Provincial Nominee Program Dominated 2022 Express Entry Arrivals in Canada
  • In 2022, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued a total of 37,315 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency, with 51% of these ITAs granted to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Specifically, 17,905 candidates within a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score range of 491-600 received an ITA, while the remaining 19,160 ITAs were granted to candidates with CRS scores exceeding 600 who were recognized for their enhanced provincial nomination.
  • Chief Statistician of Canada highlighted that immigrants could account for one-third of Canada's population by 2041, as immigration remains the country's best option for growth due to the aging population and decreasing birth rate. The Canadian government has also announced its goal of bringing in 500,000 immigrants annually by 2025 to support population renewal and economic growth.
  • Ontario plans to double its economic immigration through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) over the next few years and is investing $25 million in its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to accommodate the influx of skilled immigrants expected to enter Canada. Ontario received 19,220 new permanent residents through the OINP last year, which represents 10.4% of the total new permanent residents in the province. The funds will be used to attract skilled immigrants to Ontario to help build infrastructure and meet the growing population's needs. The province aims to increase immigration spots from 9,000 in 2021 to over 18,000 in 2025.

Provincial Nominee Program Dominated 2022 Express Entry Arrivals in Canada

According to data released by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), a total of 37,315 invitations to apply (ITAs) were issued in 2022. Out of this number, 19,160 ITAs were given to applicants of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which accounts for 51% of all ITAs granted.

Being issued an ITA implies that IRCC is considering the candidate for permanent residency, and they may proceed to submit their application for final review by an IRCC officer. The latest information from IRCC not only provides the number of ITAs given to PNP candidates but also sheds more light on enhanced PNP nominations. This includes the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores range and the number of ITAs allocated to each province.

In 2022, a significant proportion of the 37,315 ITAs issued by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) went to Express Entry candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores between 491-600. Specifically, 17,905 candidates within this score range received an ITA.

The remaining 19,160 ITAs were granted to Express Entry candidates with CRS scores exceeding 600. These candidates were recognized for their enhanced provincial nomination, which happens when a particular province chooses a candidate already in the Express Entry pool because they have specific skills the province needs. A full 600 points are awarded to the candidate.

Results Of ITAs Per Program:

In 2022, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) granted invitations to apply (ITAs) to a total of 12,960 candidates. Out of this number, 5,200 ITAs were specifically allocated to candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). Unfortunately, there were no candidates invited from the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) throughout the year.

Express Entry ITAs in 2023 Already Surpass 2022 Numbers

The number of invitations to apply (ITAs) issued to candidates in Express Entry draws since January has surpassed the total number of ITAs granted in 2022. As of March, 37,559 ITAs have been issued.

During the first few months of the year, only two draws were all-program, while the rest were specific to certain programs. Three of the draws were for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and one was for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). However, starting from March 15, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted three consecutive all-program draws. Each of these draws invited 7,000 candidates, regardless of their program.

The bulk of the ITAs, 21,000, were issued during these three consecutive all-program draws held between March 15 and March 29.

Canadian Conference Predicts Exponential Increase in Immigrant Population

During the Metropolis Conference in March, Anil Arora, Chief Statistician of Canada, stated that immigrants could make up one-third of Canada's population by 2041. Arora emphasized that with Canada's aging population and decreasing birth rate, immigration is the country's best option for growth.

Over the past 25 years, the ratio of the immigrant population in Canada has risen from one in six to one in four. The conference, titled "25 years of conversation on migration: our legacy, our future," attracted almost 1200 attendees, including immigrant service providers, policymakers, and researchers, to discuss emerging policy needs and share information on successful integration and inclusion practices as the number of immigrants grows. In November, the Canadian government announced its goal to bring in 500,000 immigrants annually by 2025.

Jack Jedwab, the president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and Metropolis Institute, stated at the conference, “We think, and a majority of Canadians agree, that immigration is a key dimension of economic growth and has been for some time the single source of population growth,” Jedwab said. “Birthrates are not sufficient to support population renewal.”

Aside from addressing Canada's evolving identity, the conference also tackled challenges related to admitting refugees and Temporary Foreign Workers. Jedwab expressed his satisfaction with the Immigration Minister's consultation on streamlining the admission process for new immigrants. The conference is held in various parts of Canada and brings immigrant service providers, policymakers, and researchers together.

Ontario Budgets $25 Million Toward Provincial Immigration

Ontario is investing $25 million into its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) over the next three years in order to address the large influx of skilled immigrants predicted to enter Canada. The province announced its aim to double economic immigration through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) over the next few years.

Last year, Ontario welcomed 19,220 new permanent residents through its OINP, which accounts for approximately 10.4% of the total 184,940 new permanent residents welcomed into the province. Ontario has the highest population of people and immigrants in Canada. Therefore, it regularly gets the largest share of immigrants owing to the plenty of job opportunities and big cities like Toronto, which attracts newcomers. With almost 42.3% of new permanent residents to Canada last year choosing to settle there.

Premier Doug Ford stated, "Our government is ready to welcome more skilled newcomers to Ontario, to help build the highways, transit, schools, homes and hospitals our growing population needs." Ontario's infusion of funds is in addition to the $15 million over three years announced last year.
Monte McNaughton, the provincial Immigration Minister, commented, "From 9,000 immigration spots in 2021 to over 18,000 in 2025, (this) announcement is a significant win for the people of Ontario and will help us control our economic destiny by selecting more of the skilled immigrants we know are well-placed to succeed and build stronger communities for all of us."

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