No Express Entry selections for now - Ministry of Immigration
Canada has suspended drawings for two programmes because of the huge queue of applications.
Immigration and Citizenship Canada has decided to postpone federal immigration program selections for skilled professionals and specialists with Canadian work experience. In both categories, selections are in the Express Entry system.
Immigration shenanigans for skilled professionals haven't happened since late 2020, because in a pandemic, Canada has targeted permanent residency for those already in the country on work visas. Related to this is the extensive screenings for candidates with Canadian experience that were held throughout 2021. However, these too were discontinued after Canada met its annual target for the number of invitations in the Express Entry system.
At the moment, the Canadian government runs draws through Express Entry only for participants in provincial immigration programs. These are small selections at approximately fortnightly intervals.
The Department of Immigration does not intend to resume draws for the remaining programs in the near future. The reason for this is the increased processing time for immigration applications. As of the end of October 2021, there are more than 1.8 million applications pending for permanent residency, visitor visas and Canadian citizenship. Of these, almost 100,000 are applications from those selected in the Express Entry draw.
The Department of Immigration has noted that the backlog of applications needs to be more than halved in order to adhere to standards.
Based on current information, it is not possible to give an exact or even approximate timeline for when Canada will resume selections for skilled professionals and candidates with Canadian work experience. In the near future, immigration through provincial programs may be considered. Contact our licensed immigration consultants to assess your chances of immigration and to formulate a personalized strategy.
