Canada’s Express Entry is a valuable system that manages candidates’ applications from distinct economic programs. Express Entry has witnessed significant changes in 2023. Since the year has almost come to an end, here’s a recap of the Express Entry Journey in 2023, highlighting the process and progress.

Express Entry Journey in 2023

Following the restart of Express Entry after an 18-month pause, Express Entry proceeded with many of the patterns set in 2022 in the first six months of this year.

During that period, IRCC either held Provincial Nominee Program-only draws, all-program draws, or, in one case, a draw for Federal Skilled Workers.

Typically, IRCC held draws every two weeks, but there were instances when draws occurred more frequently. 

Notably, in March 2023, the IRCC department sent invitations to apply (ITAs) to more than 21,000 candidates across four Express Entry draws. This was the second-highest number of candidates ever invited in an Express Entry draw in a month. 

Introduction of Category-Based Selection Draws 

In May, IRCC took the expected step under the Express Entry System and introduced the category-based selection draws. Many anticipated this following the modification to Canada’s Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) that took place in June 2022. This authorized the Immigration Minister to invite candidates with typical attributes instead of their overall CRS score. 

For 2023, category-based selections, IRCC selected six categories with an urgent demand for skilled workers in specific fields or with specific abilities. 

These new categories help IRCC to strengthen the labor force and economy as well as promote the French language in areas outside of Quebec.

The selected categories for 2023 are as follows:

  • Healthcare
  • Transport
  • Agriculture and agri-food
  • Strong French-Speaking abilities
  • Trades, like contractors, carpenters, and plumbers
  • Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions

The very first category-based selection draw took place for healthcare occupations on June 28. A total of 500 candidates received invitations to apply. 

Since then, IRCC has held category-based draws at different intervals and invited a total of 16,000 candidates from different categories through Express Entry Category-based selection.

Express Entry Journey: Types of Draw occured in 2023

In the whole Express Entry Journey in 2023, IRCC has conducted 42 Express Entry draws this year in total. Among them, the majority of draws were All-Program draws, which usually consider candidates from three Express Entry Economic programs. These include the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class. However, IRCC did not invite Federal Skilled Trades Program candidates in 2023.

The following is the total number of Expres Entry draws that occurred for each type of draw:

  • 19 all-program draw
  • 5 PNP-Only draw
  • 1 FSWP-only draw
  • 17 category-based Selection draws.

CRS Scores for Expres Entry draws in 2023

According to a recent report from the IRCC department, the majority of Express Entry candidates who secured invitations through Express Entry this year from January to September had varying CRS scores. 26,070 candidates had a CRS score between 451-500, and 11,640 had a score between 501-600. In addition, 12,590 Express Entry candidates had a CRS score between 900 and 12,00 (the maximum possible CRS score). 

These were most probably the candidates with a PNP nomination, which gives an additional 600 CRS points to them. This score is added to their existing CRS score, leading to a bigger score.  

Based on the type of draw, for all-program draw, the lowest CRS score was 481. This was for a draw on March 29 in which 7000 candidates were invited. The highest score was for a draw on December 6, in which 4,750 candidates acquired ITA.

Also, for PNP-only draws, 791 was the highest CRS score for a draw in which IRCC sent 699 ITAs to candidates on February 15. The lowest score for a PNP-only draw was 691 for a draw in which 589 ITAs were sent to candidates on May 10. 

In addition, the CRS score for a single draw for Federal Skilled Workers was 489, in which 3,300 candidates received invitations.

Moreover, for Category-based selection draws, the lowest CRS score was for candidates in the agriculture and agri-food category. It was 354 for a draw on September 28, where IRCC issued 600 ITAs.  

The highest score was 486 for two category-based draws that occurred at different times. IRCC held one such draw on July 5, where 500 STEM occupations candidates received invitations on July 5. The second draw was for French-language proficiency candidates held on October 25, where IRCC issued 300 ITAs.

Frequency of Express Entry draws in 2023.

In the first half of 2023, from January to June, the Express Entry draws occurred regularly, every two weeks, and occasionally weekly. 

The Express Entry draws become less predictable after the launch of new category-based draws.    However, according to the Ministerial directives, there has been a trend toward one week monthly since July. In this, IRCC has held three or four separate Express Entry draws, typically between Tuesday and Thursday.

December witnessed the maximum number of Express Entry draws. In total, IRCC held seven Express Entry draws between 6 and 21. 

The next highest number of draws was 5, which occurred in July between 4 and 12. Additionally, in September, there were also five draws within two weeks. In October, IRCC held four Express Entry draws, and three of them occurred in one week. 

Between October 26 and December 6, IRCC suspended the Express Entry draws for unknown reasons.  The possibilities of the pause could be an ongoing IT issue, staffing changes, updates to the CRS, or if the department has already met the immigration targets for Express Entry declared in the immigration level plan for that particular year.

Express Entry Journey in 2023 since June

This table will cover the results of Express Entry draws that have occurred in Canada since June 2023, highlighting the total invited candidates, draw type, CRS score, and the date the draw took place. 

The table begins with the June draw results and ends with the most recent Express Entry draw. 

Draw Date    Type Of Draw    Total ITAs Issued    Cut-Off Score    
June 8    All-program    4,800    486    
June 27    All-program    4,300    486    
June 28    Healthcare occupations    500    476    
July 4    All-program    700    511    
July 5    STEM occupations    500    486    
July 6    Healthcare occupations    1500    463    
July 7    French language proficiency    2,300    439    
July 11    All-program    800    505    
July 12    French language proficiency    3,800    375    
August 1    All-program    2,000    517    
August 2    French language proficiency    800    435    
August 3    Trade occupations    1,500    388    
August 15    All-program    4,300    496   
September 19   All-Program   3,200   531   
September 20   Transport Occupations    1,000   435   
September 26   All-Program    3,000   504   
September 27   French Language Proficiency   500   472   
September 28   Agriculture and Agri-Food Occupations   600   354   
October 10   All-Program Draw   3,725   500   
October 24   PNP-only   1,548   776   
October 25   French language proficiency   300   486  
October 26  Healthcare occupations  3,600  431  
December 6  All-Program Draw  4,750  561 
December 7French language proficiency 1,000470
December 8STEM occupations    5,900481
December 18All-Program Draw  1,325542
December 19Trade Occupations1,000425
December 20Transport Occupations670435
December 21Agriculture Occupations400386

Anticipating Express Entry in 2024: Prospects and Projections

 According to the recently launched Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-2026, Canada will welcome 110,000 newcomers for permanent residence under the Express Entry next year.

In the whole Express Entry Journey in 2023, IRCC invited a total of 82,880 candidates under Express Entry. In particular, IRCC has sent a massive 110,266 ITAs to Express Entry candidates between January 11 (the first draw of 2023) and December 21. 

ITAs issued do not mean that all candidates with an ITA will be admitted to the country by the end of 2023. This is because processing an Express Entry application can take a maximum of six months. Most of the 2023 Express Entry ITAs that IRCC issued will be counted in 2024 admissions. 

Besides this, there’s also a chance that the immigration minister will modify the categories for category-based selection draws for 2024

This majorly relies on the results presented in IRCC’s yearly report to Parliament as well as the suggestions from the stakeholders of IRCC, including the provincial government, territorial government, and authorized settlement services.

The IRCC stakeholders are ideally equipped to asses the way Express Entry Candidates fit into the regional labor market and strengthen the country’s economy and whether they are able to find jobs in their field of interest.

The minister may choose a different set of categories if he believes that the existing Express Entry categories fail to serve the IRCC’s mandate of inviting candidates who are more inclined to support and expand the country’s economy.