Canada Express Entry Backlog Decrease
Canadian immigrants measure roughly 20% of the Canadian population, they are one of the reasons why the country looks very populated. Immigrants to Canada help boost the economy by providing their skills and experiences.
Since its kick-off in 2015, the Canadian Express Entry system has been verified to be a reliable and outstanding process for enlisting immigrants. However, from December 2021 to February 2022, it looked like it was impossible to have new individuals relocate and gain Permanent Residence.
According to the data purged by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Express Entry Backlog stood at 119,389 applicants waiting to get evaluated as of December but fell drastically by 23,748 at the end of February. The Canadian Experience Class inventory successfully decreased by 3,051 persons and the Federal Skilled Worker Program inventory to 4,314.
What Changed?
In an internal memo from the IRCC; it was announced that all Express Entry Visa Programs have been suspended except for the provincial Nominee Program (PNP). They also announced that it would last through the first half of 2022. Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) included. The sudden pause in the system has helped in sorting out the backlog of inventories. They also announced that the Federal Skilled Worker processing time might take longer than usual; beyond the usual six months time frame.
Also, the Express Entry Immigration target applicant may reduce by 50 percent. Although it was a bit confusing at first, these strategies have helped reduce the backlog and greatly increased the likelihood of being assessed.
The IRCC has achieved a new milestone; they have been able to process more FSWP applicants than they had in the previous year. Between December 15, 2021, and February 28, 2022, the number of CEC applications waiting to be evaluated decreased by twelve thousand plus.
What Slowed down Processing?
In 2021, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada delayed the processing of the Federal Skilled Workers program. This delay helped the CEC Canadian immigrants get permanent residence in the country. It also took Canada’s annual immigration record to a new level.
It is no news that the pandemic took the world by surprise. Making the economy and environment challenging for many countries. Despite the pandemic, the IRCC application inventory didn’t fail to increase on all sides and the IRCC didn’t let loose. The recent Immigration Level Plan in 2022 is preparing to welcome nearly 432,000 immigrants and in 2024, Canada would be ready to welcome 450,000 more.
Conclusion
Although the Express Entry-managed program inventories went down across the board over the past few months, we have noticed a significant decrease in the backlog since the end of February.
The IRCC is making efforts to see a major decline in the increased backlog caused by the pandemic. It is safe to say that the Express Entry is the most favoured amongst other economic class pathways and has gotten the largest improvement so far. This means that individuals will be leaving the waiting list and living their dream life in Canada soon.
