This July marked the return of the Express Entry system for the Federal Skilled Worker Class, as Canada invited skilled immigrants from overseas for the first time since 2020.

There are three programs managed by the Express Entry system:

The Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP);
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Candidates within the Express Entry pool are issued invitations to apply (ITAs), based on their Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS).

Roughly every two weeks, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues ITAs to candidates in the Express Entry pool who meet the CRS cut-off. This year, all Express Entry draws have been general, choosing candidates from the FSWP and the CEC.

CRS in 2022
On July 6th IRCC resumed Express Entry draws, inviting 1,500 candidates from the Express Entry pool who had a CRS score of at least 557.

As draws continued throughout the year, IRCC would increase draw sizes (eventually to 4,750 candidates in the most recent draw), while decreasing CRS cut-offs to below 500.

As Canada continues to grapple with a post-COVID reality, labour shortages remain high throughout the country. Canada has identified immigration as the primary means by which it can address urgent economic needs; likely a driving reason to Express Entry’s return, and the progressively lowering CRS score in 2022.