With 110,266 issued, the IRCC’s 2023 Express Entry report shows a 136% rise in ITAs. Important information about CRS ratings, top professions, and home country.
Invitations to Apply (ITAs) given through Express Entry draws have increased significantly, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) recently released Express Entry Year-End report for 2023. Over the course of 42 drawings conducted between January 11 and December 21, 2023, the IRCC distributed 110,266 ITAs. This represents a startling 136% increase over the 46,539 ITAs that were issued in 2022.
Out of the 488,571 profiles that were submitted, 33% (144,696) were found to be ineligible, and 67% (343,875) met the eligibility criteria.
Express Entry Overview
With the purpose of expediting the processing of economic immigration applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Express Entry is an application management system. applicants are ranked and scored using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), with higher scoring applicants having a higher chance of receiving an ITA.
The IRCC implemented category-based selection drawings in 2023. These selected applicants were based on their occupation or level of language competence for all Express Entry programs.
Distribution of ITAs by Program
The study states that applicants who were awarded ITAs via the CEC program received 40,052 of them, with the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) receiving 26,445 and the FSWP receiving 17,898 ITAs. Because FSTP candidates are given priority in the IRCC’s processing hierarchy over those who are eligible for several programs, only eight ITAs were granted to them.
After the implementation of Category-Based Selection (CBS) Rounds in June, 25,870 ITAs, or 23% of the total, were granted by the IRCC. Program-wise, candidates for CEC received 12,073 ITAs, FSWP candidates received 13,790, and FSTP candidates received 7.
| Program |
ITAs Issued (2023) |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 40,052 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 26,445 |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 17,898 |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | 8 |
| Total | 1,10,266 |
CRS Scores
Ninety-three percent of the candidates in the pool had CRS scores in the range of 300 to 550. When category-based selection was implemented for all-program draws, the average CRS score increased to more than 500.
CRS Score Ranges for ITAs
Draw Type |
Minimum Score |
Maximum Score |
Score Range to Receive an ITA |
| Generic (includes FSWP, CEC, and FSTP) | 484 | 561 | 484 – 561 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 691 | 791 | 691 – 791 |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 489 | 489 | 489 (Only one draw occurred) |
| CBS Healthcare Occupations | 431 | 476 | 431 – 476 |
| CBS Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Occupations | 481 | 486 | 481 – 486 |
| CBS French Proficiency | 375 | 486 | 375 – 486 |
| CBS Trades Occupations | 388 | 425 | 388 – 425 |
| CBS Transport Occupations | 435 | 435 | 435 (Only one draw occurred) |
| CBS Agriculture Occupations | 354 | 386 | 354 – 386 |
Gender Distribution
According to the data, women received 43% of ITAs, while men received 57% of them. In contrast to women, who were more likely to get ITAs through the FSWP (33% vs. 22%), men predominated in the CEC (52%) and PNP (26%).
Occupations Receiving ITAs
A sizable portion of ITAs were given to applicants in the banking, tech, and computer industries in 2023. Remarkably, candidates in occupations not included in the survey received 48% of all ITAs. Software developers and programmers (5,183) and software engineers and designers (7,259) were the most likely to acquire ITAs for the second year in a row.
Top Occupations by ITAs
| Primary Occupation |
TEER Ranking |
ITAs Issued in 2023 |
| NOC 21231; Software engineers and designers | 1 | 7,259 (6.5%) |
| NOC 21232; Software developers and programmers | 1 | 5,183 (4.7%) |
| NOC 62020; Food service supervisors | 2 | 3,277 (2.9%) |
| NOC 21222; Information systems specialists | 1 | 2,951 (2.6%) |
| NOC 13110; Administrative assistants | 3 | 2,538 (2.3%) |
| NOC 21223; Database analysts and data administrators | 1 | 2,151 (1.9%) |
| NOC 11202; Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations | 1 | 2,142 (1.9%) |
| NOC 11100; Financial auditors and accountants | 1 | 2,090 (1.8%) |
| NOC 22221; User support technicians | 2 | 1,844 (1.6%) |
| NOC 20012; Computer and information systems managers | 0 | 1,841 (1.6%) |
| NOC 13100; Administrative officers | 3 | 1,747 (1.5%) |
| NOC 21211; Data scientists | 1 | 1,654 (1.5%) |
| NOC 21221; Business systems specialists | 1 | 1,600 (1.4%) |
| NOC 12200; Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 2 | 1,599 (1.4%) |
| NOC 21230; Computer systems developers and programmers | 1 | 1,475 (1.3%) |
Other |
— |
70,915 (64.3%) |
Total |
— |
110,266 (100%) |
Countries of Residence and Citizenship
As in 2022, candidates who were residents of Canada were granted the majority of ITAs (76,791). India (7,394 ITAs) continued to be the second-largest group by residence. Remarkably, Cameroon moved up to third position with 3,828 ITAs, barely beating out Nigeria by six ITAs.
Country of Residence for ITAs
Country of Residence |
ITAs Issued in 2023 |
| Canada | 76,791 (69.6%) |
| India | 7,394 (6.7%) |
| Federal Republic of Cameroon | 3,828 (3.4%) |
| Nigeria | 3,822 (3.4%) |
| United States of America | 2,526 (2.2%) |
| Morocco | 1,681 (1.5%) |
| Algeria | 1,349 (1.2%) |
| Pakistan | 1,173 (1.0%) |
| United Kingdom and Overseas Territories | 1,157 (1.0%) |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,051 (0.9%) |
| Other | 9,494 (8.6%) |
| Total | 110,266 (100%) |
With 52,106 ITAs, India remained the leader in terms of citizenship, followed by Nigeria (7,263) and China (5,854).
Country of Citizenship for ITAs
Country of Citizenship |
ITAs Issued in 2023 |
| India | 52,106 (47.2%) |
| Nigeria | 7,263 (6.5%) |
| People’s Republic of China | 5,854 (5.3%) |
| Federal Republic of Cameroon | 4,335 (3.9%) |
| Iran | 2,693 (2.4%) |
| Philippines | 2,593 (2.3%) |
| Pakistan | 2,565 (2.3%) |
| Morocco | 2,049 (1.8%) |
| Brazil | 1,777 (1.6%) |
| Algeria | 1,592 (1.4%) |
| Other | 27,439 (24.8%) |
| Total | 110,266 (100%) |
Educational Background
Candidates with post-secondary education received the majority of ITAs. More specifically, 43% held a master’s degree or an entry-level professional degree, and 46% held a post-secondary certification lasting three years or more.
Educational Background of ITA Recipients
Level of Education |
Percentage of ITAs |
| Post-secondary credential of three years or longer | 46% |
| Master’s degree or entry-to-practice professional degree | 43% |
| Post-secondary credential of two years | 9% |
| Other (including Ph.D., secondary school, etc.) | 2% |
Language Proficiency
CLB Score |
Percentage of ITAs |
| CLB 10 | 18% |
| CLB 7-9 | 78% |
| CLB Below 7 | 4% |
Language ability has a major role in CRS scoring. 78% of candidates in 2023 received a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score between 7 and 9, and 18%—a little drop from 21% in 2022—achieved the maximum score of CLB 10