What trends in Express Entry applications and admissions are evident?

What trends in Express Entry applications and admissions are evident?  

There are several notable trends in Express Entry applications and admissions, as detailed in the sources:

Profile Submissions:

● In 2023, there was a 14% increase in Express Entry profile submissions compared to 2022, and a 10% increase compared to 2021, with a total of 488,571 profiles submitted.

● However, the proportion of eligible profiles slightly decreased to 70% in 2023 from 74% in 2022.

● More profiles were submitted by men (56%) than women (44%).

● A large portion of eligible profiles did not qualify for any additional points at the time of submission, although this proportion has decreased over the past 3 years . In 2023, 47% of profiles did not meet criteria for additional points, down from 58% in 20214.

● The most common additional point types for eligible profiles were Education in Canada (30%) and Sibling in Canada (15%).

Invitations to Apply (ITAs):

● In 2023, there was a substantial increase in ITAs issued, with 110,266 invitations, a 136% increase from 2022 (46,539).

● The majority of ITAs were issued to candidates under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program (40,052), followed by the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) (26,445).

● The introduction of category-based selection in June 2023 resulted in 25,870 ITAs, representing 23% of the total ITAs issued in 20236.

● Category-based selection rounds targeted candidates with specific attributes, such as French language proficiency, healthcare experience, STEM experience, trades experience, transport experience and agriculture/agri-food experience.

● The most common age group for candidates receiving ITAs is between 20 and 29 years old, though their share of invitations has declined from 64% in 2021 to 54% in 20238.

● Candidates who received ITAs are highly educated, with 92% holding a post-secondary educational credential of at least three years.

● A majority of candidates invited to apply (63%) had at least one year of Canadian work experience.

● The most common primary occupations among candidates invited to apply include software engineers and designers, software developers and programmers, and food service supervisors.

● Men received a higher proportion (57%) of invitations in 2023 than women.

Applications:

● In 2023, there were a total of 80,862 applications for permanent residence through Express Entry which was significantly higher than 2022 (34,976), but slightly lower than 2021 (102,152).

● The majority of applications were from men (56%)

● Ontario remained the most popular province of intended destination for applicants Admissions:

● In 2023, 120,770 principal applicants and their accompanying family members were admitted as permanent residents through Express Entry, which is an increase from 2022 (116,375) but lower than 2021 (155,845)

● The majority of admissions were through the CEC program (41,865) and the PNP (43,290).

● India remains the most common country of citizenship among those admitted through EE.

● The majority of those admitted intended to settle in Ontario, followed by British Columbia and Alberta

● Admissions through the PNP were more evenly distributed across the provinces compared to the FSWP, CEC and FSTP

Processing Times:

● Processing times for Express Entry applications have decreased significantly, with IRCC meeting its processing standard of 6 months for CEC and FSW applications in 2023.

Economic Outcomes:

● Federal High Skilled (FHS) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) admission cohorts have a generally positive trend in median employment earnings and have significantly higher median employment earnings than Canadians

● Median employment earnings two years after admission vary based on factors such as education in Canada, arranged employment and language skills.

These trends demonstrate that the Express Entry system is dynamic and responsive to changing needs. The introduction of category-based selection indicates an ongoing effort to target specific skills and address labour shortages in Canada.