Express Entry: Early Observations on November 2016 Improvements

Table 1: Monthly eligible profile submissions by total CRS score

Month and year	1-300	301-350	351-400	401-450	451-500	501-600	601-1200	Total
Jan. 2016	485	2,051	2,698	2,366	915	91	806	9,412
Feb. 2016	446	1,902	2,518	2,191	912	92	862	8,923
Mar. 2016	517	2,044	2,780	2,370	1,077	78	845	9,711
Apr. 2016	440	1,974	2,597	1,983	943	77	815	8,829
May 2016	412	1,852	2,392	1,700	949	87	786	8,178
Jun. 2016	424	2,048	2,621	1,839	1,035	91	826	8,884
Jul. 2016	390	1,946	2,522	1,637	913	78	690	8,176
Aug. 2016	443	2,150	2,867	1,874	1,090	88	790	9,302
Sep. 2016	434	1,886	2,646	1,922	1,036	96	739	8,759
Oct. 2016	385	1,947	2,586	2,081	1,100	91	705	8,895
Nov. 2016	545	2,116	3,025	3,061	2,083	178	1,030	12,038
Dec. 2016	524	1,939	2,990	2,710	1,732	250	8	10,153
Jan. 2017	570	1,999	2,972	2,845	2,006	303	6	10,701
Feb. 2017	515	2,036	3,251	4,399	1,801	262	11	12,275
Mar. 2017	546	2,335	3,784	4,623	2,148	291	10	13,737
Apr. 2017	498	2,241	4,543	5,697	2,098	257	10	15,344
May 2017	592	2,599	4,696	4,823	2,026	249	12	14,997

Table 2: Monthly eligible profile submissions by additional point type

Month and year	Job Offer	Education in Canada	Job Offer and Education in Canada	Without additional points	Total
Jan. 2016	806	N/A	N/A	8,606	9,412
Feb. 2016	862	N/A	N/A	8,061	8,923
Mar. 2016	845	N/A	N/A	8,866	9,711
Apr. 2016	815	N/A	N/A	8,014	8,829
May 2016	786	N/A	N/A	7,392	8,178
Jun. 2016	826	N/A	N/A	8,058	8,884
Jul. 2016	690	N/A	N/A	7,486	8,176
Aug. 2016	790	N/A	N/A	8,512	9,302
Sep. 2016	739	N/A	N/A	8,020	8,759
Oct. 2016	705	N/A	N/A	8,190	8,895
Nov. 2016	1,293	1,349	33	9,363	12,038
Dec. 2016	602	1,523	81	7,947	10,153
Jan. 2017	643	1,768	99	8,191	10,701
Feb. 2017	605	1,984	145	9,541	12,275
Mar. 2017	701	2,222	208	10,606	13,737
Apr. 2017	691	2,458	166	12,029	15,344
May 2017	714	2,173	173	11,937	14,997

Table 3: Eligible profile submissions by additional point type, pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

Job Offer pre-November 2016 changes

Job Offer status	Number	%
With Job Offer (600 points)	8,873	9%
Without Job Offer	86,821	91%
Total	95,694	100%

Job Offer post-November 2016 changes

Job Offer status	Number	%
With Job Offer (total)	5,145	6%
With Job Offer (200 points)	252	5%
With Job Offer (50 points)Footnote **	4,893	95%
Without Job Offer	77,475	94%
Total	82,620	100%

Education in Canada post-November 2016 changes

Education in Canada status	Number	%
With Education in Canada (total)	14,382	17%
With Education in Canada (30 points)	6,856	48%
With Education in Canada (15 points)	7,526	52%
Without Education in Canada	68,238	83%
Total	82,620	100%

Candidates in the pool

This report examines candidates in the Express Entry pool on June 1, 2017. On May 31, 2017, there was an invitation round that invited all candidates with a CRS score of 413 or above. Table 4 provides a snapshot of the pool on the following day and consequently there are few candidates with a score above 413.

