Pichette’s report says more than 25 rule changes affected international students in roughly two years, contributing to unpredictability that employers must navigate when sponsoring foreign talent.
Express Entry and skills gaps
RBC’s report identifies Express Entry, the federal points-based system, as central to the problem. Sub-categories added in 2022 allow lower-scoring applicants in targeted occupations to be admitted ahead of higher scorers, with the Canadian Experience Class now requiring “over 100 points more, on average, than it does through other categories.”
This matters to HR teams because employers sponsoring candidates outside priority occupations may face longer waits, even as overall program standards have loosened, RBC found. The Express Entry cut-off score fell from the mid-400s before the pandemic to as low as 75 in 2021.
Provincial Nominee Programs, meanwhile, have grown to roughly 80 pathways nationally, RBC reports. Retention outcomes vary widely, from 39% in Prince Edward Island to about 94% in Ontario and Alberta for newcomers landing between 2010 and 2015 — a gap employers recruiting for regional roles should factor into retention planning.