According to the Express Entry Year-End Report 2020, as many as 63,923 got permanent residence in Canada through the Express Entry system in 2020. This number is for the principal applicants – and does not include the accompanying family members – that migrated to Canada in 2020 via Express Entry.
Since March 2020, in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government of Canada had been focusing more on candidates that were more likely to already be within the country, thereby not impacted by the travel restrictions. Candidates, that is, with a provincial nomination or with recent Canadian work experience.
Provincial nominations are issued under Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program, also referred to as Canadian PNP. Those with Canadian experience, on the other hand, are eligible for the Canadian Experience Class or CEC.
During 2018 to 2020, while the proportion of candidates admitted through the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) remained relatively the same, the number of individuals receiving invitations through the other two Express Entry programs got affected to a certain extent. Comparatively, the proportion of those awarded Canadian permanent residence in 2020 through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) went up.
No invitations have been issued in the recent past to those eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
| Express Entry is an online permanent residence submissions management system used by the federal government of Canada.
Three economic immigration programs of Canada come under Express Entry. These are – (1) Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), (2) Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and (3) Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Provinces and territories in Canada might also go through the Express Entry pool, shortlisting and inviting candidates with the most potential as per their local labour markets. Provincial and territorial (PT) governments invite Express Entry candidates through their Express Entry linked PNP streams. A PNP nomination guarantees an invitation from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). While you can create an Express Entry profile if you secure 67-points on the Canada Eligibility Calculator, you cannot apply for permanent residence unless invited by IRCC. It is the ranking of the candidate – based on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score – that is among the main factors that determines who gets invited. A PNP nomination is worth 600 CRS points. |
In 2020, a total of 360,998 Express Entry profiles were submitted. 63,923 were admitted into Canada as permanent residents.
| Canadian Permanent Residence in 2020 – Program-wise Admissions | |
| Program | Total invited |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 25,014 |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 24,244 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 14,100 |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | 565 |
| TOTAL | 63,923 |
India – by a wide margin – is the most common country of citizenship among main applicants and their family members admitted as permanent residents through Express Entry.
| Canadian Permanent Residence in 2020 – Countries of Citizenship | ||
| Country | Total Admissions (Principal Applicants) | Percentage (%) of overall admissions |
| India | 27,660 | 43% |
| China, People’s Republic of | 4,329 | 7% |
| Nigeria | 3,909 | 6% |
| US | 2,348 | 4% |
| Pakistan | 2,299 | 4% |
| Brazil | 1,961 | 3% |
| UK | 1,652 | 3% |
| Iran | 1,129 | 2% |
| Korea, Republic of | 1,043 | 2% |
| France | 1,039 | 2% |
| Morocco | 970 | 2% |
| Philippines | 821 | 1% |
| Ireland, Republic of | 709 | 1% |
| Bangladesh | 646 | 1% |
| South Africa, Republic of | 641 | 1% |
| Other | 12,767 | 20% |
| TOTAL | 63,923 | 100% |
In keeping with the trend for 2018 and 2019, a majority of the permanent residents in 2020 through IRCC Express Entry were headed to Ontario.
| Which Provinces/Territories were Canadian Permanent Residents in 2020 Headed To? | |
| Province/Territory | Total Admitted |
| Ontario | 37,524 |
| British Columbia | 13,589 |
| Alberta | 7,003 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,556 |
| Manitoba | 1,514 |
| Saskatchewan | 1,247 |
| New Brunswick | 820 |
| Prince Edward Island | 445 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 159 |
| Yukon | 30 |
| Northwest Territories | 30 |
| Nunavut | 6 |
| TOTAL | 63,923 |
How many got Canadian permanent residence in 2020 through the PNP?
Around 80 immigration pathways or ‘streams’ are available under Canadian PNP. Of these, certain PNP streams are linked with the Express Entry system of IRCC.
In 2020, around 14,100 Express Entry candidates got permanent residence through the PNP route.
| Canadian Permanent Residence in 2020 – Express Entry Linked PNP Admissions | |
| Province/Territory of Destination | Admissions in 2020 |
| British Columbia | 4,517 |
| Alberta | 2,903 |
| Ontario | 2,763 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,219 |
| Manitoba | 868 |
| Saskatchewan | 801 |
| New Brunswick | 540 |
| Prince Edward Island | 405 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 65 |
| Yukon | 12 |
| Northwest Territories | 7 |
| TOTAL | 14,100 |
Built around adaptability and responsiveness, IRCC has further adjusted and adapted the Express Entry in 2020-2021 towards maximizing the economic immigrant admissions as per the Government of Canada’s targets.
As per IRCC, “the Department continues to monitor Express Entry and to explore ways the system could be used to ensure that Canada continues to derive maximum benefit from economic immigration in a rapidly evolving environment”.
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