Table 4: Candidates in the pool on June 1, 2017 by additional point type and total CRS score

Additional point type	1-300	301-350	351-400	401-450	451-500	501-600	601-1200	Total
Job Offer	511	233	302	111	4	4	0	1,165
Education in Canada	24	265	1,211	835	32	1	0	2,368
Job Offer and Education in Canada	2	3	34	58	4	0	0	101
Provincial Nomination	0	0	0	0	0	0	25	25
Without additional points	2,205	15,304	20,938	4,123	50	2	0	42,622
Total	2,742	15,805	22,485	5,127	90	7	25	46,281

Invitations to apply for permanent residence

Tables 5 to 9 show the distribution of candidates invited by additional point type and by economic immigration program. Some tables are divided into two distinct periods, to highlight the potential impact of the targeted improvements made to Express Entry on November 19, 2016. Over this same period there was a sustained increase in round sizes that would also have an effect on candidate characteristics.

During the summer of 2016, IRCC held small and regular invitation rounds that allowed the department to continue processing permanent residence applications received prior to the launch of Express Entry in parallel with applications channeled through Express Entry. Starting in September 2016, processing of pre-Express Entry application inventory was well advanced and Express Entry invitation round size began to increase. The CRS score of the lowest-ranked invited candidates began to decrease. At that point, Express Entry became the main source of permanent residence applications to meet annual immigration levels targets for the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Workers and Federal Skilled Trades.

In each general round between January 11 and May 31, 2017, the proportion of candidates with Education in Canada points (28 percent) and the proportion of those with Job Offer points (six percent) remained steady. Larger round sizes allowed room to invite more candidates without additional points. On May 31, 2017, 64 percent of all invitees were candidates without additional points.

Table 7 shows the distribution of invited candidates’ core CRS scores before and after the Job Offer points reduction. Before November 19, 2016, 50 percent of all candidates invited had a core CRS score between 401 and 500. However, after November 19, 2016, 87 percent of all candidates invited were in the same core CRS score range. This increment of 37 percentage points implies that more highly skilled candidates, who are well positioned for economic success in Canada, received an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Reduced Job Offer points may have encouraged more candidates to declare all of their qualifications. Before November 19, 2016, 45 percent of all candidates invited had a core CRS score between one and 400. However, after November 19, 2016, only 11 percent of all candidates invited were in this same core CRS score range. This decrement of 34 percentage points implies that candidates rely less on additional points and more on their human capital attributes to secure an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Table 8 shows the same results but in a different way. In 2015, the average core CRS score for candidates with additional points was 290, while the average core CRS score for candidates without additional points was 474. In 2017, after Job Offer points were reduced, the core CRS score gap between those with and without additional points shrunk. This again suggests that the reduced Job Offer points complement the human capital profile and that only relatively high skilled candidates are now invited.

In 2016, 25 percent of all candidates invited were invited to apply for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program^{Footnote 2}. Table 9 shows that 48 percent of all candidates invited in 2017 year-to-date were invited to apply for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. With the continuation of larger rounds, we anticipate that the Federal Skilled Worker Program will likely become the main source of invitations to apply for permanent residence.

The reduction in Job Offer points had a direct impact on candidates who qualified for the Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program as they generally have a lower core CRS score but often have a job offer due to program requirements. Between January 4 and May 17, 2017, 210 candidates who qualified for the FST program were invited to apply for permanent residence to a different program. To provide more candidates with work experience in a skilled trade an opportunity to apply, IRCC held a round specifically for the FST program on May 26, 2017.

During the FST-only round, 184 invited candidates (46 percent) had as their primary occupation NOC 72 – Industrial, electrical and construction trades; and 122 invited candidates (31 percent) had NOC 63 – Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations.

To ensure provincial nominees were also invited, a Provincial Nominee Program-only round was held just before the FST-only round on the same day.

