Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations in the latest Express Entry draw.
The department invited 1,040 candidates in the general draw.
Candidates were required to achieve a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 543.
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This was the second draw of 2024 after the draw on January 10, which invited 1,510 candidates in a general draw for all Express Entry Managed Program candidates. Candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 546 to be considered.
The latest draws come after a busy December in which IRCC invited candidates to seven separate Express Entry draws throughout the month. Two draws were all-program draws and the remaining five were category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates who met eligibility criteria for French language proficiency as well as trades, transportation, STEM, agriculture, and agri-food occupations.
During 2023, IRCC conducted 42 Express Entry draws. Most (19) were all-program draws (now called general draws). IRCC also invited candidates in 17 category-based selection draws between late June and December. Finally, five draws considered only Express Entry candidates who were nominated through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and one draw was only for federal skilled worker candidates.
It is hard to predict how Express Entry results will play out in 2024. IRCC has moved away from a predictable frequency of draws and there is no way to know what the types of draws will be.
However, according to the Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026, the department aims to admit 110,770 new permanent residents to Canada in 2024 and will need to issue enough ITAs to help meet the 2025 admissions target of 117,500. Many of these invitations will be issued in 2024 as it takes up to six months for IRCC to process an Express Entry application.
Summary of 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 was established in 2015 to help expedite application processing for economic immigration candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
It uses a comprehensive ranking system to assign scores based on human capital attributes such as occupation, education, language skills, work experience and age. Candidates with the highest scores are most likely to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent resident status.
In May 2023, the department launched category-based selection round invitations for candidates who can demonstrate that they meet the criteria for one of six new Express Entry draw 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
Candidates with these attributes must be in the application pool under one of the three Express Entry-managed programs to be considered.
Express Entry candidates who receive a nomination through the Provincial Nominee Program have the advantage of receiving an additional 600 CRS points. This virtually guarantees that they will get an ITA in the upcoming draw.
Once an Express Entry candidate receives an ITA, he or she has 60 days to submit his or her final application for permanent resident status to IRCC.
Get a free Express Entry assessment