Express Entry has been a popular pathway for immigrants intending to immigrate to Canada. So, understanding IRCC’s criteria for holding Express Entry Draws can be valuable for Express Entry applicants.  

Overview of Express Entry

Before the COVID pandemic, Express Entry draws were very foreseeable. IRCC typically held EE draws on Wednesdays every two weeks. Each draw would usually include around 3000 ITAs for Canadian permanent residency, with the minimum required CRS score of about 470 points. 

There was a period of stability in the past in Express Entry. This is because the objectives under the Express Entry policy stayed unchanged since its inception in January 2015.

Additionally, IRCC was making considerable progress toward its goal of processing around 80% of Express Entry PR applications in 6 months or less. This has allowed them to issue new ITAs periodically, giving EE candidates more assurance.

However, since the outbreak of the pandemic, Express Entry has been significantly less predictable. There is no longer a consistent pattern of the time and type of draw, number of ITAs issues, or required CRS score. 

For instance, this year’s EE draws were held regularly, roughly every two weeks up to June. However, since IRCC launched the category-based draws under EE, draws started occurring more frequently. This is because IRCC aimed to attain a large range of policy goals, such as managing labor shortages and increasing the number of French-based immigrants. 

 During the period when IRCC introduced category draws it held around 12 Expres Entry draws, particularly between June 27 and August 15.

Per the previous pattern, this was unusual as IRCC would normally hold around 4 to 8 draws within a comparable period. 

IRCC then paused sending invitations to candidates under Express Entry for almost over a month. Thereafter, IRCC conducted nine more EE draws between September 19 and October 26.

Since then, IRCC has not held a single draw, and it hasn’t given any explanation why. However, various factors could determine IRCC’s criteria for holding Express Entry draws. 

Factors Affecting IRCC’s Criteria for Holding Express Entry Draws. 

The following sections will highlight the factors that could influence when IRCC holds Express Entry draws.  

Canada’s Immigration Level Plan

IRCC announces an Immigration Levels plan annually to set the admission targets for permanent residents the country hopes to invite yearly. Typically, the targets are for the following three years and are further divided category-wise. This also includes express-entry candidates.

For instance, in 2024, IRCC plans to admit 110,770 newcomers via Express Entry, and in 2025 and 2026, it is aiming for 117,550 newcomers annually.

Notably, these targets include the main applicant having Express Entry ITAs and their qualifying partners and dependents who can be added to their PR application. 

The department needs to regularly assess the total number of PR applications in the processing queue to ensure that they attain these targets.

When IRCC has sufficient applications that can help it attain the present and next year’s targets, it may not necessarily issue further ITAs. 

Contrarily, if the applications are not enough to meet the goals, it’s likely that the department will either hold more express entry draws or issue an increased number of ITAs. 

IRCC takes into account the current and upcoming year’s targets in order to decide on the number of ITAs to issue in draws. This is because it takes six months for the department to process the final application of Express Entry candidates.

For instance, Invitations sent in the second half of 2023 will almost certainly result in permanent residents landing in 2024.

IRCC Policy Goals

In order to attain its policy goals, the immigration department (IRCC) must consider the type of draws it should conduct under Express Entry.

Canada’s immigration minister, Miller, has a responsibility to solidify the national economy. For this, he issues instructions to invite skilled newcomers who can help fill the labor market gaps as well as contribute to enhancing the country’s economy shortly after arriving in Canada.

Additionally, it is achieved by sending Express Entry invitations to potential PNP candidates. 

The process of selecting potential candidates for issuing invitations is time-consuming as it requires careful consideration. Since IRCC assesses numerous options, it may result in occasional delays to Express Entry draws.

For instance, the ministers must decide whether a candidate should be invited under an all-program draw that considers candidates from three distinct Express Entry Programs or if it will be more suitable to issue invitations under the program-specific draws or under a new category-based round of invitations.

Despite the persistent challenges during the pandemic, such as processing delays and travel restrictions, IRCC was hoping to attain its goal of admitting more than 400,000 new permanent residents.

For this, one of the key pathways IRCC considered to attain its goal is conducting bigger Express Entry draws for the candidates of the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This is because most of those candidates were already residing in Canada, so it would be more easy for the department to have them approved as permanent residents.

Recently, after the beginning of the category-based selection draws, IRCC has conducted more draws to attain its major policy objective.

The IRCC policy includes the below-stated goals:

• Facilitate transitions of temporary residents to permanent residents.
• Support Francophone communities throughout Canada, outside of Quebec.
• Encourage economic development in regions throughout Canada.
• Invite individuals with high human capital who are well-positioned to incorporate into the Canadian employment market.
• Invite individuals with work experience in healthcare, agriculture, transportation, STEM, and skilled trades.

Shifts in the Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) & Express Entry profiles

Adjustments to the Express Entry Profile and Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) may also have an influence on the Express Entry draws.

While the changes are rare, a small adjustment to the way IRCC assigns CRS points to a particular attribute can affect the Express Entry draw’s frequency.

For instance, IRCC raised the CRS score points a candidate might obtain for French proficiency in 2020. During that time, IRCC had to complete various technical modifications to make sure that all pre-existing profiles had valid CRS scores.

Similarly, IRCC had to phase out NOC Skill Types towards the adoption of a new TEEP system.

IT Problems

Another factor that could affect IRCC’s criteria for holding express entry draws is IT issues, such as technical glitches.

Recently, IRCC experienced an issue with the Express Entry profile builder. Due to this glitch, candidates who have already obtained an ITA may be unable to submit their final application for permanent residency within the specified 60 days.

To address this situation, on November 29, IRCC announced that applicants who have experienced this issue have an additional 60 days to submit their application. Moreover, the implementation of new systems may lead to IRCC issues.

For instance, IRCC Deputy Minister Christiane Fox, in a recent meeting of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, revealed that the department is facing some IT issues after the launch of the Category-based Express Entry draws. During such issues, IRCC may pause holding draws until it resolves the problem. 

Furthermore, between November 23, 2022, and January 11, 2023, IRCC did not hold Express Entry draws due to an IT issue associated with updates to the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system. As a result of the error, several unqualified candidates received ITAs.

IRCC Staffing changes 

Besides all these factors, a change in IRCC staffing may also affect the Express Entry draws. The staff change might include a new Immigration Minister, Deputy Minister, or other officers who are in charge of Express Entry. It takes time for employees to adjust to their new roles.

Notably, the IRCC department is undergoing a reorganization. This was planned after former Deputy Minister Neil Yeates’s report highlighted the inefficiencies of the department. 

In his report, he advocated reorganizing IRCC’s structure based on lines of business. In an interview with Paul Wells, Deputy Minister Fox stated that the department has already begun to implement some of the recommendations. This would undoubtedly have an effect on department staffing.