Table 5: Invitations issued between January and May 2017 by additional point type

Round	Date	Comprehensive ranking system cutoff	Invitations issued	Job Offer	Education in Canada	Job Offer and education in Canada	No additional points	Provincial Nominee
1	Jan. 4	468	2,902	187	1,188	51	974	502
2	Jan. 11	459	3,334	178	1,029	44	1,801	282
3	Jan. 25	453	3,508	222	1,069	84	1,815	318
4	Feb. 8	447	3,644	241	1,201	106	1,808	288
5	Feb. 22	441	3,611	202	981	110	2,017	301
6	Mar. 1	434	3,884	153	1,055	58	2,454	164
7	Mar. 24	441	3,749	347	1,047	169	1,604	582
8	Apr. 5	431	3,753	240	1,070	115	2,070	258
9	Apr. 12	423	3,923	218	1,055	80	2,433	137
10	Apr. 19	415	3,665	158	855	75	2,518	59
11	May 4	423	3,796	289	1,054	108	2,091	254
12	May 17	415	3,687	233	1,019	114	1,989	332
13	May 26 - PNPFootnote *	775	143	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	143
14	May 26 – FSTFootnote *	199	400	300	4	18	78	N/A
15	May 31	413	3,877	216	993	82	2,484	102
Total			47,876	3,184	13,620	1,214	26,136	3,722

Table 6: Invitations issued by additional point type, pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

Job Offer pre-November 2016 changes

Job Offer status	Number	%
With Job Offer (600 points)	10,795	38%
Without Job Offer	17,614	62%
Total	28,409	100%

Job Offer post-November 2016 changes

Job Offer status	Number	%
With Job Offer (total)	5,151	10%
With Job Offer (200 points)	333	6%
With Job Offer (50 points)	4,818	94%
Without Job Offer	48,098	90%
Total	53,249	100%

Education in Canada post-November 2016 changes

Education in Canada status	Number	%
With Education in Canada (total)	16,778	32%
With Education in Canada (30 points)	8,891	53%
With Education in Canada (15 points)	7,887	47%
Without Education in Canada	36,471	68%
Total	53,249	100%

Table 7: Invitations issued to candidates with additional points by core CRS score, pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

Pre-November 2016 changes

	1-100	101-200	201-300	301-400	401-500	501-600	Total
With additional points	396	2,475	3,327	6,554	4,615	94	17,461
Without additional points	0	0	0	0	9,546	1,402	10,948
Total pre-November 2016 changes	396	2,475	3,327	6,554	14,161	1,496	28,409

Post-November 2016 changes

	1-100	101-200	201-300	301-400	401-500	501-600	Total
With additional points	4	157	466	5,212	20,290	331	26,460
Without additional points	0	1	47	29	26,203	509	26,789
Total post-November 2016 changes	4	158	513	5,241	46,493	840	53,249

Table 8: Average core CRS score of invitations issued to candidates with additional points

Additional point status	2015	2016	Jan. to May 2017
With additional points	290	345	417
Without additional points	474	481	447

Table 9: Invitations issued by economic immigration program in 2017^{Footnote *}

Round	Date	Comprehensive Ranking System cutoff	Invitations issued	Provincial Nominees	Federal Skilled Workers	Federal Skilled Trades	Canadian Experience Class
1	Jan. 4	468	2,902	502	745	0	1,655
2	Jan. 11	459	3,334	282	1,443	0	1,609
3	Jan. 25	453	3,508	318	1,483	0	1,707
4	Feb. 8	447	3,644	288	1,439	0	1,917
5	Feb. 22	441	3,611	301	1,676	0	1,634
6	Mar. 1	434	3,884	164	2,163	0	1,557
7	Mar. 24	441	3,749	582	1,332	1	1,834
8	Apr. 5	431	3,753	258	1,854	0	1,641
9	Apr. 12	423	3,923	137	2,259	0	1,527
10	Apr. 19	415	3,665	59	2,436	0	1,170
11	May 4	423	3,796	254	1,803	0	1,739
12	May 17	415	3,687	332	1,801	0	1,554
13	May 26 – PNPFootnote *	775	143	143	N/A	N/A	N/A
14	May 26 – FSTFootnote *	199	400	N/A	N/A	400	N/A
15	May 31	413	3,877	102	2,390	0	1,385
Total			47,876	3,722	22,824	401	20,929

Job offer

On November 19, 2016, the CRS Job Offer factor was changed in three ways:

• reducing points for a job offer from 600 points to 50 points or 200 points, depending on the job offer occupation;
• awarding Job Offer points to certain candidates already in Canada on specific LMIA exempt work permits if they meet certain criteria; and
• changing the job offer duration from indeterminate to one year.

Implementation of these changes, in conjunction with larger round size starting in September 2016, appear to have had a significant impact on the occupation mix of invited candidates. Tables 10 and 11 highlight the impact on the occupation mix of invited candidates by two distinct time periods – up to versus after November 18, 2016. Within each table, occupations were ranked by the total number of candidates invited. The top ten occupations before and after November 19, 2016 appear in both tables.

For example, NOC 72 – Industrial, electrical and construction trades was ranked as fourth prior to the November 19, 2016, changes in Table 10. Following the changes, it is now no longer among the top 10 occupations invited; in Table 11, it is ranked 14^th.

Table 10: Invitations issued to candidates by job offer status and occupation, Pre-November 2016 Changes^{Footnote *}

Occupation	Job Offer (600 points) - Number	Job Offer (600 points) - %	Without Job Offer - Number	Without Job Offer - %	Total - Number	Total - %	Rank
NOC 21 - Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences	778	7%	5,433	31%	6,211	22%	1
NOC 63 - Service supervisors and specialized service occupations	2,619	24%	418	2%	3,037	11%	2
NOC 11 - Professional Occupations in Business and Finance	162	2%	2,009	11%	2,171	8%	3
NOC 72 - Industrial, electrical and construction trades	1,558	14%	269	2%	1,827	6%	4
NOC 22 - Technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences	441	4%	1,385	8%	1,826	6%	5
NOC 12 - Administrative and financial supervisors	558	5%	1,250	7%	1,808	6%	6
NOC 01-05 Specialized middle management occupations	428	4%	1,351	8%	1,779	6%	7
NOC 40 - Professional occupations in education services	279	3%	1,013	6%	1,292	5%	8
NOC 05 - Middle management in retail and wholesale trade and customer services	492	5%	700	4%	1,192	4%	9
NOC 31 - Professional occupations in health (except Nursing)	493	5%	653	4%	1,146	4%	10
NOC 62 - Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations	510	5%	622	4%	1,132	4%	11
Other Occupations	2,481	23%	2,507	14%	4,988	18%
Total	10,799	100%	17,610	100%	28,409	100%

Before the November 19, 2016, changes, top occupations invited were heavily based on whether the candidate had Job Offer points. Candidates working in NOC 63 – Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations, and NOC 72 – Industrial, electrical and construction trades accounted for 38 percent of all candidates invited with Job Offer points and only four percent of those without Job Offer points^{Footnote 3}.

Table 11: Invitations issued to candidates by job offer status and occupation, Post-November 2016 Changes^{Footnote *}

Occupation	Job Offer (50 or 200 points)- Number	Job Offer (50 or 200 points)- %	Without Job Offer - Number	Without Job Offer - %	Total - Number	Total - %	Rank
NOC 21 - Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences	1,392	26%	12,908	27%	14,300	27%	1
NOC 11 - Professional Occupations in Business and Finance	168	3%	5,277	11%	5,445	10%	2
NOC 01-05 Specialized middle management occupations	423	8%	4,386	9%	4,809	9%	3
NOC 12 - Administrative and financial supervisors	309	6%	4,275	9%	4,584	9%	4
NOC 22 - Technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences	276	5%	3,872	8%	4,148	8%	5
NOC 40 - Professional occupations in education services	245	5%	2,453	5%	2,698	5%	6
NOC 62 - Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations	185	3%	2,127	4%	2,312	4%	7
NOC 31 - Professional occupations in health (except Nursing)	188	4%	1,935	4%	2,123	4%	8
NOC 05 - Middle management in retail and wholesale trade and customer services	189	4%	1,899	4%	2,088	4%	9
NOC 63 - Service supervisors and specialized service occupations	560	11%	1,410	3%	1,970	4%	10
NOC 72 - Industrial, electrical and construction trades	277	5%	623	1%	900	2%	14
Other Occupations	1,079	20%	6,793	14%	7,872	15%
Total	5,291	100%	47,958	100%	53,249	100%

After the November 2016 changes, the occupation mix was less dependent on whether candidates had Job Offer points and more on the core CRS score. For instance, candidates in NOC 63 – Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations, and NOC 72 – Industrial, electrical and construction trades represent 16 percent of candidates invited with Job Offer points and four percent of those without. The total share of NOC 21 – Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences increased from 22 percent before the November 2016 changes to 27 percent after.

As of November 19, 2016, candidates are eligible for a LMIA-exempt job offer if they meet certain criteria. Candidates working in Canada temporarily with a work permit issued under a temporary LMIA exemption – such as international agreement, intra-company transferees, and significant benefit to Canada – may qualify for Job Offer points. The job offer duration requirement also changed from indeterminate to at least one year. Between November 2016 and February 2017, 65 percent of all invited candidates with Job Offer points benefited from a LMIA exemption.

International students

Former international students, defined here as any candidate with a Canadian education credential above high school, are a key source of candidates in Express Entry because of their age, education, skills and experience. Awarding points for Canadian Study facilitates the transition of international students to permanent residence. Not all candidates with a Canadian education credential above high school are eligible for Canadian study points (for example, international students taking language training are excluded).

The tables below provide an overview of former international student candidates at three different stages: initial profile submission, in the pool, and invitation to apply for permanent residence. Because not all former international students are eligible for Education in Canada points, and to ensure a consistent comparison between before and after the November 2016 changes, Table 12 to 15 show statistics looking at candidates with a Canadian education credential above high school.

Table 12: Monthly eligible profile submissions with a Canadian education credential^{Footnote *}

Month and year	With a Canadian education credential - number	With a Canadian education credential - %	Without a Canadian education credential - number	Without Canadian education credential - %	Total
Jan. 2016	2,189	23%	7,223	77%	9,412
Feb. 2016	2,045	23%	6,878	77%	8,923
Mar. 2016	2,055	21%	7,656	79%	9,711
Apr. 2016	1,820	21%	7,009	79%	8,829
May 2016	1,643	20%	6,535	80%	8,178
Jun. 2016	1,820	20%	7,064	80%	8,884
Jul. 2016	1,606	20%	6,570	80%	8,176
Aug. 2016	1,732	19%	7,570	81%	9,302
Sep. 2016	1,851	21%	6,908	79%	8,759
Oct. 2016	1,903	21%	6,992	79%	8,895
Nov. 2016	4,027	33%	8,011	67%	12,038
Dec. 2016	2,756	27%	7,397	73%	10,153
Jan. 2017	3,073	29%	7,628	71%	10,701
Feb. 2017	3,372	27%	8,903	73%	12,275
Mar. 2017	3,630	26%	10,107	74%	13,737
Apr. 2017	3,957	26%	11,387	74%	15,344
May 2017	3,555	24%	11,442	76%	14,997

Tables 12 shows the number of monthly eligible profiles submitted by former international students. Between January 2016 and October 2016, the average number of eligible profile submissions by former international students was 1,866 per month. Since November 2016, the average number of eligible profile submissions by former international students increased to 3,481 per month. Introducing these new additional points, in conjunction with larger round sizes that progressively decrease the CRS cut-off score, likely provides incentive for more former international students to submit a profile.

Table 13 shows that, before November 19, 2016, 21 percent of all eligible profiles submitted were from former international students. This share increased to 27 percent after Education in Canada points were introduced.

Because of their age, education, skills and experience, former international students generally have a high core CRS score. Table 14 shows the core CRS distribution for those in the pool on June 1, 2017.

Table 13: Eligible profile submissions with a Canadian education credential,^{Footnote *} pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote **}

Canadian education credential status	Pre-November 2016 changes - number	Pre-November 2016 changes - %	Post-November 2016 changes - number	Post-November 2016 changes - %
With a Canadian education credential	20,347	21%	22,687	27%
Without a Canadian education credential	75,347	79%	59,933	73%
Total	95,694	100%	82,620	100%

Table 14: Candidates in the pool on June 4, 2017^{Footnote *} with Canadian education credential^{Footnote **} and total CRS score

Canadian education credential status	1-300	301-350	351-400	401-450	451-500	500-600	601-1200	Total
With a Canadian education credential	61	503	1,722	1,108	103	7	13	3,517
Without a Canadian education credential	2,661	15,278	20,666	4,220	117	14	34	42,990
Total	2,722	15,781	22,388	5,328	220	21	47	46,507

Table 15: Invitations issued to candidates with Canadian credential,^{Footnote *} pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote **}

Canadian education credential status	Pre-November 2016 changes - number	Pre-November 2016 changes -%	Post-November 2016 changes - number	Post-November 2016 changes - %
With a Canadian education credential	8,592	30%	21,433	40%
Without a Canadian education credential	19,817	70%	31,816	60%
Total	28,409	100%	53,249	100%

Table 15 compares the number of invitations sent to former international student candidates before and after the November 2016 changes. The proportion of invitations sent to former international students increased from 30 to 40 percent after November 19, 2016. While the proportion of invitations sent to former international students has increased, it is not expected to remain at these high levels.

French-speaking candidates

Express Entry has the potential to contribute to the vitality and support the development of Canada’s francophone communities outside Quebec. Starting on November 19, 2016, temporary workers in Canada under Mobilité francophone can receive Job Offer points in Express Entry without requiring a LMIA if the candidate has worked for the same employer for at least one year. The job offer will only need to be a minimum of one-year duration.

The tables below provide an overview of how many French-speaking candidates were in the pool, have been invited to apply for permanent residence and have submitted an application for permanent residence. For the purpose of this report, French-speaking candidates are defined as those who have submitted test results for the Test d’évaluation de français for their first official language^{Footnote 4}.

Table 16: French-speakers in the pool on June 1, 2017

First official language tested	Number	%
French	535	1%
EnglishFootnote *	45,746	99%
Total	46,281	100%

Table 17: Invitations issued to French-speakers, pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

First official language tested	Pre-November 2016 changes - number	Pre-November 2016 changes - %	Post-November 2016 changes - number	Post-November 2016 changes - %
English	27,631	97.3%	52,094	97.8%
French	778	2.7%	1,153	2.2%
Total	28,409	100%	53,247	100%

Table 18: Applications received (total persons), pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

First official language tested	Pre-November 2016 changes - number	Pre-November 2016 changes - %	Post-November 2016 changes - number	Post-November 2016 changes - %
English	43,942	97.3%	62,112	97.3%
French	1,212	2.7%	1,736	2.7%
Total	45,154	100%	63,848	100%

The invitation round on May 31, 2016, invited many French-speaking candidates from the pool. As a result, there were 535 French-speaking candidates in the pool (representing one percent of the total) on June 1, 2016.

With growing invitation round sizes and improvements made to Express Entry, more invitations are being issued to French-speaking candidates. Before November 19, 2016, 778 French-speaking candidates were invited to apply for permanent residence. After November 19, 2016, 1,153 French-speaking candidates were invited to apply for permanent residence. The number of applications for permanent residence (reported in persons) sent by French-speaking candidates also increased from 1,212 prior to November 19, 2016, to 1,736 after.

It is important to note that Mobilité francophone has only been operational since June 1, 2016. As such, French-speaking temporary workers under Mobilité francophone are just starting to qualify for Job Offer points in Express Entry without a LMIA. In June 2017, IRCC started awarding points to candidates with good French-language skills.

Although it is still too early to observe the impact of this change, the improvement will increase French-speakers’ likelihood of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence. IRCC will continue to monitor and report changes that may impact French-speaking candidates in Express Entry. IRCC will also continue efforts to promote Francophone immigration outside of Quebec in order to increase the number of French-speaking candidates participating in Express Entry.

Application for permanent residence through Express Entry

As of November 19, 2016, candidates have 90 days to submit their application for permanent residence after they receive an invitation. Table 19 shows the lag time or the number of days between when an invitation was issued to a candidate and when the same candidate’s application for permanent residence was received by IRCC.

Pre-November 2016 changes, when invited candidates have a maximum of 60 days to submit their application for permanent residence, many candidates submitted their application for permanent residence between 31 days and 60 days after receiving their invitation to apply. Ten percent of candidates submitted their application for permanent residence after the 60-day window. In specific circumstances, some flexibility or rare exceptions were applied to allow invited candidates to supply all their required documents supporting their application for permanent residence past the 60-day window. Any applications for permanent residence submitted after the allotted time could still be refused.

To improve client service, more time was given to candidates starting on November 19, 2016, to gather all the required documentation and submit a complete application. Clients have taken advantage of these additional 30 days. Between January 2016 and October 2016, on average 11 percent of applications were incomplete each month. Between November 2016 and February 2017, that fell to seven percent. The percentage of applications for permanent residence submitted after the 90 day window also fell to two percent.

Table 19: Lag time between invitation to apply and application for permanent residence^{Footnote *}

Number of days between invitation to apply and application for permanent residence	Pre-November 2016 changes	Post-November 2016 changes
1 to 30 days	38%	24%
31 to 60 days	52%	33%
61 to 90 days	7%	41%
91 days or more	3%	2%
Total	100%	100%

Gender-based analysis

The Express Entry profile builder asks for personal details as shown on the candidate's passport, travel document, or national identity document. Gender is self-identified when the candidate creates their MyCIC account. Below is an initial exploration of gender-based analysis; IRCC is committed to deepening this analysis.

Table 20 shows the number and proportion of male and female candidates by additional point type at profile submission. About 74 percent of male candidates and 26 percent female candidates had job offers before and after the November changes. Post-November 19, 2016, 62 percent of male candidates and 38 percent of female candidates secured Education in Canada points. Slightly more female candidates obtained 30 points for Education in Canada than male candidates (50 versus 46 percent).

Table 20: Eligible profile submissions by additional point type and gender, pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

Job Offer pre-November 2016 changes

Job Offer status	Male - Number	%	Female - Number	%	Not stated - Number	%	Total
With Job Offer (600 points)	6,676	75%	2,194	25%	3	0%	8,873
Without Job Offer	54,438	63%	32,370	37%	13	0%	86,821
Total	61,114	64%	34,564	36%	16	0%	95,694

Job Offer post-November 2016 changes

Job Offer status	Male - Number	%	Female - Number	%	Not stated - Number	%	Total
With Job Offer	3,737	73%	1,408	27%	0	0	5,145
With Job Offer (200 points)	219	6%	33	2%	0	0	252
With Job Offer (50 points)Footnote **	3,518	94%	1,375	98%	0	0	4,893
Without Job Offer	47,693	62%	29,767	38%	15	0%	77,475
Total	51,430	62%	31,175	38%	15	0%	82,620

Education in Canada post-November 2016 changes

Education in Canada status	Male - Number	%	Female - Number	%	Not stated - Number	%	Total
With Education in Canada (total)	8,919	62%	5,463	38%	0	0	14,382
With Education in Canada (30 points)	4,117	46%	2,739	50%	0	0	6,856
With Education in Canada (15 points)	4,802	54%	2,724	50%	0	0	7,526
Without Education in Canada	42,511	62%	25,712	38%	15	0%	68,238
Total	51,430	62%	31,175	38%	15	0%	82,620

Table 21 shows the number and proportion of male and female candidates in the pool on June 1, 2017, by additional point type and CRS distribution. There is no major difference between men and women regarding CRS score distribution in general, and for those with additional points.

Table 21: Candidates in the pool as of June 1, 2017, by gender, additional point type and total CRS score

Male

Additional point type	1-300	301-350	351-400	401-450	451-500	500-501	601-1200	Total
Job Offer	400	167	190	72	2	4	0	835
Education in Canada	12	165	732	515	19	1	0	1,444
Job Offer and Education in Canada	1	0	23	38	4	0	0	66
Provincial Nomination	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	17
Without additional points	1,513	9,751	12,592	2,429	28	1	0	26,314
Total	1,926	10,083	13,537	3,054	53	6	17	28,676
%	7%	35%	47%	11%	0%	0%	0%	100%

Female

Additional point type	1-300	301-350	351-400	401-450	451-500	500-501	601-1200	Total
Job Offer	111	66	112	39	2	0	0	330
Education in Canada	12	100	479	320	13	0	0	924
Job Offer and Education in Canada	1	3	11	20	0	0	0	35
Provincial Nomination	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	8
Without additional points	692	5,553	8,339	1,693	22	1	0	16,300
Total	816	5,722	8,941	2,072	37	1	8	17,597
%	5%	33%	51%	12%	0%	0%	0%	100%

