By admin (May 21, 2024)
More Than Half of Express Entry Invitations Were Received by PNP Candidates in 2022
More than half of Express Entry invitations were received by PNP candidates in 2022. 51% of ITAs in 2022 went to PNP candidates, as the total ITAs issued were 37,315.
19,160 invitations to apply (ITAs) were sent to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in 2022 as shown by data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
If any candidate receives an ITA, then it means that IRCC is considering the candidate as a permanent resident. Such candidates may submit their application to be finally considered by an IRCC officer. The new data provided by IRCC sheds more light on enhanced PNP nominations, including the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score ranges and the number of ITAs by province.
Invitations by CRS Score
An ITA was received by most Express Entry candidates in 2022, the exact number to be 17,905, if they had a CRS score between 491 and 600. The remaining 19,160 Express Entry candidates with CRS scores higher than 600 had an enhanced provincial nomination.
When interest is shown by a province for a particular candidate who is already in the Express Entry pool then the nomination is known as an enhanced provincial nomination. Candidates who can easily integrate into the provincial economy and settle are preferred in such nominations.
Invitations by Program
After Provincial Nominee Program, the highest number of candidates were invited from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). 12,960 candidates received ITAs. Candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) received 5,200 ITAs by IRCC. In 2022, no candidates were invited from the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
In an occupation that falls under the National Occupational Skill TEER 0, 1, or 2, candidates in the FSWP require 1 year of full-time work or equivalent paid work experience over the past ten years. A valid language test score is also required by them which will be equivalent to at least a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB 7) in French or English across all four abilities (listening, writing, reading, and speaking).
Further, at least 67 out of 100 points must be scored by the candidates on the FSWP grid. Candidates are assessed by the grid on the factors such as education, work experience, language ability, age, arranged employment, and adaptability. Lastly, to prove that they have enough savings to support themselves financially in Canada, candidates need to meet the settlement funds criteria.
One year of full-time work experience is required by Express Entry candidates in the CEC, obtained over the previous 36 months and a CLB 7 for NOC TEER category 0 or 1 jobs or CLB of 5 for candidates with NOC TEER category 2 or 3 jobs. Through the CEC, candidates applying for PR are already living and working in Canada as temporary residents.
Invitations by Province
The type of ITAs and their number is varied by the province of the intended destination. In terms of the intended province of residence, Ontario was the leading destination with 17,920 candidates overall. 8,990 CEC candidates received an ITA among them which clarified their intention of settling in the province. CEC candidates exceeded the candidates in PNP program who intended to settle in Ontario, it is the only province to experience such phenomena.
For Express Entry candidates, British Columbia was the second most sought-after destination of choice. Out of total 7,495 Invitations to Apply (ITA), 4,240 ITAs were issued to PNP candidates who planned to settle in the province.
For 4,655 ITA recipients, Alberta was the intended destination, and 2,195 recipients intended to move to Manitoba. Fewer than 2,000 ITA recipients were posted by all other provinces, with Newfoundland and Labrador seeing just 345 ITA recipients and the territories less than 50 each.
Enhanced Nominations by Provinces
Most of the Express Entry candidates with an enhanced PNP nomination received ITAs issued by IRCC. Quebec has a unique agreement with the Federal Government which is why this does not include this particular province as it selects all of its economic immigration candidates regardless of a program.
| Name of the Province | Number of Nominations |
| Ontario | 5,170 |
| British Columbia | 4,240 |
| Alberta | 3,385 |
| Manitoba | 1,995 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,620 |
| Saskatchewan | 1,235 |
| New Brunswick | 775 |
| Prince Edward Island | 385 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 305 |
| Yukon | 25 |
| Northwest Territories | 15 |
| Total | 19,160 |
Increase in PNP Allocations
Following the release of the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 last November, immigration targets are set to increase. Over 105,000 new permanent residents were targeted by IRCC to be admitted among the new targets, under the PNP in 2023 and up to 117,500 per year by 2025. This is the highest target set for any economic class immigration program, including programs managed by Express Entry.
A marked increase in PNP allocation spots for provinces has been announced by IRCC, following a meeting of the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI). How the national PNP allocations will be distributed among the provinces for 3 years in advance will be known by all the provinces as per the plan. Provinces can plan appropriately for an increase in population due to immigration after having this information.
Under the PNP for 2022, Ontario welcomed its maximum allocation of 9,750 newcomers but had a marked increase in allocations up to 16,500 for 2023. The most popular province of Canada is Ontario which welcomes over 40% of newcomers to Canada each year. By 2025, the PNP target for Ontario is set to increase by over 18,000.
Increased targets have also benefited other streams. For example, PNP allocations of Manitoba have increased by 3,175 spaces for 2023 over the past year, i.e. 2022. Over the next three years, significant increases are estimated by Alberta and Saskatchewan, with Alberta’s PNP going as high as 10,849 spots and Saskatchewan going up to 8,500 spots by 2025.
Express Entry by 2023
Since the Express Entry draws held in January, 37,559 ITAs have been issued to candidates. The entire total of ITAs issued in 2022 is to be exceeded by this. Only two draws were all-program between January and mid-March. The remaining draws were program-specific, one for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and three for the Provincial Nominee Program.
7,000 candidates were invited on March 15, when IRCC held the first of three consecutive all-program draws where candidates were considered from all three Express Entry programs. Afterward, 7,000 candidates were invited to all three draws. Between March 15 and 29, 21,000 ITAs were issued over the 3 consecutive draws.