Maple News reports that 2023 was a transformative year for Canada’s Express Entry system, with significant policy shifts and new approaches reshaping how skilled immigration is managed and candidates are selected.
The early part of the year followed a familiar rhythm, with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducting regular draws. These included all-program draws, Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-only draws, and even a historic Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)-exclusive draw in February. While most draws remained biweekly, March stood out with four draws that collectively invited over 21,000 candidates—a record-breaking pace matched only once before.
A major development came mid-year when IRCC introduced category-based draws in June, following changes to the Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act in 2022 that gave the immigration minister power to focus selection on candidates with in-demand skills or language abilities, regardless of their general Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores.
Six priority categories were established: healthcare, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), trades (e.g., plumbers, carpenters, contractors), transport, agriculture and agri-food, and French language proficiency. This targeted approach is intended to fill key labour shortages and promote linguistic diversity outside of Quebec. The inaugural category-based draw took place on June 28, inviting 500 healthcare workers. By year’s end, over 16,000 candidates had received invitations through this new selection model.
According to Maple News, 2023 saw a total of 42 Express Entry draws. All-program draws dominated with 19 rounds, five draws were PNP-exclusive, and one uniquely invited only FSWP candidates. The remaining 17 were conducted under the new category-specific selection streams.
CRS score trends revealed that most candidates who received invitations to apply (ITAs) between January and September 2023 had scores in the 451–500 range, with 26,070 individuals falling within that band. An additional 11,640 had CRS scores between 501 and 600.
Notably, no Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates received ITAs in 2023, despite the program being a regular consideration in all-program draws. This decision may reflect an evolving focus on particular occupations or sectors under the category-based model.
Overall, 2023 marks a strategic shift in Canada’s immigration strategy—from a score-based competition to a needs-driven selection process. These changes appear aligned with Canada’s broader goals of economic resilience, demographic growth, and linguistic diversity.