Prior to the set of reforms that came into effect on November 19, 2017, around three-in-five (62 percent) of invited candidates had sufficient point totals under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to receive an ITA based on human capital alone. Over the period from November, 2016 to February, 2017, however, this share increased to 90 percent.
This fact is just one of many contained in a presentation that was put together by senior staff at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) last spring. Importantly, the information revealed that more candidates outside Canada, specifically those eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), were being invited to apply than previously following the changes made last November.
In making the changes last November, IRCC stated its renewed goal to put greater weight on human capital, skills, and experience. Feedback from stakeholders had suggested that the 600 additional CRS points for a qualifying job offers was distorting the balance with human capital. Consequently, to strike a better balance between labor market responsiveness and immigrant outcomes IRCC reduced the value of a job offer significantly. A job offer is now worth 200 points if the offer is in an occupation contained in a Major Group 00 of the National Occupational Classification, or 50 points for a job offer in any other skilled position