Canada began Express Entry Draws in 2023 on January 11 by issuing 5,500 invitations to eligible candidates to apply for permanent residence.
The opening of Express Entry draws of 2023 marked more invitations for permanent residence, but the CRS cutoff was higher at 507. The CRS threshold rose by 16 points against the last Express Entry draw of November 2022, which issued invitations to 4,750 candidates with a CRS cutoff of 491 and above.
The January 11 all-program Express Entry draw invited eligible candidates under Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). It is the biggest draw since the resumption of Express Entry draws after the 18 months gap in July 2022.
2022 – Express Entry review
The Express Entry CRS cutoffs were showing a steady decline in 2022. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
(IRCC) began Express Entry draws in the second half of 2022 after an eighteen months gap. The number of Invitations to Apply rose with each subsequent draw, with a drop in CRS scores during the last year.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship paused Express Entry draws in December 2020 because of the pandemic restrictions. The number of invitations to apply during the entire year was only 35,750, covering all programs under Express Entry.
2023 – Express Entry poised for changes
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship prepared the ground for changes to the Express Entry application management and selection in 2022.
IRCC announced the implementation of NOC 2021 to shift from the system of using 0 to D levels for skills classification to adopt new parameters of Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER).
The new Immigration Levels Plan 2023-25 targets 82,880 candidates in 2023 for issuing ITAs through the Express Entry application management system. Express Entry will be accountable for managing a fifth of Canada’s annual immigration targets. IRCC is adding 16 new occupations for candidates who wish to immigrate under the economic immigration programs of the Express Entry system.
