News has been making the rounds as of mid-January regarding a possible further delay in terms of draw rounds taking place for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) streams of the Express Entry program, collectively referred to as the Federal High Skilled (FHS) streams.
There are indications that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be continuing draws for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream for the first 6 months of 2022.
Understandably the news has come as a surprise, as many signs pointed towards the continuance of the Express Entry system as a whole in the new year.
The IRCC memo, compiled in November of 2021, but only just made public on January 19th as a result of an Access to Information request, indicates a shift in Canada's possible immigration objectives. The information was not previously available to any members outside of the IRCC, and only came to light after a member of public submitted a to Access to Information (ATI) request.
Although many outlets have added their own speculations and predictions, at this time the contents of the memo are simply suggestions on how to manage the current inventory for the Federal High Skilled (FHS) streams of the Express Entry system and are not at this time confirmed to be the plan of action moving into the new year.
With the effect of the pandemic still being felt in the department, in terms of backlogs and extended processing times, the memo suggests ways in which to reduce processing times, meet immigration targets and focus on department priorities.
In light of the above, it is important to keep in mind that Canada is a country built on immigration and have been continuously dependent on immigration in order to fill available positions and build their economy. There are several pathways to Canadian permanent residency, and we are focused on assisting clients with in reaching this goal by searching for alternative viable pathways.