90% people got their Canadian ITA (for PR) without a job offer
First half of 2017 resulted in 90% of applicants get their ITAs (Invitation to Apply) without a job offer for their permanent residence to Canada. IRCC had reduced the points for a job offer in late 2016.
The CRS score was boosted with Human Capital Factors that includes age, English proficiency, education and work experience. These factors according to IRCC are strongly correlated to higher earning potential.
The data released by IRCC compares the 11.5 months prior to the changes and a roughly six-month period after they were introduced, from November 19, 2016, to May 31, 2017. IRCC’s comparison confirms the following:
- The proportion of invited candidates without a Canadian job offer rose from 62 per cent to 90 per cent.
- The proportion of invited candidates who studied in Canada has increased from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.
- The proportion of Federal Skilled Worker candidates invited to apply increased from 25 per cent to 48 per cent.
- The number of profiles deemed eligible for the Express Entry pool increased as a result of the changes.
- The changes resulted in shifts in the occupations and countries of citizenship of candidates being invited to apply.
- The changes helped narrow the gender gap among invited candidates.
Number of ITAs issued to candidates with and without job offers, and with and without Canadian study experience
Pre-November 2016 changes | Post-November 2016 changes | |
With job offer | 10,795 (38%) | 5,151 (10%) |
Without job offer | 17,614 (62%) | 48,098 (90%) |
With Canadian study experience | 8,592 (30%) | 21,433 (40%) |
No Canadian study experience | 19,817 (70%) | 31,816 (60%) |
IRCC says the drop in job offer points also “appears to have had a significant impact” on the occupation mix of invited Express Entry candidates.
Top 10 occupation categories of invited Express Entry candidates after job offer change
- NOC 21 – Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences
- NOC 11 – Professional occupations in business and finance
- NOC 01-05 – Specialized middle management occupations
- NOC 12 – Administrative and financial supervisors
- NOC 22 – Technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences
- NOC 40 – Professional occupations in education services
- NOC 62 – Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations
- NOC 31 – Professional occupations in health (except Nursing)
- NOC 05 – Middle management in retail and wholesale trade and customer services
- NOC 63 – Service supervisors and specialized service occupations
Citizens of India were issued the most ITAs, both before and after the job offer change, with their share jumping by 12 percentage points after the change from 31 per cent of ITAs to 43 per cent. Chinese citizens were second, with 10 per cent post-change. Nigerian citizens placed third, with their share rising by two percentage points to five per cent of all ITAs in the six months after the job offer change in November 2016.