published on 22 April 2022 @ 3:18 pm · COMMENT

Federal Skilled Worker (and CEC and FST) Draws to Resume in July 2022

Federal Skilled Worker draws have been paused since December 2020.  Today, April 22, 2022, The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that draws under the federal Express Entry system will be resuming in early July 2022.

Draws under the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian Experience Class programs have been temporary paused as IRCC processes a backlog of applications. The most recent draw held under the Canadian Experience Class program was on September 14, 2021, and the most recent all-program draw was held on December 23, 2020.

The Minister announced today that as a result of the pause, the backlog in processing inventory has now been reduced significantly, and the government will resume issuing new invitations to apply for permanent residence in early July 2022. The Minister also indicated that processing of new applications will return to the six (6) month timeline in place prior to the covid-19 pandemic.

We recommend that any applicant who meets the criteria for the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades, or Federal Skilled Worker program create their Express Entry profile in the coming months, to ensure they are eligible for selection once draws resume. Candidates with existing profiles should ensure that the information in their profiles is up to date, and that their language tests and education credential assessments remain valid beyond July 2022.

filed under: IMMIGRATIONPERMANENT RESIDENCE