IRCC confirms IT glitch affecting Express Entry candidates

Edana Robitaille, Vimal Sivakumar
Published: December 14, 2022

In an email to CIC News, an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) spokesperson has confirmed that there have been IT issues in the Express Entry system following the implementation of National Occupation Classification (NOC) 2021. This includes Express Entry candidates who are in the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP).

While IRCC says the department is closely examining these issues and working to resolve them, no timeline has been given for such resolutions.

IRCC says they will update candidates as more information becomes available.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Some ineligible candidates received ITAs in most recent Express Entry draw

IRCC says they are aware that clients are being informed by the system that they meet the Minimum Entry Criteria (MEC) of the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) even if, in some instances, they do not have sufficient Canadian work experience.

Due to this error, a number of ITAs were incorrectly issued to candidates, including some PNP candidates, during the November 23rd round of invitations.

The system error has also had an impact on PNP candidates who are attempting to update their Express Entry profile to reflect the move to NOC 2021.

Synthetic code 93888 is rendering some Express Entry profiles ineligible to receive ITAs. This synthetic code was generated by IRCC as a workaround to ensure these applicants could continue to be assessed under NOC 2016.

Express Entry draw did not occur

It is unknown whether these IT issues were related to the missed Express Entry draw last week on December 7.

CIC News has reached out to IRCC to discover what the system error could mean for candidates going forward and when Express Entry draws are expected to resume.

Following an 18 month pause from December 2020, all-program Express Entry draws resumed in July this year. Since draws started again, IRCC has been inviting candidates every two weeks on Wednesdays.

The expected draw on December 7 did not take place and was accompanied by potential candidates voicing frustration on social media 

IRCC ministerial instructions state that draws will occur “about every two weeks.” However, while to date they have taken place regularly on Wednesdays, there is no law that outlines how frequently draws will occur or on which day. It is entirely up to the discretion of IRCC.

Canada has invited more candidates with each draw. There have been eleven draws since July. The two most recent draws on November 9 and November 23 invited 4,750 candidates.

The first draw on July 6 invited 1500 candidates with CRS scores of 557. Since then, the CRS scores have declined with each draw to the most recent of 491 on November 23 

NOC 2021

On November 16, 2022, IRCC officially made the transition from NOC 2016 to NOC 2021.

Under NOC 2016,  Express Entry candidates required work experience classified under NOC skill types 0, A or B. IRCC’s shift to NOC 2021 has shifted to the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system.

This change was intended to update the old NOC system with a new NOC and Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system that will aid Canada in the following four objectives: gaining a better understanding of Canada’s labour market; improving its occupational forecasting; performing better analysis of national labour supply and demand and providing Canadians and foreign nationals alike with more targeted and specialized job training/skill development.

Candidates who have a profile already submitted to the IRCC Express Entry pool were invited to switch their NOCs to the new NOC 2021 independently. Such update must be done for each position (job) included in the IRCC profile. Failure to do so will disqualify candidates from receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

 

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

© CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.

Share this article
Share your voice
Did you find this article helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Did you find this article helpful?
Please provide a response
Thank you for your helpful feedback
Please contact us if you would like to share additional feedback, have a question, or would like Canadian immigration assistance.
  • Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
  • Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
Related articles
IRCC proposes creation of compensation fund for victims of unethical immigration consultants
A woman hands a man a cheque
Canada reveals breakdown of study permit allocation by province, shares further details on PALs
University of Calgary Hunter Student Commons on UofC campus.
Express Entry: IRCC invites 4,000 CEC candidates
A picture of Banff lake during the winter.
These are the TEER 2 and 3 jobs that can still get your spouse a family open work permit
A couple applying for one of their SOWP, and being happy in the process.
Top Stories
IRCC proposes creation of compensation fund for victims of unethical immigration consultants
Canada announces launch date for new permanent residence pathways for home care workers
Provinces begin inviting candidates to apply for provincial immigration in 2025
Join our free newsletter. Get Canada's top immigration stories delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe
More in Provinces
Provinces begin inviting candidates to apply for provincial immigration in 2025
Woman stares at a sunset on a snowy beach.
AAIP 2024 year in review: Alberta exceeds nomination target, prioritizes foreign workers for PR
Ice flows down the partially frozen Bow River with the Calgary skyline in the background.
PNPs grapple with slashed provincial immigration targets
Two chairs on top of a snowy plane
Ontario launches new pilot pathway to Canadian permanent residence
A sunrise on a cold winter
Link copied to clipboard