Blue Bird Blog

IRCC announces first Express Entry invitations for skilled newcomers with STEM experience

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry announced the first STEM round for category-based selection will open the week of July 5th. The draw will prioritize sending invitations to candidates with Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) expertise, which includes data scientists, software developers and programmers, mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries, and electrical and electronic engineers.

Through this initiative, Canada hopes to meet the growing demand for STEM talent and fill key positions that contribute to the nation’s economic growth and technological advancement.

This announcement is a milestone in Canada’s commitment to attracting top global talent and solidifying Canada’s position as a leader in research, development and innovation. The announcement is also in line with the Canadian government’s effort to retain and recruit top candidates to address STEM workforce labour challenges, building on the recent launch of the Tech Talent Attraction Strategy.

Last month, the Honourable Minister Fraser announced the new Express Entry category based selection. Category based selections will help address labour needs that support an identified economic goal and will also strengthen Francophone immigration by inviting candidates that have specific work experience or French language ability to apply for permanent residence.

“Canada’s ability to remain at the cutting edge of science, technology, engineering and mathematics depends largely on our country’s ability to recruit top talent from around the world. I’m excited to announce this STEM category-based selection round with my colleague, Minster Champagne, which will increase access to permanent residence for skilled workers with STEM experience. We look forward to welcoming these talented and innovative newcomers to our country.” said the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Category based selection rounds will continue throughout the year alongside the general invitation rounds, with more details to be announced in the coming weeks.

Source: cicnews.com

Express Entry

February 2025: State of the Express Entry pool

After a January that saw Express Entry draws return to some semblance of normalcy, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already held two draws in the month of February.
January saw the issuance of 5,821 Invitations to Apply (ITAs): candidates includes those in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and those in enhanced Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Last month was also the first month since June of 2024 that the immigration department did not hold an Express Entry draw for candidates with French-language proficiency.

A ten-year review: How Express Entry shaped immigration in Canada

Jan 31, 2025 marks the ten-year anniversary of Canada’s first Express Entry draw.

Since then, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued over 800,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency (PR) through the Express Entry system.

Canada launches new immigration pathway for French speakers

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) immigration pathway.
This new immigration pathway was first announced in March of 2024, with further details revealed in December of last year.
Under this program, newcomers with an intermediate level of French ability—and who have an offer of employment in priority occupations sought by a community outside of Quebec—can be nominated and receive Canadian permanent residence (PR).

New Brunswick begins reopening immigration programs

New Brunswick will finally begin opening its immigration streams, after a period of adjustment following notice from the federal government that the province would only be given 2,750 immigrant nomination spaces this year.
The 2,750 spaces will be split up between the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program NBPNP (1,500) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) (1,250).
In a press release on February 5, Jean-Claude D’Amours, acting Minister of Post-Secondary Education for the province, stated that the significant reduction in allocations for 2025 has forced the province “to make difficult decisions."

ANALYSIS: How many Express Entry ITAs can we expect to see in December?

Previous years of Express Entry draws can help us make reasonable estimates of how many Invitations to Apply (ITAs) we might expect to see issued for the remainder of 2024.

Should the number of ITAs issued in the remainder of 2024, relative to the landing target for 2025, be the same as it was on average for years 2021 to 2023, we might expect IRCC to issue about 3,522 ITAs through Express Entry in December.

Is it worth applying for Express Entry after you turn 35?

Prospective Canadian immigrants are sometimes discouraged from applying for Express Entry after they turn 35 years of age.
This is largely due to points lost on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
The Express Entry application management system uses the CRS to rank and order eligible Express Entry candidates based on their human capital factors before they can receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).