Economic prospects remain strong for Express Entry candidates. Newcomers who immigrate to Canada through an Express Entry-managed program often see a rapid increase in their median employment income. 

This is according to the 2023 Year-End Express Entry report. IRCC shows that the median income of newcomers through an Express Entry-managed program is higher than that of Canadian-borns.

The data analyzes the median employment incomes of Express Entry applicants admitted between 2016 and 2021. 

Incomes Consistently Climbing 

Economic prospects remain strong for Express Entry applicants. Since its introduction in 2015, Express Entry applicants have consistently witnessed positive long-term economic outcomes. 

For instance, the 2023 report found that those admitted in 2016 had median employment earnings of $58,400 in 2017, going up to $76,800 in 2021. It also notes that newcomers admitted in 2018 earned a median of $55,200 in their first year, which rose to $70,800 three years after admission. This shows that wages for newcomers grew rapidly.

The median employment income for five Canadians stayed relatively similar through all five years and was notably lower, beginning at $38,006 in 2017 and rising to just $40,870 in 2021. 

Often, newcomers who come to Canada via a FSWP are able to meet the needs of Canada’s labor market. They are invited to apply for permanent residency based on their CRS score. It evaluates applicants in in-demand human capital factors like work experience, language ability, profession, age, education, etc. IRCC views those with the highest CRS scores as the most likely to successfully integrate into the Canadian economy. 

In 2023, IRCC took this concept a step further by introducing category-based selection rounds of invitations. In these draws, the authorities invite Express Entry applicants based on a specific attribute, most often their work experience, rather than an overall high CRS score. Data on the economic outcomes of these newcomers is not yet available. 

By comparison, economic immigrants admitted to Canada through a non-Express Entry-aligned stream of a Provincial Nominee Program tend to have lower median wages. The report states that the median employment earnings for PNP admission cohorts ranged between the mid $40,000 range to the low $50,000 at one year since admission between the admission cohorts. 

Additional Scoring Factors Have Little Impact On Income 

Economic prospects remain strong for Express Entry candidates. The report notes that additional factors included in an Express Entry application can influence median incomes. However, based on data from the report, the outcomes show that additional scoring factors do not necessarily result in higher median incomes two to three years after admission unless applicants had the highest possible scores for these attributes. 

For instance, it found that applicants who were admitted to Canada in 2019 and had a three-year or more post-secondary credential from a Canadian institution had slightly higher median employment earnings compared to those without a Canadian post-secondary credential. 

In contrast, those admitted in 2019 with a 1-2 year post-secondary Canadian credential had a median income that was lower than those with no post-secondary education in Canada.   

The same was true of those with siblings in Canada. The median wage two years after landing for those who arrived in 2019 was $53,100 for those with a Canadian or permanent resident sibling v/s $61,200 for those who did not. 

Arranged employment was the only additional scoring factor that showed higher median incomes. However, the income level was also found to depend on the type of employment. Those with a pre-arranged job offer in a senior management role who arrived in Canada between 2017 and 2019 all had median incomes exceeding $200,000 two years after landing. 

Moreover, those with pre-arranged employment in other professions were also found to have higher median incomes than those without. For instance, those who came in 2018 with an ‘other’ job offer had median incomes of $84,500. On the other hand, those without arranged employment reported a median income of $60,700. 

If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490. You can also drop us an email at [email protected].