Express Entry Year-End Report 2015

Express Entry Overview

Launched in January 2015, Express Entry is Canada’s application management system for certain economic immigration programs including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee program.

Express Entry was designed with three main objectives in mind: 1) flexibility in selection and application management, 2) responsiveness to labour market and regional needs and 3) speed in application processing. Although there have been adjustments to the system during its first year and policy concerns expressed by stakeholders, Express Entry has met its expectations.

Over 31,000 invitations to apply to permanent residence have been issued to a diverse range of highly skilled immigrants and almost 10,000 individuals (principal applicants and their family) have already landed in Canada as permanent residents. Key findings indicate that professors were in the top ten occupations list and that many international students fare well in Express Entry.

Provinces, territories and employers have successfully used Express Entry to fulfill regional and labour market needs. Express Entry increases the labour market responsiveness of the immigration system through a greater role for employers who can recruit economic immigrants using the new system. When an employer is unable to find a qualified Canadian or permanent resident for a job, they can be matched with qualified Express Entry candidates through the Government of Canada’s Job Bank. All jobs offered to Express Entry candidates need to be supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to ensure the authenticity and genuineness of job offers, that the prevailing wage is respected and that employers consider Canadians and permanent residents to meet their labour needs first.

In addition, the processing time commitment of 6-months for 80% of cases has been met and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will continue to monitor the performance of Express Entry and make adjustments as necessary.

Express Entry Results to Date

In the first several months of operation, IRCC planned for small and regular invitation rounds. This allowed for any necessary adjustments to the system, therefore ensuring program integrity and success. It also allowed the department to continue processing applications received prior to the launch of Express Entry.  Those applications will continue to be processed throughout 2016 until completion.  As anticipated, small and frequent invitation rounds in the first year have shaped the results to-date. For example, a large number of foreign nationals already working in Canada have received invitations to apply because they have job offers supported by an LMIA which awarded them 600 additional points under the Express Entry system. These early invitation rounds have also likely included foreign nationals who were unable to apply as an economic applicant before Express Entry because of occupation caps or because application space for programs was surpassed. More recently, the number of invitations to apply to the Provincial Nominee Program has increased as Provinces and Territories gain experience with the system.

Future invitation rounds from the Express Entry pool will become the main source of applications to meet annual immigration levels targets for certain economic immigration programs under the Express Entry system as the older inventories are reduced.

Express Entry Profiles submitted to the Express Entry Pool

Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs managed by the Express Entry system (i.e. Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program) are accepted into a pool of candidates.  Provincial Nominees participating in Express Entry must also meet the criteria of one of these three federal immigration programs.

As of January 3, 2016, a total of 191,279 Express Entry profiles were submitted by foreign nationals. Of these, 88,048 were found not eligible because they did not meet the criteria of at least one of the three programs managed by the system; 1,303 were pending due to Job Bank registration or verification of their Provincial Nomination by a Province or Territory; 63,937 were in the pool as active candidates or with an outstanding invitation to apply; and, the remaining 37,991 profiles have left the pool. Exit from the Express Entry pool occurs when a profile expired after being in the pool for a year or when a candidate does not decline an invitation to apply and does not submit an application in the 60-day mandatory period (2,656 profiles were expired as of January 3, 2016); when a profile is withdrawn from the pool by a candidate (13,684 as of January 3, 2016); or, when an application is submitted for processing (21,651 applications as of January 3, 2016).

Candidates who decline their invitation to apply are returned to the pool as active candidates.

Profiles submitted to the Express Entry Pool as of January 3rd, 2016

Profiles submitted   191,279

Not eligible   88,048

Pending        1,303

Profiles in the pool as of January 3rd, 2016

Active candidates    60,042

Invitation to apply outstanding     3,895

Profiles no longer in the pool as of January 3rd, 2016

Expired          2,656

Profile withdrawn from the pool   13,684

Applications submitted for processing

Richard Boraks, April 5 2016