The report outlines key facts such as who got into the Express Entry pool, how long it took to process applications and who received Canadian permanent residence in 2021.

1. CANADA RELEASES
Annual Report on Express Entry
for 2021.
www.newboundsimmigration.com

2. • The report outlines key facts
such as who got into the
Express Entry pool, how long it
took to process applications,
and who received Canadian
permanent residence in 2021.
• Every year, Immigration,
Refugees and Citizenship
Canada (IRCC) release an
annual report on Express Entry
– the federal government’s
primary immigration pathway
for foreign skilled workers
seeking Canadian permanent
residence (PR).

3. • Launched in 2015, Express Entry manages three different programs:
the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker
Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). It
also manages a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP),
however, PNP candidates must also be eligible for one of the
aforementioned programs.
• The total number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) issued for Canadian PR
was 114,431. Through all ITAs, 155,810 people (principal applicants +
accompanying family members) gained permanent residence. This
was despite a marquee decision from IRCC to pause Express Entry
ITAs for all Federal High Skilled immigration programs (CEC, FSWP, and
FSTP) on September 20, 2021. IRCC did not invite any FSWP and FSTP
candidates throughout 2021. After initially holding CEC draws for
much of 2021, IRCC also paused them in September. Only PNP draws
took place regularly in 2021, generally on a bi-weekly basis.

4. More than 440,000 Express Entry profiles
submitted
• By the end of 2021, IRCC received 443,004 total Express Entry profile
submissions. This is a 23% increase from 2020. Of these profile
submissions, nearly 74% were eligible for at least one Express Entry
program while about 26% were deemed ineligible. Among all profile
submissions, 77% of women were eligible for at least one Express
Entry program compared to 71% of men.

5. Most people who got into the Express Entry
pool had CRS scores between 351 and 400.
• Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores are used to rank eligible
candidates based on a numerical value assigned to different factors.
As noted in the report, it is important to remember that the “[Express
Entry] pool is dynamic and that the distribution of CRS scores
changes” with every new eligible profile submission.
• Still, 31% of all eligible candidates had a CRS score between 351 and
400 points. The other most common CRS score ranges among eligible
candidates were 401-450 (27% of profiles), 451-500 (21%) and 301-
350 (16%).

6. • CRS cut-off scores ranged from 682 points to 813 points for PNP-
specific draws and fell between 75 and 462 points for CEC-specific
draws (more on program-specific draws later).
• More than half of all eligible profiles (58%) did not meet the criteria
to be awarded any additional points at the time of submission. Of
these profiles, over half (54%) were submitted by men. Of the
remaining eligible profiles, 21% received additional points for
Canadian education, while 13% were rewarded for having siblings in
Canada.

7. Number of ITAs given out up 6% from 2020
• In 42 program-specific Express Entry draws, 114,431 total ITAs were
issued in 2021 – an increase of six percent from 2020. In line with
Canada’s desire to bring in younger immigrants, 64% of all ITA
recipients were 20-29 years old.
• ITAs were focused on two programs throughout the year, the CEC (17
draws, accounting for 87% of all ITAs) and the PNP (25 draws, 13% of
all ITAs), while no invitations were issued to FSWP or FSTP applicants.

8. Most ITA recipients worked in food services,
admin, and retail.
• The most common primary occupation among those who received an
ITA in 2021 was “Food Service Supervisor”. The National Occupation
Classification (NOC) 2021 code for this job is 62020. The total number
of ITA recipients who worked in this role was 13,097. Among this
group, 60.4% of people occupying this role were women.
• In order, the five most common occupations among ITA recipients are
listed below, alongside their NOC 2021 codes and the number of
people in these jobs that received ITAs.

