On July 20, 2022, Canada held their second all-program draw in a row, inviting 1,750 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence. Express Entry is one of the primary methods by which Canada welcomes newcomers. Canada is on track to welcome 55,900 immigrants through Express Entry in 2022, with the target increasing to 111,500 by 2024.

Candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 542 were invited. Since no programme was specified for this draw, candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) could be invited. The CRS requirement for the new draw is 15 points lower than the previous all-program draw on July 6, when the minimum cut-off score was 557. Canada also issued 250 more invitations in this draw compared to the previous round of 1,500 invitations.

During an 18-month hiatus, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only invited candidates eligible for immigration through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

IRCC considers the CRS from all candidates in the Express Entry pool, regardless of which programme they are eligible for, in an all-program Express Entry draw. Prior to the pandemic, most Express Entry draws were not program-specific, which meant that candidates who met the minimum CRS for any Express Entry programme could receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

IRCC held PNP and CEC draws every two weeks between January 2021 and September 2021. After September 21, 2021, IRCC no longer invited CEC candidates, because expected application processing times exceeded the six-month standard.

Although the IRCC has returned to holding all-program draws, more changes to the Express Entry system are on the way. The reforms outlined in the recently passed Bill C-19 are set to take effect in early 2023, as reported in our previous post. Once implemented, IRCC will be able to hold targeted draws in which Express Entry candidates will be invited to apply based on a specific economic goal. Candidates may be invited based on their occupation, educational background, language skills, or any other factor that corresponds to labour market needs.