Which countries do maximum Express Entry immigrants belong to?

The federal Express Entry system is the primary pathway for immigration to Canada. This immigration program enables skilled workers across the world to submit an application for permanent residency with the country.   Introduced in 2015, the Express Entry program has transformed the immigration system of Canada. The Express Entry system has improved the processing times of the applications submitted by skilled workers. Before the introduction of the Express Entry System, all the applications were processed in the order received, including those of skilled workers. Thus, resulting in slow processing time and piling up of applications. Due to this, successful applicants had to wait for several years (in some cases, five years or more) to obtain permanent residence (PR) with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The Express Entry is a dynamic, point-based system, under which candidates submit an online Express Entry profile on the IRCC’s website. All the applicants are rewarded a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on a set of human capital factors. These factors are age, education, language ability, work experience, and others. Also Read: 9 Easiest Ways to Immigrate to Canada The IRCC held Express Entry draws every two weeks and offers an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to candidates with the most competitive CRS scores. IRCC aims to process all the successful PR applications within the next six months. The federal department of IRCC publishes analysis on a yearly basis known as the Express Entry Year-End Report. This report shows detailed information on Express Entry, including demographic traits of the Express Entry candidates and operating status of the Express Entry system. For instance, the recent Express Entry Year-End Report shows us that in 2019 the IRCC issued 85,300 ITAs. Let us see where do these Express Entry immigrants belong to.

Top 10 countries on the Citizenship basis

In 2019, citizens from these 10 countries received the majority of ITAs under the Express Entry system:

1. India (47%)
2. Nigeria (7%)
3. China (7%)
4. Pakistan (3%)
5. UK (2%)
6. Brazil (2%)
7. US (2%)
8. Iran (2%)
9. France (2%)
10. South Korea (1%)

Majority of ITAs are offered to Indians

Undoubtedly, the majority of the Express Entry immigrants are arriving from India. India is the world’s second-largest economy with a sizeable middle-class population with high levels of education, significant work experience, English language ability, and skills required by Canadian employers. The report released by the IRCC shows that the leading occupations among successful candidates in 2019 were: 

• Information systems analysts and consultants
• Software engineers and designers
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• Administrative assistants
• Financial auditors and accountants

Immigrants from India are arriving in Canada under these occupational backgrounds. Some of the applicants among these candidates include former H-1B or other visa holders who earlier worked in a tech-position in the US and then came to Canada. The IRCC’s report in 2019 also shows the data of the 12% of ITAs were offered to candidates who were earlier residing in the US. The US government has recently freeze H-1B visas, creating uncertainty among the immigrants. As a result, many more Indians can arrive through Express Entry, from India, as well as the US.

Nigeria ranks at #2

Nigeria has surpassed the number of ITAs offered to China, as Nigerian immigration to Canada has increased significantly over the past years. Nigerian immigrants qualify in a majority of selection criteria as English is their official language. They have high levels of education and relevant work experience in occupational backgrounds like ICT, oil and gas, and STEM-related fields – all these are potent fields in Canada’s economy. Also Read: How to apply for Canadian Express Entry without a Job Offer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global oil prices have decreased excessively; oil-rich countries like Nigeria will need more time to recover, which may prompt more Nigerian immigrants to Canada.

48% of successful candidates were pre-residing in Canada

Research shows that immigrants with Canadian experience can easily integrate into Canada’s economy; however, the foreign nationals who arrive in Canada from overseas equally contribute to the success of the economy. Considering that the additional CRS points are rewarded to candidates with Canadian work experience and educational credentials, former Canadian foreign workers and international students have a competitive advantage under the Express Entry. The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is one of the immigration programs to help individuals with Canadian education and experience obtain PR. Many Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is also beneficial for these candidates. Most ITAs are granted to applicants overseas Candidates residing outside of Canada who are willing to move to Canada should consider submitting an Express Entry profile.  Candidates outside of Canada contribute to the majority of ITAs. The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) category of the Express Entry system accounts for 45% of all the invitations sent for application. Although IRCC has not issued ITAs to candidates from the FSWP category since the beginning of the pandemic, candidates should consider that Canada values global talent and will eventually resume issuing ITAs to candidates overseas.