IRCC has invited candidates for the 13th Express Entry Draw of 2023.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 4,800 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in an all-program draw.
Candidates need a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 488.
This draw follows the most recent draw on May 10 in which 589 candidates received an ITA in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) specific draw. In a PNP only draw, candidates are in the Express Entry pool under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and have also been nominated by a Canadian province.
Express Entry in 2023
Express Entry throughout 2023 has not yet established a strong pattern in terms of number of candidates invited, frequency of draws or even the type of draws.
The January draw follows the pre-pandemic pattern of being two weeks apart and inviting candidates from all programs. This changed in February when the IRCC held four event-specific draws between 1 February and 1 March. February also saw the first event-specific draw for the FSWP.
There were three draws in February, and one draw each week in March. Over 21,000 candidates were invited throughout March. This was the second highest number of ITAs issued in a month in Express Entry history.
April resumed the pre-pandemic pattern of an all-program draw every two weeks.
Later this year, it is expected that the IRCC will begin attracting Express Entry candidates targeted at specific characteristics rather than a high CRS score. This became possible when Bill C-19 got Royal Assent in June 2022.
The bill would give Canada’s Minister of Immigration the right to invite candidates who can best support Canada in its economic goals by alleviating pressure in specific sectors due to permanent labor shortages.
Express Entry draws are entirely at the discretion of the IRCC and the Minister of Immigration. As per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, there is no rule saying when the draw will take place, from which schedule, the number of candidates or the minimum CRS cut-off score. Put in other words, there is no compulsion for the IRCC to follow a pattern or even hold a draw if the Minister does not consider it necessary.
What is Express Entry?
The Express Entry Application Management System oversees three Canadian economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Classes.
Candidates in these programs are assessed using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The system assigns scores to candidates based on human capital factors such as language ability, education, work experience, occupation and age. Those with the highest scores are most likely to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
According to the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025, Canada will admit more than 82,000 new permanent residents through a federal high-skilled immigration program (Express Entry) by the end of 2023.
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