July 6, 2022: In the much-awaited draw, Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada issued 1,500 Invitations to apply for all programs under the Express Entry system, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The lowest-ranked candidate invited had a CRS score of 557.
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This is the first No Program-specific draw after December 2020. In 2021, IRCC only invited applicants under the Canadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominee Program. The last Canadian Experience Class draw was in September 2021.
Even with the pandemic, there were around 405,000 people who became permanent residents in Canada in 2021, but Canada aims to welcome a higher number of immigrants every year, starting in 2022 to 2024. In 2022, they aim to welcome around 431,645 permanent residents. Meanwhile, in 2023, they aim to welcome another 447,055 immigrants, whereas in 2024 they anticipate an additional 451,000. This is the highest number of target immigrants in the history of Canadian immigration.
IRCC to Resume Draws for Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), and Federal Skilled Trade (FST) in July 2022
On April 22, 2022, IRCC announced that they will resume the Express Entry High Skilled Draws, which included Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades (FSTP) in July 2022. Now, on July 6, 2022, Canada launched its all-program Express Entry draw again in 2022 after FSWP and FSTP were paused in 2020 and CEC in 2021. IRCC also made other major announcements. To learn more about these, read: IRCC to resume Express Entry High Skilled draws for CEC, FSWP, and FSTP in July 2022.
IRCC to Resume 6-Month Processing Time
IRCC aims to process the applications for Express Entry within 6 months again. The pandemic made the processing time for Express Entry applications much longer and applicants for permanent residency had to wait for 20 months on average, especially the Non-Canadian Experience Class applicants.
The IRCC confirmed that they will process applications again within 6 months for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). When the 6-month processing time comes back, Express Entry will once again become the fastest Canadian immigration pathway that will give skilled workers their permanent residency in Canada.
CRS Score Distribution of Candidates in the Express Entry Pool as of July 6, 2022
As per the data published on the IRCC website as of July 6, 2022, 226,849 candidates had registered for the express entry pool. There were 669 candidates between the range of 601-1200, and there were 8,773 candidates between the range of 501-600. Although 1,500 candidates were invited to apply, there are still a lot of candidates in the above 500 CRS range. There may be a period of time before the score drops below 500 if IRCC gradually increases the number of invitations in each draw.
Find Out if You Are Eligible to Apply for the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) Under Express Entry
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is an immigration pathway for permanent residency under Express Entry wherein you will be qualified based on your skilled trade.
Eligibility Criteria
Here are the eligibility criteria that you need to meet to qualify for FSTP:
You must meet the required language levels for the following categories:
Writing
Reading
Speaking
Listening
You must have at least 2 years of experience working full-time within 5 years from the date of your application.
You must meet the job requirements, except for the need for a certificate of qualification, for the skilled trade that you want to apply for.
You must have a valid full-time job offer for a minimum of 1 year.
You must have a certificate of qualification in the skilled trade that you are applying for, given by a Canadian province, territory, or even federal authority.
Skilled Work Experience
Here is the list of the skilled trades for FSTP under the groups of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) which you can apply for:
Major Group 72 – Industrial, electrical, and construction trades
Major Group 73 – Maintenance and equipment operation trades
Major Group 82 – Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture, and related production
Major Group 92 – Processing, manufacturing, and utilities supervisors and central control operators
Minor Group 632 – Chefs and cooks
Minor Group 633 – Butchers and bakers
Education Requirement
There is no significant education requirement for you to be able to apply for FSTP. However, you might want to consider improving your Express Entry pool rank. Here are two ways to improve your rank:
A certificate, diploma, or degree from a Canadian secondary and post-secondary institution, if you graduate from Canada.
A completed educational credential or a report of Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a delegate organization for the purpose of immigration, if you graduated outside Canada.
Language Skills
You must score at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 in speaking and listening and CLB level 4 in reading and writing.
Proof of Financial Capability
You must demonstrate that you are financially capable of settling you and/or your family in Canada. However, you may be exempted from this if you are able to work in Canada legally and have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer.
Want to know if you are eligible to apply for FSTP? Click here!
The Minimum Score for Federal Skilled Worker Eligibility
The IRCC will give you an overall score out of 100. You need to meet a minimum score of 67 for you to be eligible to apply for a Federal Skilled Worker. On the other hand, if your score is lower than 67, you may not qualify for the said program.
Get a higher score by doing the following:
Enhance your language skills
Complete another degree, diploma, or certificate
Receive a job offer from a Canadian employer
About the Express Entry Draw
On May 25, 2022, one month after IRCC announced the resume of Federal High Skilled Stream Draws, they held the eleventh PNP-only Express Entry draw of the year, inviting 589 candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were sent to candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores equal to or greater than 741. Only candidates with a nomination for a Provincial Nominee Program were invited to this draw.
How Does the Express Entry System Work?
The Express Entry system is an electronic system used to manage the applications of skilled workers who wish to become permanent residents of Canada. For example, if you are interested in becoming a Canadian permanent resident, you must create and submit your online candidate profile for the federal government’s review. The federal government will then determine if you are eligible for a program under EE. If so, you would be accepted into the EE pool and ranked under CRS.
What is the Comprehensive Ranking System?
The CRS is a point-based system designed to assess and rank eligible candidates in the EE pool. Canada calculates CRS scores through different profile factors such as a candidate’s age, educational background, work experience, and language ability, among others. On average, EE draws are held every two weeks by the federal government.
I received an ITA - What Should I Do Now?
You now have 60 days to submit all your documents to IRCC for your Permanent Residency application. We can help you with Stage 2 of the application. We offer flexible service options including:
Consultations – Useful for those looking for answers to specific questions about their profile and applications
Review Services – Useful and budget option for those looking for professional oversight while applying on their own.
Full Representation – Useful for those who would like an RCIC to take charge of the process and represent them in the application.
Record Number of Immigrants Expected in 2022
Canada is planning to welcome around 83,500 immigrants both through Express Entry-aligned and PNP categories in 2022. Meanwhile, in Canada’s 2022-2024 immigration plan announced last February 14th, 2022, the federal government aims to welcome over 432, 000 immigrants as a strategy to cover the gap in their economy and increase their labour market post-COVID-19.
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