Express Entry System in 2022
Hello World! Today we would like to talk about the Express Entry System. If you plan to immigrate to Canada through this program, please check the following carefully.
Express Entry under COVID-19 Pandemic
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a huge immigration application backlog. As of February 1, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a backlog of about 1.8 million applications. As a result, there is a big delay in the Express Entry system, and an Invitation to Apply (ITA) has not been issued for a long time in some targeted categories.
ITA was issued only to CEC or PNP candidates in 2021
Last year, ITAs were issued only to candidates eligible under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). A large amount of ITA was issued to the CEC candidates on February 13, 2021 (see related article), but nothing after September 14, 2021.
No ITA was issued to FSW candidates in 2021
Since the last draw on December 23, 2020, no ITA has been issued to candidates eligible under the FSW (Federal Skilled Worker) program. This is because IRCC prioritizes domestic candidates as they are less likely to encounter COVID-19 related issues. The Express Entry candidates who are eligible under the CEC or PNP are more likely to already be in Canada.
You can check the status of ITA from the link below.
To know “How Express Entry works”, please check the following page.
Express Entry in 2022
Although IRCC emphasized that the current pause on the FSW and CEC draws are temporary, it has not confirmed when they will resume it. However, it seems like IRCC also understands that the many talented and skilled newcomers have waited long during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the recent IRCC’s news release, IRCC proposed $85 million in new funding to reduce application backlog. This investment will support hiring additional staff and digitizing applications etc. IRCC is working to reduce the processing time for each immigration application.
＊The following is the reference materials for this article.
NATIONAL POST – Canada pausing intake of highly skilled immigrant workers amid heavy backlog
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Due to the unpredictable nature of Express Entry draws, it is time to have a strategy for your immigration plan.
If you are interested to know about your best option to immigrate to Canada, please submit your form through this link.
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