The first Express Entry draw of the year 2023 was held in Canada, and it was the first one since November 23.
IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) issued invitations to 5,500 applicants with a minimum CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score of 507. Eligible applicants were invited from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). All of these are programs that function under the Express Entry system.
This draw marks a rise in the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued and is the largest all-program Express Entry draw since they recommended it in July last year. There were 750 additional invitations over the November 23 draw that invited 4,750 applicants, and a higher CRS score than has been witnessed since the draw of September 28.
Express Entry in 2022
Last year was a great year for Express Entry. Ministerial instructions display that there were 46,538 ITAs issued to candidates for the Express Entry program over the 23 draws in 2022. This number consists of draws between January and July, which were completely for applicants in PNPs (Provincial Nominee Programs).
All-program Express Entry draws were paused for more than 18 months commencing in December 2020. The pause occurred due to a backlog in applications that was caused due to travel restrictions concerning COVID-19. During this period, only applicants from the PNP or CEC were issued Invitations to Apply. IRCC paused draws for the CEC in September last year. The total number of ITAs for all-program draws, which commenced in July and spanned the rest of the year, was 35,750.
The latest Express Entry draw witnessed the lowest minimum CRS score at 491.
Details of the Express Entry Draw
Canada held its first Express Entry draw in 2023 and invited 5,500 candidates for submitting Canada PR visa applications. The following are the details of the draw which can be found in the table below:
| Draw No. | Program | Date of Draw | ITAs issued | CRS Score |
| #237 | All Program Draw | January 11 2023 | 5,500 | 507 |
Canada Invited 5,500 Candidates in the #237 Express Entry Draw
Starting 2023, Canada held its first Express Entry draw and issued 5,500 invitations to applicants with a CRS score of 507. This is the overall #237 and 12th All-Program Express Entry draw. Invited applicants can submit visa applications for Canada PR through the below-mentioned programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
This is the largest All-Program draw as the highest number of invitations was issued to candidates. The number of invitations was increased by 750 and the CRS score went up to 507 from 491.
Express Entry Getting Ready for Changes
In the second half of 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada set the stages for changes to be anticipated in Express Entry in 2023. For instance, IRCC put NOC 2021 in action in November – an updated take on NOC 2016. The NOC (National Occupation Classification) system is used for determining the profession and skill level of the candidate for Express Entry.
IRCC moved from classifying skills as 0-D level to a system, which is based on TEER (Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities). The new TEER system has revised NOC 2016’s skill levels 0-E and created an equal five TEERS. 16 new occupations, under NOC 2021, are eligible to apply for economic immigration programs that are overseen by Express Entry, including the FSWP or CEC.
Applicants who have a profile already submitted to the IRCC Express Entry pool were invited to switch their NOCs to the new NOC 2021 separately. The update is required to be carried out for each position incorporated in the IRCC profile. Not being able to do so will prohibit applicants from receiving an ITA.
Moreover, Canada will increase the number of applicants invited through Express Entry programs, which is based on the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 released on November 1. In 2023, 82,880 immigrants will be admitted to the Great White North as permanent residents through Express Entry. This will increase to 109,020 in 2024 and 114,000 in 2025, or just about one-fifth of the total permanent resident admission goals in Canada. These higher targets put great emphasis on the importance placed by Canada on economic immigration in the face of a continuing labour shortage. Immigration makes up for as much as 90% of labour force growth in Canada and around 75% of population growth.
