One year of category-based selection for Express Entry Canada
6 Jul 2024
Canada's Express Entry program is now in its first year of operation, having first opened for applications on June 28, 2023. The program was introduced by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to attract newcomers with the skills needed to address labor shortages and demographic challenges. Canada is an aging society and needs an influx of young, talented workers, especially in certain occupations. To address these labor gaps, the category-based selection program is designed to attract immigrants with specific skills and experience. By attracting immigrants with language skills, the country hopes to improve its demographics and meet its economic goals of stimulating economic growth.
A big advantage of Express Entry category-based selection is that it allows for sophisticated workforce matching. The traditional Express Entry program evaluated applicants' qualifications based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), scoring them on whether they met the overall requirements. In contrast, category-based selection programs can reflect the needs of specific industries, allowing them to select exactly the workforce they need. They can also attract talented workers in highly skilled occupations, such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, which contribute to innovation and technological advancement.
During 2023, category-based selections were held 25 times, with the following number of invitations per category 9,100 for healthcare, 10,900 for STEM, 2,500 for skilled trades, 2,645 for transportation, 1,150 for agriculture and agri-food, and 21,100 for French-language proficiency. The CRS cut-off scores for each category have fluctuated significantly from one selection to the next, reflecting the level of competition and the needs of the applicant pool at the time of each draw. As such, past years' selection results, where scores are not consistently predictable, are likely to continue.
Looking ahead, we can look at USCIS's plans. USCIS has developed a plan for the distribution of the 2024 intake. In 2024, they plan to continue the category-based lottery, and have set the following percentages of invitations for each category Healthcare will receive 15% of all invitations, STEM will receive 25%, skilled trades will receive 5%, transportation will receive 3%, agriculture and agri-food will receive 0.5%, and French language proficiency will receive 30%. Taken together, 78.5% of Express Entry invitations will be invited through category-based selection, while the remaining 21.5% will be invited through the general lottery. This shows a heavy reliance on category-based selection.
Based on the Immigration Department's plans and performance over the past year, we can anticipate the future direction. Category-based selection will continue to be actively operated to ensure a steady flow of workers, focusing on those with the skills and experience that Canada needs. There will also be an increased focus on technology sectors. By attracting talented individuals in high-skilled occupations, such as STEM fields, we will seek to strengthen Canada's industrial competitiveness and foster technological innovation. And, as the data above indicates, there will be a stronger preference for French-speaking individuals, in keeping with Canada's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The category-based Express Entry selection program reflects Canada's specific workforce needs and plays an important role in attracting the workforce we need. The statistics for 2023 and the plan for 2024 indicate a high level of satisfaction with the program. Therefore, in order to contribute to Canada's economic growth, technological innovation, and social stability, the category-based approach will continue to be an important element of Canada's immigration policy, and immigration through this program will continue to be the primary way to attract newcomers.
Canada's Express Entry program is now in its first year of operation, having first opened for applications on June 28, 2023. The program was introduced by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to attract newcomers with the skills needed to address labor shortages and demographic challenges. Canada is an aging society and needs an influx of young, talented workers, especially in certain occupations. To address these labor gaps, the category-based selection program is designed to attract immigrants with specific skills and experience. By attracting immigrants with language skills, the country hopes to improve its demographics and meet its economic goals of stimulating economic growth.
A big advantage of Express Entry category-based selection is that it allows for sophisticated workforce matching. The traditional Express Entry program evaluated applicants' qualifications based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), scoring them on whether they met the overall requirements. In contrast, category-based selection programs can reflect the needs of specific industries, allowing them to select exactly the workforce they need. They can also attract talented workers in highly skilled occupations, such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, which contribute to innovation and technological advancement.
During 2023, category-based selections were held 25 times, with the following number of invitations per category 9,100 for healthcare, 10,900 for STEM, 2,500 for skilled trades, 2,645 for transportation, 1,150 for agriculture and agri-food, and 21,100 for French-language proficiency. The CRS cut-off scores for each category have fluctuated significantly from one selection to the next, reflecting the level of competition and the needs of the applicant pool at the time of each draw. As such, past years' selection results, where scores are not consistently predictable, are likely to continue.
Looking ahead, we can look at USCIS's plans. USCIS has developed a plan for the distribution of the 2024 intake. In 2024, they plan to continue the category-based lottery, and have set the following percentages of invitations for each category Healthcare will receive 15% of all invitations, STEM will receive 25%, skilled trades will receive 5%, transportation will receive 3%, agriculture and agri-food will receive 0.5%, and French language proficiency will receive 30%. Taken together, 78.5% of Express Entry invitations will be invited through category-based selection, while the remaining 21.5% will be invited through the general lottery. This shows a heavy reliance on category-based selection.
Based on the Immigration Department's plans and performance over the past year, we can anticipate the future direction. Category-based selection will continue to be actively operated to ensure a steady flow of workers, focusing on those with the skills and experience that Canada needs. There will also be an increased focus on technology sectors. By attracting talented individuals in high-skilled occupations, such as STEM fields, we will seek to strengthen Canada's industrial competitiveness and foster technological innovation. And, as the data above indicates, there will be a stronger preference for French-speaking individuals, in keeping with Canada's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The category-based Express Entry selection program reflects Canada's specific workforce needs and plays an important role in attracting the workforce we need. The statistics for 2023 and the plan for 2024 indicate a high level of satisfaction with the program. Therefore, in order to contribute to Canada's economic growth, technological innovation, and social stability, the category-based approach will continue to be an important element of Canada's immigration policy, and immigration through this program will continue to be the primary way to attract newcomers.