There has been a change in routine surrounding Express Entry draws of late. Typically, the draws take place every two weeks on Wednesdays. However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently paused draws for six weeks starting November 23 and returned on January 11 inviting 5,500 candidates followed by another draw of the same size a week later.

There is no confirmed explanation for the change in routine. In an email to CIC News, an IRCC spokesperson implied that the pause was due to a system glitch caused by the implementation of NOC 2021, saying, “Technical issues with the implementation of the new classification system on November 16, 2022, had adverse implications for the November 23, 2022, Express Entry invitation round. These technical issues, while a great inconvenience to IRCC clients, have since been resolved. A round of invitations for Express Entry was successfully implemented on January 11, 2023.” The department says IRCC is resuming more regularly scheduled Express Entry invitation to apply (ITA) rounds. However, the unexpected pause and following draws in quick succession are so out of character for IRCC that there has been speculation on how IRCC decides on the frequency of draws and the number of candidates.Immigration pathways under the Express Entry application management system target candidates from three programs; the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Candidates in these programs are considered highly skilled economic immigrants.

Eligible candidates upload their profiles to the IRCC website and receive a score under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Those with the highest CRS scores are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency.