1800 candidates invited in IRCC’s third Express Entry draw of this week. French-speaking candidates were the main focus of this category-based selection process. Candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 400 to be considered.
Furthermore, the current minimum CRS score required for an Express Entry draw is among the lowest this year. In a program-specific draw yesterday, 6,300 candidates in the Canadian Experience Class were invited, with the lowest score of any non-category-based selection draw at 515.
Earlier this week, the IRCC held a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-only draw, inviting 1,391 applicants with a minimum CRS score of 670. On July 8, a category-based selection draw invited 3,200 candidates for French proficiency.
PNP-only Express Entry draws typically have higher CRS scores because PNP nominations add an extra 600 CRS points. For instance, an Express Entry candidate with a score of 300 would have a total CRS of 900 if they received a PNP nomination.
This month has been the busiest for Express Entry this year, with 19,161 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued by the IRCC across seven different draws.
Recent Express Entry draws results
- July 18: French language proficiency draw issued 1,800 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 400.
- July 17: Canadian Experience Class draw issued 6,300 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 515.
- July 16: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw issued 1,391 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 670.
- July 8: French proficiency draw issued 3,200 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 420.
- July 5: Healthcare occupations draw issued 3,750 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 445.
- July 4: Trade occupations draw issued 1,800 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 436.
- July 2: PNP draw issued 920 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 739.
- June 19: PNP draw issued 1,499 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 663.
- May 31: Canadian Experience Class draw issued 3,000 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 522.
- May 30: PNP draw issued 2,985 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 676.
- April 24: French proficiency draw issued 1,400 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 410.
- April 23: General draw issued 2,095 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 529.
- April 11: STEM occupations draw issued 4,500 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 491.
- April 10: General draw issued 1,280 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 549.
- March 26: French language proficiency draw issued 1,500 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 388.
- March 25: General draw issued 1,980 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 524.
- March 13: Transport occupations draw issued 975 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 430.
- March 12: General draw issued 2,850 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 525.
- February 29: French language proficiency draw issued 2,500 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 336.
- February 28: General draw issued 1,470 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 534.
- February 16: Agriculture and agri-food occupations draw issued 150 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 437.
- February 14: Healthcare occupations draw issued 3,500 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 422.
- February 13: General draw issued 1,490 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 535.
- February 1: French language proficiency draw issued 7,000 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 365.
- January 31: General draw issued 730 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 541.
- January 23: General draw issued 1,040 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 543.
- January 10: General draw issued 1,510 ITAs with a minimum CRS score of 546.
Canada’s Express Entry System – An overview
Launched in January 2015, Canada’s Express Entry system aims to simplify and streamline the immigration selection process for skilled professionals. This points-based system ranks candidates based on criteria such as education, work experience, language ability, and other relevant qualities.
Three federal immigration programs are included in Express Entry: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) for people in professional, managerial, technical, or trade occupations; the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) for people who have worked in a skilled trade for at least two years and need a valid job offer or certificate of qualification; and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) for people who have worked in a skilled job in Canada for at least one year and are looking to apply.
Initially applicants construct an online profile with their educational history, work history, language skills, and other personal details. Their CRS score is based on a number of characteristics, including age, education, work experience, and fluency in both French and English. Moreover, it has a maximum score of 1,200 points. Provincial nominations, legitimate job offers, and Canadian qualifications earn extra points. The top-ranked applicants in the Express Entry pool are then invited by the IRCC to submit an application for permanent residence.
In addition, provinces and territories can propose candidates through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which raises their CRS score by 600 points. Additionally, the IRCC holds category-based draws that focus on particular language or skill sets. Moreover, regular draws in 2024 selected thousands of applications for positions in the healthcare industry, PNP, French language proficiency, and the Canadian Experience Class.
This system is essential to Canada’s ability to draw in skilled labor, maintain cultural diversity, and promote economic expansion.
Overview of Category-Based Selection Draws
To better target Express Entry candidates who can meet urgent workforce shortages or strengthen particular demographics in Canada, the IRCC adopted category-based selection in 2023. Also, the six categories that make up this approach are: jobs in healthcare; STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields; trades (carpenters, plumbers, contractors), transportation; jobs in agriculture and agri-food; and jobs requiring fluency in French. These divisions seek to promote economic expansion by addressing significant labor shortages.
