Canada will hold its first Express Entry 2023 lottery

Express Entry in 2022

Last year was a unique year for Express Entry. According to Canada‘s Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, 46,538 ITA invitations were issued to Express Entry applicants during 23 draws in 2022.

This number includes draws between January and July, which were exclusively for candidates under the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). Express Entry draws for all programs have been suspended for more than 18 months since December 2020. The stoppage was due to schedule delays due to travel restrictions related to Corona.

During this period only CEC or PNP candidates were issued Invitation to Apply (ITA). However, in September 2021, Immigration and Refugees Canada IRCC also stopped CEC lotteries. The total number of ITAs for all program draws, which began in July and spanned the rest of the year, was 35,750.

The latest Express Entry lottery included the lowest Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) score of 491, indicating the country’s wide acceptance of immigrants.

Read more: The latest rules and procedures for immigrating to Canada in 2023

Express Entry is preparing for changes

In the second half of 2022, IRCC laid the groundwork for the Minister’s anticipated changes to Express Entry in 2023. For example, in November, IRCC released NOC 2021, which was an updated version of NOC 2016. Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system is used to determine the occupation and skill level of an Express Entry candidate.

Last year IRCC moved from classifying skills as Level 0-D to a system based on Education, Skills, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER). The new TEER system has revised the 2016 NOC 0-E skill levels and created five TEERS groups. According to the 2021 NOC, sixteen new occupations are now eligible to apply for economic immigration programs administered by Express Entry, such as FSWP or CEC.

Candidates who have already submitted profiles to the IRCC Express Entry pool are invited to change their NOC independently to the new NOC 2021. Updates must be made for each position (occupation) in their IRCC profile. Failure to do so will disqualify candidates from receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

If you do not know about Express Entry profile and pool, you can refer to the link below. On this page, we have explained all the things that are related to Canada Express Entry and are useful for you.

Read more: Zero to 100 Express Entry Canada

Canada will increase the number of candidates invited through Express Entry programs, according to the 2025-2023 Immigration Levels Plan released on November 1. In 2023, 82,880 immigrants will be admitted to Canada as permanent residents through Express Entry.

This figure will increase to 109,020 people in 2024 and 114,000 people in 2025, which will meet almost one-fifth of Canada’s total permanent resident admissions goals. These higher goals underscore the importance Canada places on economic immigration in the face of persistent labor shortages. Immigration accounts for about 90% of Canada’s labor force growth and almost 75% of the country’s population growth.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is the application management system for three Canadian immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the Express Entry pool are currently eligible for at least one of these programs.

Express Entry uses a points-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to rank candidate profiles. Candidates with the highest scores receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and can then apply for permanent residence.

After the immigration candidate has applied, an IRCC officer will review the application and decide whether they have been approved or not. After completion, if approved, the candidate is now a permanent resident of Canada and is one step closer to obtaining Canadian citizenship.

See more: All about Canadian work visa