Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in Canada’s most recent Express Entry draw.
The department issued 3,000 ITAs in program-specific draws for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates.
Candidates were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 522 to be accepted for consideration.
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Today’s draw is the second draw of the week and follows a program-specific draw on May 30 for Express Entry candidates enrolled through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This is the first draw exclusively for CEC candidates since September 14, 2021 and also features the lowest CRS scores of the year for a non-category-based selection draw.
This week’s draws also represent the first program-specific draws since the introduction of category-based selection in May 2023. Many CEC candidates, as well as PNP candidates, are already living and working in Canada as temporary residents. These draws reflect IRCC’s recently announced commitment to conduct more “domestic draws” to help convert more temporary residents into permanent residents and reduce the overall level of temporary residents in Canada.
Programme-specific draws only consider candidates from the Express Entry pool who have applied through a specific permanent residence programme, rather than inviting applicants from all programmes as is the case in general draws.
The May 30 draw was also the first Express Entry draw since April 24, which took place after a month-long pause. IRCC has not confirmed the reason for the pause. However, in a recent access to information request, the department said all draws this year would take place as previously scheduled. IRCC has not made that schedule public. It also said the size and frequency of draws would be determined based on admissions targets in 2024 and 2025. Processing capacity may also affect draw frequency.
Before the pause, there were four draws held throughout April. The first April draw invited 1,280 candidates in a general draw on April 10. The following day, the department issued 4,500 ITAs to Express Entry candidates in a category-based selection draw for STEM occupations.
The remaining two draws took place on April 23 and 24. On the 23rd, IRCC invited 2,095 candidates in the general draw and 1,400 candidates in the French proficiency category-based selection draw on the 24th.
According to a recent access-to-information request, French proficiency is expected to be at the forefront of category-based selection draws in 2024. IRCC says this is due to higher employment rates for bilingual candidates. The department also said French proficiency generally means these candidates have higher CRS scores and therefore a better chance of successful economic integration overall.
STEM occupations will have the second-highest number of ITAs at 25%, while healthcare occupations will have 15%. The transport, trade, and agriculture and agri-food categories will account for 5% or less of all ITAs issued in category-based draws this year.
The remaining 21.5% of ITAs were to be issued in a general draw. Notably, there was no mention of programme-specific draws.
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 Express Entry?
Express Entry is an application management system that oversees Canada’s three most prominent economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Each program has different eligibility requirements, but they are all evaluated using the same Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
Through the CRS, Express Entry candidates are awarded points based on a number of human capital factors, such as their work experience, occupation, language ability, age, education, or if they are immigrating with a spouse or partner.
Each score is added together to give candidates their final CRS score. Candidates with higher scores are most likely to receive an ITA in an upcoming Express Entry draw.
In May 2023 IRCC also launched category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates with specific work experience or language skills. There are six categories:
- 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
These categories will remain in force until 2024 but may change in 2025.
Immigration candidates must be in the Express Entry pool and meet the other category requirements.
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