In a live broadcast on Feb. 16 on the Canadian Club of Toronto’s website, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser replied that the draws would resume “in the near term” and said that he was looking at ways to make the Express Entry system more flexible.

While the immigration minister said no definite time on when CEC draws would resume, but he suggested that it would resume “in the near future” and that Express Entry would start to look more normal in the coming years.

Fraser also said he is looking to add more flexibility to the Express Entry system. He suggested that Express Entry could be used to respond to short-term needs, including welcoming people into smaller communities, industries with high demand. Fraser had hinted that occupations-specific express entry draws for could be a possibility in the future.

Expanding pathways to permanent residence for international students and temporary foreign workers through the Express entry is one of the priorities Fraser has listed in his minister’s mandate letter. His mandate also includes ensuring that immigrants better support small and medium-sized communities by expanding the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and advancing the Municipal Nominee Program. Since taking office in the fall, Fraser has turned the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program into a permanent program, one of the other items on the list.

Sources: CIC News