The latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals professionals working in natural and applied sciences were the most likely to land jobs in Canada and get permanent residence through Express Entry last year.
In 2022, a year which saw Express Entry draws put on hold for more than six months, the number of people who got their permanent residence in Canada through the Federal Skilled Trades (FST), Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programs fell by 25.4 per cent, from 155,850 in 2021 to only 116,230.
Despite the drop in those getting permanent residence through Express Entry programs last year, those programs still helped 81.9 per cent more foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada than the 63,890 in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Last year’s performance for the Express Entry programs was also just a bit over six per cent more than the 109,600 new permanent residents to Canada under these programs in 2019, before the start of the pandemic.
By far the most sought-after occupation offered by employers looking to hire foreign nationals through the Express Entry system in 2022 were those professional occupations in the natural and applied sciences, categorized in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) under the code 41400. Last year, 14,505 new permanent residents to Canada used these programs to fill such jobs.
Canada Accepted 6,185 Candidates In Business And Finance Fields
In the number two spot of the top 10 most popular jobs for foreign nationals coming to Canada under the Express Entry programs last year were those professional jobs in business and finance, which attracted 6,185 applicants.
There were 5,475 service supervisors and specialized service occupations filled through the Express Entry system last year, 5,230 administrative and financial supervisory and administrative positions, and 5,130 specialized middle management occupations.
Canada welcomed 3,390 new permanent residents filling jobs in the technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences, 2,980 retail sales supervisors, 2,845 pros in the educational field, and 2,185 who went to work in law or social and community and government services.
There were 2,180 middle managers in retail and wholesale trade and customer service workers who came to Canada under Express Entry last year.
Here Are The Top 10 Jobs Under Express Entry In 2022
| Occupation – NOC code | Number of Admissions under Express Entry |
| Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences (NOC 41400) | 14,505 |
| Professional occupations in business and finance (NOC 00012) | 6,185 |
| Service supervisors and specialized service occupations (NOC 72011) | 5,475 |
| Administrative and financial supervisors and administrative occupations (NOC 10019) | 5,230 |
| Specialized middle management occupations (NOC 11201) | 5,130 |
| Technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences (NOC 22310) | 3,390 |
| Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations (NOC 62010) | 2,980 |
| Professional occupations in education services (NOC 40012) | 2,845 |
| Professional occupations in law and social, community and government services (NOC 41300) | 2,185 |
| Middle management occupations in retail and wholesale trade and customer services (NOC 10022) | 2,180 |
Express Entry program applications dropped last year due to a temporary pause in these draws which started in mid-September 2021 and lasted until July 6 last year as the IRCC tackled a growing backlog of applications.
IRCC Now Has Enough Staff To Process Applications In A Timely Manner
In its bid to reduce that backlog, Ottawa pumped an extra $85 million into the IRCC last year to reduce application processing times, hired 500 new employees, digitized applications, and implemented technology-based solutions such as digital intake and advanced analytics.
Earlier this year, Canadian parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux reported that the IRCC now has more than enough staff to meet its application processing goals for the next three years.
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“Current staffing levels at the IRCC are expected to be more than sufficient to meet the processing time goal for all years of this costing,” noted Giroux in a report.
“In fact, for 2022 – 23, IRCC is estimated to have 65 per cent more staff than would be required to meet the goal. This percentage will decline each year as the number of applications increases, ultimately reaching four per cent in 2026 – 27.”
With the backlog of applications at the IRCC already starting to come under control in July last year, the IRCC began issuing Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to skilled worker candidates both already in the country and from overseas. Since the fall 2021, ITAs had been issued only to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates.