Express Entry draws for Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates will resume in July 2022 after a long pause as stated by the Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

The size of the draws is expected to be the same as pre-pandemic, meaning 3000 candidates will be invited per draw and can go up to 4000. The idea about the size of express entry draws was put on in the public domain in May 2022 following access to information requests of an internal IRCC memo.

Express Entry draws for FSW and CEC have been paused since December 2020 and September 2021 respectively and would remain paused until IRCC succeed to clear half of the backlogged inventory of its high-skilled labor which was 111,900 in the month of September 2011. Express entry backlogged of 50,000 was reduced by IRCC between September and February.

With this successful progression of application processing, IRCC will resume the FSW and CEC draws in early July.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off for FSW and CEC draws will likely remain high. It is predicted to be above 500 in the initial draws and it eventually drops to pre-pandemic times. When regular draws start taking place.

CRS score prediction when Express Entry draws for FSW and CEC resume

The number of candidates in the pool has grown to the highest ever since it was first launched in the year 2015. The prediction of the CRS cut-off score will be impossible and for how long will it remain high, as the cut-off score depends on several factors including the number of invitations on every draw, the number of applicants entering the pool, and lastly the frequency of draws.

Only once Express Entry draws restart will we commence to get a sense of what to expect for the rest of 2022.

Extra measures for in-Canada applicants

For candidates, who are in Canada, the government will be introducing new immigration measures. Especially for those who are at risk of their status expiring. Commencing in the summer of 2022, an international student who recently graduated and working on a post-graduation work permit will qualify for an additional open work permit for another 18 months.

Another policy will be introduced for candidates who applied to Canada’s Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence Pathway (TR2PR) last year.

The following measures will be included in the new FSW policy.

Applicants do not require to stay in Canada when their application is under process.

Applicants will be able to get a work permit valid till the year 2024 and apply for an open work permit while they are waiting for their permanent residency. This will ensure that applicants will get their permanent residence finalized before renewing their temporary work permit again.

To support the reunification of the family, immediate family members who are included in the principal candidate’s application and residing outside Canada will be eligible for their own open work permit.

More exact details will be released when these policies will take effect.

Express Entry counties to be a significant share of Canada’s immigration strategy

Minister Fraser upholds that although the pause in Express Entry draws, immigration continues to be more important than ever to the Canadian economy.

Canada is a top destination for global talent, and our strong economic growth is now outperforming our ability to find and keep workers. We need to use this fact to ensure that employers and businesses have the right of entry to the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed.” – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

Canada is predicted to welcome more than 1.3 million new permanent residents between 2022 and 2024. This is the highest figure since Canada commenced publishing immigration targets.

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