Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Express Entry candidates in the second draw this week.
The department released 1,400 ITAs in a category-based selection draw for candidates with proficiency in the French language.
Candidates were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 410 to be accepted for consideration.
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Today’s draw follows the general draw held on April 23. IRCC invited 2,095 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 529. This score represents a 20-point decrease compared to the previous general draw held on April 10, when the cut-off score was 549, the highest minimum score of the year.
Another draw took place this month on April 11. This was the first draw of the year for Express Entry candidates eligible for category-based selection for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) occupations. The department invited 4,500 candidates with a minimum CRS of 491.
Summary of Results for Express Entry Draws in 2024
| date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17th July | Canadian Experience Class | 6,300 | 515 |
| 16th July | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,391 | 670 |
| 8th July | French Proficiency | 3,200 | 420 |
| 5th July | Healthcare Business | 3,750 | 445 |
| July 4th | business Business | 1,800 | 436 |
| 2 July | Provincial Nominee Program | 920 | 739 |
| 19 June | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,499 | 663 |
| 31st May | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 522 |
| 30th May | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,985 | 676 |
| 24th April | French Proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
| 23 April | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| 11 April | STEM Professions | 4,500 | 491 |
| 10th April | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| 26 March | French Language Proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
| 25 March | General | 1,980 | 524 |
| 13 March | Transportation Business | 975 | 430 |
| March 12 | General | 2,850 | 525 |
| 29 February | French Language Proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
| 28 February | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| 16 February | Agriculture and Agri-Food Business | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare Business | 3,500 | 422 |
| 13 February | General | 1,490 | 535 |
| 1 February | French Language Proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
| 31 January | General | 730 | 541 |
| 23 January | General | 1,040 | 543 |
| 10 January | General | 1,510 | 546 |
What is range-based selection?
Category-based selection draws were introduced in May 2023 by IRCC as a method of targeting Express Entry candidates with highly sought-after human capital attributes, such as their language ability or occupation.
The final categories for 2023 were selected following consultation with IRCC partners and stakeholders. In early 2024, the department announced that it would maintain the same categories throughout 2024. They are:
- Healthcare Business
- Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professions
- Trade occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- Transportation Business
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Business
- Strong French proficiency
Candidates in the occupation-based categories must have at least six months of continuous full-time work experience in an eligible occupation in the past three years.
Those who are eligible for the French proficiency category must have a minimum of 7 points in their French language test results across all 4 language competencies according to the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an application management system for economic immigration candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Candidates eligible for one of these programs upload a profile to the IRCC website and are given points based on human capital factors such as age, language ability, education, work experience, and occupation. These scores are taken together and used to assign a final Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
Those with the highest scores are most likely to receive an invitation to apply for permanent resident status in Canada. If a candidate is issued an ITA, they submit their final application to IRCC, which aims to process the application within six months.
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