Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to candidates in the second Express Entry draw this week.
The department issued 975 invitations to apply (ITAs) in category-based draws for transport occupations.
Candidates were required to achieve a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 430.
Get a free Express Entry assessment
IRCC also released ITAs on March 12. This was a general draw in which 2,850 candidates were invited. A general draw considers candidates from all three Express Entry managed programs and uses CRS as the main eligibility criteria.
Candidates needed a minimum CRS of 525, which is 9 CRS points lower than the previous general draw on February 28 and is the lowest CRS for any general draw so far this year.
Six draws were held throughout February, inviting 16,110 candidates. The month began and ended with category-based selection draws, inviting individuals with a good command of the French language. The first draw took place on February 1, inviting 7,000 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 365. The second draw took place on February 29, inviting 2,500 candidates with a minimum score of 336, the lowest CRS score of any draw so far this year.
The remaining four draws included two additional category-based draws. One took place on February 14 and invited 3,500 candidates in healthcare occupations, with a minimum CRS of 422. The second took place on February 16 and invited 150 candidates in agriculture and agri-food occupations, with a minimum score of 437.
Finally, IRCC held two general Express Entry draws in February. On February 13, the department invited 1,490 candidates with a minimum score of 535 and 1,470 candidates on February 28. These candidates had a minimum CRS score of 534.
| 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?
Unlike general draws, in which candidates are selected from all Express Entry managed programs based solely on their CRS scores, category-based selection draws target Express Entry candidates who possess specific sought-after qualities.
This type of draw was launched in May 2023 to meet labour shortages in critical sectors of the Canadian workforce. There are six categories through which eligible Express Entry candidates can obtain an ITA:
- 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 draws may prove beneficial for candidates who are already in the Express Entry application pool. So far this year, the average CRS score in category-based draws has been lower than in general draws.
For example, in the four category-based selection draws, the highest minimum CRS score was 437, and the lowest was 336.
In contrast, no general draw so far in 2024 has had a minimum CRS less than 534.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an application management system for 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).
Candidates who assess themselves as eligible for one of these programs can upload their profile to the IRCC website and receive their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The CRS provides scores for human capital attributes such as work experience, education, occupation, language skills, and age.
Candidates in the Express Entry application pool are ranked against each other according to their CRS scores. Candidates with the highest scores are most likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent resident status.
Once a candidate receives an ITA, he or she has 60 days to submit his or her final application to IRCC.
Get a free Express Entry assessment