Canada’s Express Entry Invitations by Program, Province, and Age

Newly released data from the Government of Canada offers a more granular insight into the human capital characteristics of individuals who received Express Entry invitations from January to September 2023.

Throughout this period, Canada granted 53,455 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Express Entry system.

It’s important to note that the data excludes ITAs issued in October, where an additional 9,173 invitations were granted by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The detailed breakdown covers various categories, revealing the distribution of ITAs based on program type, province, Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, age group, and occupation.

Express Entry is a comprehensive application management system that oversees candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Each program has distinct eligibility criteria, but all candidates undergo evaluation and ranking using the Comprehensive Ranking System, which assigns points based on factors such as work experience, age, language proficiency, and education.

The data also incorporates candidates who received a Provincial Nomination (PN) through the PNP, which automatically adds 600 CRS points to their Express Entry profile.

Based on the available data, the most probable candidates to receive an ITA are CEC candidates in their twenties, working as software engineers, and residing or intending to reside in Ontario.

Invitations by Program:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 23,910 ITAs (45%)
• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): 15,855 ITAs (30%)
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): 13,655 ITAs (26%)
• No ITAs were issued to candidates in the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Top Occupations:

CEC:

1. Software engineers and designers: 1,725
2. Computer programmers and interactive media developers: 1,745
3. Information systems analysts and consultants: 1,375
4. CEC Food Service Supervisors: 1,240
5. Administrative assistants: 855

FSWP:

1. Financial auditors and accountants: 650
2. Dentists: 570
3. Software engineers and designers: 565
4. Professional occupations in advertising, marketing, and public relations: 505
5. Database analysts and data administrators: 420

PNP:

1. Other occupations: 970
2. Software engineers and designers: 820
3. Information systems analysts and consultants: 615
4. Computer programmers and interactive media developers: 595
5. Welders and related machine operators: 420

Invitations by CRS Score:

• 451-500: 26,070 candidates
• 501-600: 11,640 candidates
• 601-700: 225 candidates
• 701-800: 60 candidates
• 801-900: 790 candidates
• 901-1,000: 7,550 candidates
• 1,000 and above: 5,040 candidates

Invitations by Province:

• Ontario: 31,550 ITAs
• British Columbia: 10,655 ITAs
• Alberta: 5,280 ITAs
• Nova Scotia: 1,595 ITAs
• All other provinces: Less than 1,500 ITAs each

Invitations by Age:

• 19-29: 28,970 candidates
• 30-39: 20,865 candidates
• 40 and older: Less than 4,000 candidates

The age distribution aligns with IRCC’s practice of assigning higher CRS scores to younger candidates, reflecting the strong correlation between age and successful immigrant labor market integration.

Express Entry Immigration Levels:

• ITAs in Jan-Sept 2023: 53,455
• Total ITAs in 2022: 37,335
• Total ITAs in 2021: 108,105

IRCC’s target for 2024 is 110,770 permanent resident admissions through Express Entry, increasing to 117,500 annually in 2025 and 2026. It’s worth noting that the number of ITAs tends to be lower than admissions, as successful candidates can include partners and children in their application.