Starting from January 30th, 2024, the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core examination is now eligible for all immigration routes, excluding the Student Direct Stream (SDS). This includes applicants in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), those enrolled in Express Entry managed programs, and individuals requiring a language assessment for various Canadian immigration objectives, such as Canadian citizenship applications, who are now permitted to take the PTE Core test.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released invitations to apply (ITAs) in the week’s second Express Entry draw. The department invited 1,000 candidates to apply in a category-specific selection draw targeting individuals in trades occupations. Eligibility for an ITA required candidates to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 425.
After the all-program draw on December 18, where 1,325 candidates obtained invitations to apply (ITAs), the subsequent draw took place. In this draw, candidates needed to meet a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 542 to be eligible.
In the latest Express Entry draw, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued invitations to apply (ITAs). The all-program draw invited 1,325 candidates, requiring a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 542 for eligibility.
This draw comes after the December 8 results, where 5,900 candidates received ITAs with a minimum CRS of 481 in a category-based selection draw for those in STEM occupations. On December 7, a category-based draw for individuals with French language proficiency invited 1,000 candidates from the Express Entry pool with a minimum CRS of 470.
On December 6, there was another all-program draw for candidates with a minimum CRS of 561, marking the first draw in over a month. Prior to that, the most recent draw occurred on October 26, featuring a category-based selection for candidates in healthcare occupations.
IRCC did not provide a specific reason for the temporary pause in draws, but on November 14, the department tweeted about an IT issue with the Express Entry profile builder for candidates who had received an ITA and were attempting to upload their final application to IRCC’s website. The glitch was reportedly fixed on November 16, although draws did not immediately resume as anticipated.
Various factors, including meeting targets in the Immigration Levels Plan, IT issues, staffing changes, or updates to the Comprehensive Ranking System, could contribute to IRCC’s decision to delay an Express Entry draw.
Canada’s immigration quotas will remain consistent with the current objectives. In 2024, the nation will aim to admit 485,000 new immigrants. For both 2025 and 2026, Canada intends to welcome 500,000 new immigrants each year.
These targets mirror the ones previously disclosed in the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025. The newly-released information today includes the 2026 target and revisions to the immigrant admission levels for various categories and programs between 2024 and 2026.
In 2024, Canada is aiming to welcome approximately 281,135 immigrants in the economic class, accounting for 58% of the annual target. This number is projected to increase to 301,250 immigrants by 2026, constituting 60% of the annual target.
For the family class, the target in 2024 is set at 114,000 immigrants, making up 24% of all admissions. This figure will remain the same at 118,000 immigrants by 2026, still representing 24% of all admissions.
In the humanitarian class, the admission target for 2024 is 89,865 immigrants, which accounts for about 19% of all admissions. This category includes refugees, protected persons, and individuals admitted for humanitarian, compassionate, or other reasons. By 2026, the target will be 80,832 immigrants, making up 16% of all admissions.
Please note that the percentages may not sum up to 100% due to rounding.Segmentation of immigration goals by category
In 2024, the Express Entry program is set to admit 110,700 permanent residents, with an increase to 117,500 in both 2025 and 2026.
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) target for 2024 is 110,000 immigrants and will rise to 120,000 in both 2025 and 2026.
Sponsorship for Spousal, Partner, and Children will have a target of 82,000 admissions in 2024, which will then increase to 84,000 in each of 2025 and 2026. Similarly, the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) will aim to admit 32,000 immigrants in 2024, followed by 34,000 immigrants in both 2025 and 2026.
The Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 was introduced a day after Canada revealed a fresh strategy to enhance its immigration system. On October 31, Immigration Minister Marc Miller acknowledged deficiencies within the country’s immigration system as he outlined the core principles of a new initiative aimed at modernizing the system.
The new strategy, titled ‘An Immigration System for Canada’s Future,’ encompasses three key objectives:
The IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) aims to provide a more welcoming and user-friendly experience to its clients. Additionally, the IRCC intends to better align Canada’s immigration policies with its skills and labor strategy. Lastly, the IRCC seeks to create an integrated plan involving all three levels of government in Canada to ensure the country can offer sufficient housing, healthcare, and infrastructure for its growing newcomer population.
In the latest Express Entry draw of 2023, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) extended invitations to a larger pool of candidates. On August 3rd, the department invited 1,500 candidates from the Skilled Trades category to apply. To be eligible, candidates needed to have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 388.
The latest Canadian Express Entry draw was just held. Express Entry draw 257 saw a CRS score of 505 and invited 800 candidates from all programs to apply.
IRCC has invited Express Entry candidates for the third day in a row.
Today, invitations were issued to candidates who are eligible for category-based selection in healthcare occupations. In total, 1,500 candidates were invited. Candidates required a minimum CRS score of 463. This is lowest CRS score of any Express Entry round of invitations issued in 2023.
IRCC has issued a second round of Express Entry invitations this week.
This time, it was for candidates who are eligible for category-based selection in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations.
In total, 500 candidates were invited. Candidates required a minimum CRS score of 486.
This draw was expected as last week IRCC announced that the first-ever category-based selection Express Entry draw for those in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professions would take place this week.
IRCC has also confirmed it will have another round of invitations this week, inviting 1,500 healthcare workers to apply for permanent residence.