9. 1. Food Service Supervisors (NOC 2021: 62020) – ITAs issued: 13,097
2. Administrative Assistants (NOC 2021: 13110) – ITAs issued: 5,930
3. Retail Sales Supervisors (NOC 2021: 62010) – ITAs issued: 5,020
4. Software Engineers & Designers (NOC 2021: 21231) – ITAs issued: 4,916
5. Cooks (NOC 2021: 63200) – ITAs issued: 4,624

10. Outside Canada, most ITA recipients resided in
India and Nigeria
• Most Express Entry ITA receipts resided in Canada (102,806).
However, most foreign applicants who received an ITA were residing
in India (3,826) or Nigeria (1,432). This is a notable departure from
2019 and 2020, where the United States of America (USA) was third
on this list in both years.
• The top 10 countries of residence among 2021 ITA recipients
(including the number of ITAs issued) are as follows:

11. 1. Canada: 102,806 ITAs issued
2. India: 3,826 ITAs issued
3. Nigeria: 1,432 ITAs issued
4. USA: 806 ITAs issued
5. People’s Republic of China: 687 ITAs issued
6. United Arab Emirates: 465 ITAs issued
7. United Kingdom and Overseas Territories: 348 ITAs issued
8. Pakistan: 269 ITAs issued
9. Morocco: 235 ITAs issued
10. Lebanon: 215 ITAs issued

12. Most ITA recipients were citizens of India,
China and Korea
• Further data shows that the top countries of citizenship among ITA
recipients have also changed slightly over time. India has taken the
top spot in each of the last three years. In 2020 and 2021, the
People’s Republic of China ranked second on this list. Finally, while
6,550 Nigerian citizens received ITAs in 2020 (ranked third), citizens
from the Republic of Korea accounted for the third most ITA
recipients (3,131) in 2021.
• Below are the seven countries that round out the top 10 countries of
citizenship among ITA recipients. Listed next to each country is the
number of ITAs their citizens were issued in 2021.

13. 1. India: 65,565 ITAs issued
2. People’s Republic of China: 9,592 ITAs issued
3. Republic of Korea: 3,131 ITAs issued
4. Nigeria: 3,123 ITAs issued
5. Brazil: 2,877 ITAs issued
6. Philippines: 2,429 ITAs issued
7. United Kingdom and Overseas Territories: 2,298 ITAs issued
8. Iran: 1,700 ITAs issued
9. Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 1,514 ITAs issued
10. Republic of Ireland: 1,348 ITAs issued

14. CEC now the most popular program under
Express Entry
• Nearly four-fifths (79.6%) of all applications for PR through Express
Entry came from principal applicants seeking entry to Canada through
the CEC. Meanwhile, the PNP applicants accounted for 12,652 Express
Entry PR applications and 8,245 people applied for Canadian PR as
FSWP applicants. Considering all three programs, more men applied
for PR in Canada through the PNP and CEC (57% and 58% of all PR
applications, respectively), while 53% of all FSWP PR applications
were submitted by women.
• A total of three economic immigration PR applications came from
FSTP applicants.

15. 80% of Express Entry applications processed in
nine months
• Application processing times remain a significant concern for many
prospective Canadian immigrants. Total processing time for all
programs remained the same as in 2020, with IRCC finalizing 80% of
applications in nine months. Broken down by program, 80% of CEC
applications were processed within 7 months, compared to PNP (21
months), FSTP (23 months), and FSWP applications (26 months).

16. Most Express Entry PRs intended to settle in
Ontario
• Among those who submitted PR applications through Express Entry,
96,535 total persons indicated that they were destined for Ontario.
British Columbia (35,735) and Alberta (12,082) were the next two
most popular destinations with Canada’s three territories – Nunavut,
the Northwest Territories and Yukon – being the least popular (187
total persons) destinations.
• Note that immigration figures from Quebec are not accounted for
here, as the province operates its own distinct immigration programs.

17. Express Entry in 2022 and 2023
• In July 2022, IRCC resumed all-program draws following the pause
that began in January 2021 (for the FSWP and FSTP) and September
2021 (for the CEC). However, thus far in 2023, two draws reverted
back to a program-specific structure, as the immigration department
held a PNP-only draw on February 1 and an FSWP-only draw – the
first ever in Express Entry history – on February 2.

18. • In a step further away from the typical style of Express Entry draws,
which currently prioritize CRS scores, IRCC also plans to
introduce category-based draws at some point this year. These draws
will select candidates based on specific individual factors such as
occupation, language skills, and education.
• In recent years, IRCC has released year-end Express Entry reports in
December. Should this trend continue, we can expect to see Canada’s
2022 Express Entry report towards the end of this calendar year.

19. Thank You
Company Name: New Bounds Immigration PrivateLimited
Address: A 1/32, 2nd Floor, Janakpuri, New Delhi – 110058 India
Contact No +91-7065791239
Email id - info@newboundsimmigration.com