January 31, 2025, marks ten years since Canada introduced its first Express Entry draw—an innovation that has fundamentally reshaped the landscape of Canadian immigration. Since 2015, the Express Entry system has become the cornerstone of economic immigration, streamlining the process for skilled workers seeking permanent residency.
According to Maple News, more than 800,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence have been issued through Express Entry over the past decade. This milestone caps a transformative period during which Canada leveraged technology and targeted selection to attract top global talent more effectively and efficiently than ever before.
Launched by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Express Entry replaced the outdated first-come, first-served model that had caused significant application backlogs and years-long wait times. Under the previous system, some applicants waited up to seven years before a decision was made, often finding themselves ineligible or misaligned with current labour needs by the time their cases were reviewed.
By contrast, Express Entry created a dynamic, points-based system that ranks candidates based on factors like age, education, language proficiency, and work experience. The top-ranking candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence through frequent draws. This not only accelerates the processing timeline—often under six months—but also allows Canada to better align immigration selection with labour market demands.
Initially built to manage applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry has evolved to reflect Canada’s shifting economic priorities. Recent policy changes, such as category-based selection focused on healthcare and STEM professionals, underscore Ottawa’s efforts to fill critical workforce gaps more surgically.
The system’s performance over the last ten years demonstrates Canada’s ongoing commitment to welcoming skilled immigrants swiftly and transparently. It has also served as a model for other nations looking to modernize their immigration strategies.
As Canada continues to innovate in immigration policy, Express Entry remains a central pillar of its long-term economic and demographic strategy.
With an expanding immigration target and growing international competition for talent, the next decade of Express Entry will be pivotal in defining Canada’s role as a top destination for skilled global workers.