In a surprise move, Canada held the second Express Entry draw of 2023, inviting 5,500 candidates to bring the total invitations to 11,000 since the beginning of this year.
The Express Entry received the fastest-ever start, as Canada held two back-to-back Express Entry draws in two consecutive weeks. The January 18 Express Entry draw follows the first draw on January 11. The general Express Entry draw invited 5,500 candidates from the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The CRS threshold dropped 17 points from the last Express Entry draw to 490.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) paused Express Entry draws in November 2022. The resumption of draws in 2023 marks the beginning of regular Express Entry draws after a long hiatus. The draws usually occur once every two weeks, but the IRCC held two draws in consecutive weeks in 2023. It underlines IRCC’s desire to expedite skilled immigration to address record labor shortages impacting Canada’s economy.
Express Entry boasts the fastest Service Standard of six months among all skilled immigration pathways in the country. The first two Express Entry draws of 2023 break the previous record of inviting 10,000 skilled immigrants through Express Entry in January 2022.
