Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada published the 2021 Express Entry report highlighting key findings on application processing times, CRS scores, and nationalities of candidates becoming permanent residents.
Express Entry emerges as a popular primary immigration pathway
Express Entry is Canada’s online application management system for managing its economic immigration programs and Express Entry-aligned PNP streams. These include Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Salient features of 2021 Express Entry data
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processed 80 percent of all Express Entry applications within nine months. Ontario emerged as the most favored destination among Express Entry applicants, followed by British Columbia and Alberta.
IRCC released Express Entry findings for the period between January and December 2021. The number of total Express Entry submissions in 2021 grew by 23 percent over the last year. Over 74 percent of profiles were eligible for minimum of one Express Entry program among 443,004 profiles. More women received ITAs than men in 2021.
The CRS score distribution of successful candidates was as follows:
- CRS scores range from 351-400 – 31 percent of eligible candidates
- CRS scores range from 401-450 – 27 percent of eligible candidates
- CRS scores range from 451-500 – 21 percent of eligible candidates
- CRS scores range from 682-813 – PNP-specific draws
- CRS scores range from 75-462 – CES-specific draws
Candidates in food services, admin, and retail received the most ITAs during 2021:
- NOC 2021:62020 (Food Service Supervisors) – 13,097
- NOC 2021: 13110 (Admin Assistants) – 5,930
- NOC 2021: 62010 (Retail Sales Supervisors) – 5020
India topped among successful Express Entry candidates applying from foreign countries, followed by Nigeria, the US, and China.
CEC became the most sought-after Express Entry program, as nearly eight out of every ten applications for permanent residency through the Express Entry pathway belonged to the Canadian Experience Class program.
