It’s important to highlight that obtaining a CRS score of around 600 is only feasible through a provincial nomination, contributing 600 out of the maximum 1,200 CRS points an Express Entry candidate can attain.
Express Entry ITA By Province
Ontario emerged as the predominant choice for over half of all Express Entry candidates, either residing or intending to reside in the province, garnering 31,550 Invitations to Apply (ITAs).
Following closely, British Columbia secured the second-highest ITAs at 10,655, while Alberta received ITAs for 5,280 candidates. Nova Scotia received 1,595 ITAs, with all other provinces receiving fewer than 1,500.
Express Entry Immigration Levels
The number of Express Entry candidates invited between January and September 2023 surpasses the total invited in 2022 (37,335) but needs to catch up to the remarkable 108,105 invitations in 2021. The pandemic influenced the deviations in the past two years.
In 2021, IRCC increased ITAs to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates to address the goal of landing over 400,000 immigrants during the pandemic, contributing to a backlog and slower service standards. Consequently, IRCC reduced Express Entry ITAs in 2022.
Since the pandemic, most ITAs have been extended to Canadian Experience Class candidates, whereas before the pandemic, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) held the leading position.
IRCC aims for 110,770 permanent resident admissions to Canada through Express Entry programs in 2024, with a subsequent increase to 117,500 annually in 2025 and 2026. The number of ITAs issued tends to be lower than that of admissions, as successful Express Entry candidates can include their partners and children who meet IRCC criteria.
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