Canada invites candidates in the first Express Entry draw

This news was obtained from www.cicnews.com

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations in the first Express Entry draw of the year.

The department invited 1,510 candidates to apply in a general draw.

They required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 546.

A general draw considers candidates from all Express Entry managed programs including the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). No occupations or other human capital attributes are targeted.

The four most recent draws took place from from December 18-21. The all-program draw on December 18 invited 1,325 candidates with a minimum CRS of 524.

The remaining three draws were for candidates who fit the criteria for category-based selection in one of the six possible categories. The December 19 draw invited 1,000 candidates in a category-based draw for trades occupations with a minimum CRS of 425 and the December 20 invited 670 candidates in transport occupations. Candidates needed a CRS score of at least 435.

On December 21, 400 candidates in agriculture and agri-food occupations received ITAs. They required a minimum CRS score of 386.

IRCC also held three draws between December 6-8. The December 6 draw was all-program, December 7 was for candidates who were eligible under the category for French-language proficiency and the December 8 draw invited candidates in STEM occupations.

In total, there were seven Express Entry draws in December. This is the most Express Entry draws in one month for all of 2023. It followed a six-week pause that lasted from October 26 until the December 6 draw. IRCC did not confirm a reason for the pause.

 

Summary of Express Entry draws since June 2023

  • Date Draw Type Number of ITAs         Minimum CRS
  • Dec 19 Trade occupations       1,000   425
  • Dec 18 All-program     1,325   542
  • Dec 8 STEM occupations     5,900   481
  • Dec 7 French language proficiency   1,000   470
  • Dec 6 All-program     4,750   561
  • Oct 26 Healthcare occupations           3,600   431
  • Oct 25 French language proficiency   300      486
  • Oct 24 PNP-only        1,548   776
  • Oct 10 All-program     3,725   500
  • Sept 28 Agriculture and agri-food occupations           600      354
  • Sept 27 French language proficiency   500      472
  • Sept 26 All-program     3,000   504
  • Sept 20 Transport occupations 1,000   435
  • Sept 19 All-program     3,200   531
  • Aug 15 All-program     4,300   496
  • Aug 3 Trade occupations       1,500   388
  • Aug 2 French language proficiency   800      435
  • Aug 1 All-program     2,000   517
  • July 12 French language proficiency   3,800   375
  • July 11 All-program     800      505
  • July 7 French language proficiency   2,300   439
  • July 6 Healthcare occupations           1500    463
  • July 5 STEM occupations     500      486
  • July 4 All-program     700      511
  • June 28 Healthcare occupations           500      476
  • June 27 All-program     4,300   486
  • June 8 All-program     4,800   486

 

What will Express Entry look like in 2024?

The Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026, shows that Canada will admit 110,000 new permanent residents through Express Entry in 2024.

This is a jump from the 82,880 Express Entry candidates IRCC targeted in 2023. Still, the high target does not necessarily mean that all the candidates invited in 2024 will be admitted before the year’s end. Some, especially those invited later in the year, will arrive in 2025. This is because IRCC has a service standard of six months to issue a final decision on Express Entry applications for permanent residency.

IRCC issued more than 100,000 ITAs to Express Entry candidates in 2023.

 

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an application management system that oversees the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

These three economic immigration programs use the Comprehensive Ranking System to assign a score to candidates based on their human capital attributes. This includes factors such as language ability, education, work experience, occupation, and age. Each attribute is assigned a score and candidates are ranked against each other.

Express Entry candidates in any of the three programs may also receive ITAs in a category-based selection draw that targets a specific attribute. This type of draw was introduced in May 2023 and features six categories:

  • Healthcare;
  • STEM professions;
  • Trades;
  • Transport;
  • Agriculture and agri-food; and
  • French-language proficiency

Regardless of the program or the type of draw, those with the highest CRS score are the most likely to receive an ITA in an upcoming Express Entry draw.

This news was obtained from www.cicnews.com