Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released its 2020 Express Entry Year-End Report, shedding light on how the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted Canada’s main economic immigration system. Traditionally published in summer, the delayed report—released on December 13—outlines key trends, challenges, and shifting dynamics in one of Canada’s most vital immigration pathways.
Despite issuing a record 107,350 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through Express Entry in 2020—up from 85,300 in 2019—the actual number of new permanent residents landing in Canada fell dramatically. Only 63,923 principal applicants and accompanying family members obtained permanent residency through Express Entry in 2020, a sharp decline from 109,601 the previous year. This marked the lowest intake through the program in three years.
The discrepancy is largely attributed to the global pandemic, which triggered travel restrictions, slowed application processing, and made it harder for approved applicants to finalize their immigration journeys. While it is common for the number of permanent residents to exceed the number of principal ITAs (due to accompanying family members), 2020 reversed this trend.
IRCC also struggled to meet its standard processing time, aiming to finalize 80% of Express Entry applications within six months. Only 51% met this benchmark in 2020, and average processing times increased to nine months—slower than the eight-month average recorded in 2019.
In response to pandemic-related delays, IRCC temporarily extended the validity of ITAs from 60 to 90 days. Internal data show that 36% of Express Entry candidates between March 18, 2020 and April 6, 2021 used the extended timeline, while 49% still submitted their applications within the original 60-day window.
Due to mobility constraints driven by COVID-19, IRCC strategically focused ITAs on candidates within Canada. The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams, which accounted for a greater share of draws, favored those already in the country. Consequently, 63% of those invited in 2020 were residing in Canada, compared to 47% the previous year.
India remained the top source country, despite its share of invited candidates dropping to 10% from 18% in 2019. Other leading countries of residence for invited candidates included the United States, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan. Notably, Lebanon entered the top 10 for the first time since Express Entry’s inception in 2015.
The IRCC’s 2020 Express Entry report serves as a snapshot of how the pandemic reshaped immigration flows, priorities, and operations. As the system adapts to a post-pandemic landscape, the data provides key insights into Canada’s evolving approach to attracting skilled newcomers.