The most recent category-based draw was last week on June 28 and invited 500 healthcare workers with a minimum CRS score of 476, the lowest CRS score in any Express Entry draw so far in 2023.
In its surprise draw yesterday, July 4, IRCC also invited 700 candidates in an all-program draw with a minimum CRS score of 511. An all-program draw considers Express Entry candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
In a recent news release, IRCC said by prioritizing the invitation of skilled newcomers with STEM experience, Canada aims to meet the growing demand for talent and fill key positions that contribute to the nation’s economic growth and technological advancement.
Eligible occupations under the STEM draw include:
Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, announced on May 31 that IRCC had finalized new category-based selection criteria for Express Entry draws. The categories were chosen based on labour market projections and discussions with IRCC partners and stakeholders as well as with provincial and territorial governments. They are as follows:
Category-based selection draws have been expected since June 2022, when the Government of Canada made changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow for the selection of immigrants based on key attributes that support Canada’s economic priorities, such as specific work experience to fill labour market gaps, or knowledge of French.
On June 27th, 2023, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced a new temporary measure that will remove the limit on the length of study programs that temporary foreign workers can enrol in without a study permit.
Through this measure, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is recognizing that foreign workers can face barriers in the types of study programs they are allowed to pursue to get additional training and education that will help them in their careers.
Prior to this change, foreign workers could study while working, but only in programs of 6 months or less. If they wanted to enrol in a longer program, they would have to apply for a separate study permit. This has been a hurdle for foreign workers who want to improve their education and receive more training, especially those needing to validate their foreign credentials through certain programs.
The new temporary measure will last three years. Foreign workers will be able to study full or part time while holding a valid work permit, with no restrictions on the length of the program.
The temporary measure will apply to those who hold a valid work permit or have a pending decision on their work permit extension on June 27, 2023. However, if a foreign worker wants to study longer than the duration of their work permit, they will need to apply for a study permit.
The measure will help foreign workers expand their future job prospects. It will also expand their opportunities to transition to permanent residence by increasing their Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) through higher levels of education or by gaining qualifying work experience.
In category-based rounds of invitations, IRCC invite candidates who are eligible for a specific category established by the Minister to meet an identified economic goal. IRCC invite candidates to apply for permanent residence based on criteria such as
Category-based rounds add to general and program-specific rounds by inviting top-ranking candidates who can help us meet these specific economic goals.
They will announce the chosen categories in advance.
Categories chosen for 2023
For 2023, we chose these categories:
| List of Occupations Eligible for Category-Based Draws | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATEGORY NAME | JOB TITLE(S) | NOC CODE | |||||
| Agriculture and agri-food occupations | Butchers - retail and wholesale | 63201 | |||||
| Agriculture and agri-food occupations | Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors | 82030 | |||||
| Agriculture and agri-food occupations | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services | 82031 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Managers in transportation | 70020 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Railway carmen/women | 72403 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors | 72404 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors | 72600 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Air traffic controllers and related occupations | 72601 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Deck officers, water transport | 72602 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Engineer officers, water transport | 72603 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators | 72604 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Transport truck drivers | 73300 | |||||
| Transport occupations | Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors | 93200 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers | 72014 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Welders and related machine operators | 72106 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Plumbers | 72300 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Carpenters | 72310 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Machine fitters | 72405 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Elevator constructors and mechanics | 72406 | |||||
| Trade occupations | Residential and commercial installers and servicers | 73200 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Engineering managers | 20010 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Architecture and science managers | 20011 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Computer and information systems managers | 20012 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Architects | 21200 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Landscape architects | 21201 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Urban and land use planners | 21202 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Land surveyors | 21203 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries | 21210 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Data scientists | 21211 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Cybersecurity specialists | 21220 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Business systems specialists | 21221 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Information systems specialists | 21222 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Database analysts and data administrators | 21223 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Computer systems developers and programmers | 21230 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Software engineers and designers | 21231 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Software developers and programmers | 21232 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Web designers | 21233 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Web developers and programmers | 21234 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Civil engineers | 21300 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | 21311 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Metallurgical and materials engineers | 21322 | |||||
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations | Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers | 41400 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Specialists in surgery | 31101 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | General practitioners and family physicians | 31102 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Veterinarians | 31103 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Dentists | 31110 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Optometrists | 31111 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists | 31112 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Dietitians and nutritionists | 31121 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Psychologists | 31200 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Chiropractors | 31201 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Physiotherapists | 31202 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Occupational therapists | 31203 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment | 31204 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating | 31209 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Nursing coordinators and supervisors | 31300 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Nurse practitioners | 31302 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals | 31303 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Licensed practical nurses | 32101 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Paramedical occupations | 32102 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists | 32103 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment | 32109 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Medical laboratory technologists | 32120 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Medical radiation technologists | 32121 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Medical sonographers | 32122 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists | 32200 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Massage therapists | 32201 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Other practitioners of natural healing | 32209 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations | 33101 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Other assisting occupations in support of health services | 33109 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies | 41301 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Educational counsellors | 41320 | |||||
| Healthcare occupations | Instructors of persons with disabilities | 42203 | |||||