Canada to resume invitations to FSWP and CEC Candidates?

In the previous week, an internal briefing memo from the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was made public that created speculation as well as confusion on how the immigration department of Canada will manage its Express Entry in 2022 and beyond. Through a memo signed on November 24, 2021, the IRCC provides background information with regards to why IRCC has not issued Express Entry invitations to the candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) since December 2020 and candidates under the Canadian Experience Class since September 2021. The said briefing memo states that the pause made was to allow IRCC to reduce the immigration backlogs so it can eventually get closer to its original service standard for processing Express Entry applications within six months.

In the newer memo of the IRCC, it was stated that the backlogs of the Express Entry have grown due to reasons like the previous travel restrictions as well as the immigration department’s focus to change the status of those in Canada to permanent residence for them to be able to achieve their immigration levels goal of landing a total of 401,000 permanent residents in 2021. The IRCC issued a large number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) to the candidates of Canadian Express Class (CEC) and the immigration created a special pathway called Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) pathway to support their immigration levels goal. It was also mentioned by the IRCC that they consider options for its Immigration Levels Plan 2022-20124, admissions to Express Entry are most likely to face a significant reduction to be able to accommodate other ministerial and departmental priorities. At the time of the memo, some preliminary scenarios suggested decreasing more than 50% of the 110,500 that was allocated in the current 2021 – 2023 levels plan. According to the memo, the said reduction may be required to be able to accommodate the TR to PR pathways and also for the Canadian government’s goal to resettle 400,000 Afghan refugees. It said that the new levels plan will be announced by February 14, 2022.