According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) data, 19,160 invitations to apply (ITAs) were issued to PNP candidates in 2022. PNP applicants received more invites in 2022.
A total of 37,315 ITAs were issued, implying that PNP candidates received 51% of all ITAs in 2022. Once a candidate receives an ITA, IRCC will evaluate them as a potential permanent resident and they can submit their application for final review by an IRCC officer.
The updated IRCC data provides more information on enhanced PNP nominations, such as the number of ITAs per province and the CRS score ranges.
Invitations by CRS score
If their CRS score fell between 491-600 in 2022, the majority of Express Entry candidates (17,905) obtained an ITA.
The remaining 19,160 applicants had enhanced provincial nominations under Express Entry and had CRS scores over 600. When a province shows interest in a candidate who is already in the Express Entry pool because they are most likely to settle and readily integrate into the province’s economy, it is referred to as an enhanced nomination. Without receiving a provincial nomination, a CRS score higher than 600 is not achievable.
Invitations by Program
Most candidates from the Canadian Experience Class(CEC) were invited after the PNP. A total of 12,960 candidates received ITAs.
To applicants for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), IRCC granted 5,200 ITAs.
In 2022, no applicants from the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) were invited.
Applicants for the FSWP must have completed one year of full-time employment, or have accrued an equivalent amount of paid work experience during the previous ten years, in a job that qualifies for the National Occupational Skill TEER 0 or 2. Additionally, they require a validated language proficiency test with a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in either English or French across all four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
Candidates for the FSWP must also receive at least 67 out of a possible 100 points on the FSWP grid. Candidates are evaluated using a grid that takes into account their age, education, work experience, planned employment, language proficiency, and flexibility. Finally, candidates must demonstrate they have the necessary savings to support themselves financially in Canada by meeting the settlement money criterion.
Candidates for the CEC through Express Entry must have a CLB of 5 for those with NOC TEER category 2 or 3 jobs and a CLB of 7 for those with NOC TEER category 0 or 1 positions, as well as one year of full-time work experience in Canada accrued during the previous 36 months. Most applicants for PR through the CEC are already temporary residents who are residing and working in Canada.
Invitations by Province
Depending on the province of the desired destination, different ITAs of different types were issued in 2022.
With 17,920 candidates total, Ontario was the top destination in terms of the preferred province of residence. Of those, 8,990 CEC applicants who were given an ITA said they wanted to live in the province. As a result, Ontario is the only province where there were more CEC candidates than PNP members who intended to settle. PNP applicants received more invites in 2022
The second-most popular destination for Express Entry applicants was British Columbia. Out of the 7,495 ITAs issued for all programmes, 4,240 were given to PNP candidates who intended to live in the province.
4,655 ITA recipients were destined for Alberta, while 2,195 were going to Manitoba. Each of the other provinces had fewer than 2,000 ITA grantees, with Newfoundland and Labrador having the fewest at 345 and the territories having the fewest at less than 50.
Enhanced Nominations by Province
The Express Entry applicants with improved PNP nominations received the majority of the ITAs issued by IRCC. This excludes Quebec, which, according to a special agreement with the federal government, chooses all of its economic immigration applicants regardless of programme.
| Province | Number of Nominations |
|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 305 |
| Prince Edward Island | 385 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,620 |
| New Brunswick | 775 |
| Ontario | 5,170 |
| Manitoba | 1,995 |
| Saskatchewan | 1,235 |
| Alberta | 3,385 |
| British Columbia | 4,240 |
| Yukon | 25 |
| Northwest Territories | 15 |
| Total | 19,160 |
PNP allocations increasing
After the publication of the Immigration Levels Plan 2023–2025 in November, the immigration targets are expected to rise. In 2023, IRCC wants to accept more than 105,000 new permanent residents through the PNP, and by 2025, it wants to admit up to 117,500 people annually. Any economic class immigration scheme, including those run by Express Entry, has this as its first priority.
The Forum for Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) met, and the IRCC announced a significant increase in the number of PNP allocation places for provinces. Also, there is a strategy for multiyear provincial immigration levels. The idea will give the provinces three years’ notice of how the national PNP funds will be split among them. Provinces can use this information to plan effectively for an increase in population brought on by immigration.
The maximum allocation of 9,750 new immigrants that Ontario was permitted to accept under the PNP for 2022 has been significantly increased to 16,500 under the new plan. The most populated province in Canada, Ontario accepts more than 40% of all immigrants to the country each year. By 2025, the PNP goal for Ontario is expected to reach over 18,000 people.
The benefits of higher targets extend to other provinces as well. For instance, the Manitoba PNP allocations for 2023 are 3,175 more spots than they were for 2022. Both Saskatchewan and Alberta anticipate large allocation increases over the next three years, with Saskatchewan’s PNP expected to reach 8,500 spaces by 2025 and Alberta’s expected to reach 10,849. PNP applicants received more invites in 2022
Express Entry in 2023
37,559 ITAs have been given out to Express Entry applicants since January. This is more than the complete number of ITAs issued in 2022.
Only two draws between January and mid-March were all-program. Three draws for the PNP and one for the FSWP were program-specific. On March 15, IRCC held the first of three back-to-back all-program draws, inviting 7,000 applicants each time, and considering applicants from all programmes.
Between March 15 and March 29, three successive draws produced the majority, or 21,000, of the tickets.
The IRCC will start holding draws later this year that specifically target Express Entry candidates with specific work experience, language proficiency, education, or any other attributes that will fill a need in the Canadian economy, according to recent announcements from Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.
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