Not stated

Additional point type	1-300	301-350	351-400	401-450	451-500	500-501	601-1200	Total
Without additional points	0	0	7	1	0	0	0	8
Total	0	0	7	1	0	0	0	8
%	0%	0%	88%	13%	0%	0%	0%	100%

Table 22 shows the number of invitations issued to candidates by gender. The percentage of male candidates invited with a job offer decreased from 42 to nine percent, and the percentage of females decreased from 30 to four percent. Finally, there is no significant difference between the shares of candidates invited with Education in Canada points between men and women.

Table 22: Invitations issued by additional point type and gender, pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

Male

Additional point Type	Pre-November 2016 changes - number	Pre-November 2016 changes - %	Post-November 2016 changes - number	Post-November 2016 changes - %
Job Offer	8,073	42%	2,931	9%
Education in Canada	N/A	N/A	9,623	29%
Job Offer and Education in Canada	N/A	N/A	867	3%
Provincial Nomination	4,508	23%	3,695	11%
Without additional points	6,739	35%	15,654	48%
Total	19,320	100%	32,770	100%

Female

Additional point type	Pre-November 2016 changes - number	Pre-November 2016 changes - %	Post-November 2016 changes - number	Post-November 2016 changes - %
Job Offer	2,722	30%	897	4%
Education in Canada	N/A	N/A	5,832	28%
Job Offer and Education in Canada	N/A	N/A	456	2%
Provincial Nomination	2,158	24%	2,159	11%
Without additional points	4,209	46%	11,135	54%
Total	9,089	100%	20,479	100%

Country of citizenship

The country of citizenship reflects the origin of qualified candidates from the pool. Tables 23 and 24 show the country mix of candidates at profile submission and at the time of invitation rounds.

Table 23: Eligible profile submissions by country of citizenship, pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

Country of Citizenship	Pre-November 2016 changes - number	Pre-November 2016 changes - %	Post-November 2016 changes - number	Post-November 2016 changes - %
India	40,915	43%	37,817	46%
China	5,320	6%	5,996	7%
Nigeria	5,383	6%	5,580	7%
Philippines	5,722	6%	3,153	4%
Pakistan	4,009	4%	3,607	4%
United Kingdom	2,318	2%	1,575	2%
Egypt	1,716	2%	1,780	2%
Iran	1,576	2%	1,363	2%
United States	1,656	2%	1,139	1%
Brazil	1,331	1%	1,232	1%
Other	25,748	27%	19,378	23%
Total	95,694	100%	82,620	100%

Table 23 shows that India remains the largest source country of citizenship of qualified candidates who submitted an eligible profile with their share increasing by three percentage points after the November 2016 changes. Both China and Nigeria increased by one percentage point each, and the Philippines by two percentage points. Table 24 shows that the share of India (12 percentage points), and to a lesser extent China (three percentage points), increased with the November 19, 2016, changes. Finally, the Philippines experienced the most significant decrease (four percentage points). Not all of these changes in distribution are due to the November 2016 changes. Other factors, such as increasing round sizes starting in the fall of 2016, may also influence the source country of citizenship distribution.

Table 24: Invitations issued by country of citizenship, pre- and post-November 2016 changes^{Footnote *}

Country of Citizenship	Pre-November 2016 changes - Number	%	Post-November 2016 changes - Number	%
India	8,901	31%	22,760	43%
China	2,055	7%	5,231	10%
Nigeria	815	3%	2,900	5%
Pakistan	765	3%	2,031	4%
United Kingdom	1,404	5%	1,507	3%
United States	1,148	4%	1,246	2%
Brazil	408	1%	946	2%
Iran	426	1%	814	2%
Philippines	1,661	6%	813	2%
Ireland	1,147	4%	799	2%
Korea, South	764	3%	688	1%
Australia	777	3%	665	1%
Other Countries	8,138	29%	12,849	24%
Total	28,409	100%	53,249	100%