January 16th, 2024 at 08:50 am
IRCC’s Method for Selecting Express Entry Applicants | Canada Immigration Guide
Continue reading to learn about IRCC’s approach to deciding Express Entry draws. IRCC usually holds draws every two weeks on Wednesdays. Normally, each draw would award almost 3,000 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of roughly 470. This, however, is not an official IRCC policy.
Before the pandemic, the draws were very predictable. Since its inception in 2015, the Express Entry policy objectives have remained consistent. Furthermore, a few years ago, IRCC usually adhered to conventional processing schedules and could handle nearly 80 percent of Express Entry’s PR applications. As a result, it was able to routinely issue ITAs, providing candidates with certainty under Express Entry.
However, after a long wait, Express Entry draws took place every two weeks this year. Following the implementation of Express Entry category-based selection, the draws continued regularly. This was due to the IRCC’s proclivity to achieve a larger variety of policy objectives. These objectives primarily involve overcoming acute labor shortages and welcoming new French-speaking immigrants.
The category-based selection period lasted from June 27 to August 15, 2023. IRCC held 12 Express Entry draws in total. However, given previous tendencies, this was rather unexpected, as IRCC would generally hold four to eight draws over a discernible period.
For a while, IRCC held draws only once a month before finally holding draws between September 19 and October 26.
However, since October 26, IRCC has not held a single Express Entry draw for unknown reasons.
Several things could alter the dates of these Express Entry draws in total.
The IRCC’s Approach Towards Deciding Express Entry Draws
The following factors may influence when Express Entry holds its draws:
Immigration Levels Plan
IRCC releases its Immigration Levels Plan each year to establish the admission targets for PR admissions expected to arrive in Canada over the next three years. Furthermore, IRCC categorizes admission targets, including Express Entry.
For example, IRCC intends to invite approximately 110,770 newcomers through Express Entry in 2024 and 117,550 each year in 2025 and 2026. The key applicants who receive Express Entry invitations to apply are included in these admission numbers. These also include qualifying partners and dependents who can contribute to their Permanent Residence applications.
To ensure that IRCC meets these goals, it must frequently monitor the quantity of PR applications in the processing queue. If IRCC has a sufficient number of applications for both the current and following years, it does not need to issue additional invites. If the department does not have enough applications in the processing line, it is expected to hold more draws and send out ITAs.
When determining the quantity of ITAs to be issued in successive draws, the IRCC considers the current and next year. This is also due to the six-month processing time for Express Entry applications.
This means that ITAs sent in the second half of 2023 will generally result in a PR confirming their arrival in 2024.
IRCC Policy Goals
IRCC must also consider the types of draws that must be held to fulfill its policy objectives. Overall, the Canadian immigration minister must carry out a mandate to strengthen the national economy. The minister will most likely put this ambition into action by directing and inviting new immigrants to fill vacancies in the Canadian workforce and contribute to the economy as soon as they arrive.
Sending Express Entry ITAs to Provincial Nominee Program candidates is one of the most common ways of doing the aforementioned.
Choosing the right individuals takes a lot of time and work. As a result, there may be some delays in performing Express Entry draws. This is because IRCC takes that much time to consider its options.
For example, the department must decide whether applications must be selected in an all-program draw. These pull candidates from all three Express Entry programs. Furthermore, the department must determine whether further program-specific draws are required. In any case, they must decide whether applicants from category-based draws should be favored.
Previous IRCC Draws and Their Track Records
Earlier in 2021, IRCC planned to meet its goal of welcoming over 400,000 new PRs, even though Canada faced significant hurdles as a result of Covid-19. Travel restrictions and processing delays remained key difficulties. The primary mechanism by which IRCC intended to achieve this goal was to conduct larger-scale Express Entry draws for candidates in the Canadian Experience Class. Because the majority of these were meant to be in Canada, this proved to be a good option. This means that IRCC might simply expedite their admission as new permanent residents. Following the advent of Express Entry category-based draws, IRCC conducted increasing draws to address broader policy objectives. Among these policy objectives were the following:
- Encourage economic growth in Canadian communities.
- Candidates with a higher degree of human capital are welcomed and admitted. This also includes people who would be better suited to integrating into the Canadian work market.
- Transition from temporary to permanent residence.
- Increase the number of French-speaking communities outside of Quebec.
- Candidates with relevant work experience in skilled crafts, agriculture, transportation, healthcare, and STEM fields are encouraged to apply.
Implementation of Changes to the Comprehensive Ranking System and Express Entry Profiles
Several factors influence the Express Entry draws, including revisions to the Comprehensive Ranking System and Express Entry. The IRCC’s system for allocating CRS points to a particular attribute may also have an impact on how frequently Express Entry draws occur. For example, in 2020, IRCC increased the number of CRS points available to candidates with French skills. This means that IRCC will need to make several technical adjustments to guarantee that all available profiles have the correct CRS scores.
In another case, IRCC terminated the NOC skill kinds to promote the new TEER system.
IT Challenges
Express Entry dates can potentially change owing to technical issues and other IT issues. IRCC has recently identified difficulties with the Express Entry profile builder. As a result of this technical difficulty, numerous candidates who obtained an ITA have been unable to update or upload their final PR profiles within the sixty-day time frame.
The IRCC stated on November 29 that applicants who are unable to upload their profiles will have 60 days to submit their applications. When IRCC introduces and installs a new system, it may encounter technical difficulties. Minister Fox also highlighted that IRCC had various technical difficulties following the launch of new category-based invitation rounds.
This is why the IRCC may suspend draws until the situation is resolved completely. Furthermore, no Express Entry lotteries were held between November 23, 2022, and January 11, 2023. This occurred as a result of the release of fresh updates to the NOC system. As a result of this technical error, a few ineligible candidates acquired ITAs as well.
A change in IRCC’s staff
A change in IRCC’s staff is also a major cause of Express Entry draw delays or pauses. This could involve a new immigration minister, a Deputy Minister, or other staff members who are entirely dedicated to Express Entry. When such changes occur, the staff officials take their time adjusting to their new roles.
Aside from that, IRCC is reevaluating after previous Deputy Minister Neil Yeates produced a report on the department’s weaknesses. Furthermore, he urged in his report that IRCC’s operating processes be modified based on business lines.
Fox stated in his interview with Paul Wells that IRCC is already implementing many improvements within its system. As a result, these changes will very certainly have an impact on the IRCC’s hiring procedure.
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