Latest Canada's Express Entry Draws – Updated Draw Figures
Express Entry, the immigration system of Canada, conducts frequent draws for immigration to Canada. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) selects candidates from the express entry pool through the periodically held express entry draw.
The latestCanada Express Entry 2024 Draw was held on April 11th, 2024. It issue 4500 invitations to all express entry programs. And the CRS cut-off was 491 points.
What is the Canada Express Entry draw?
Since the introduction of additional categories in 2024, the regular bi-weekly Express Entry draws have experienced modifications. Each draw establishes a CRS cut-off score, influenced by factors like candidate pool size, government immigration targets, and program or category criteria. The objective is to select applicants with high potential to contribute to the Canadian economy. The CRS cut-off score signifies the minimum score for receiving an ITA for permanent residency. Successful ITA recipients must complete and submit their electronic Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR) within 60 days. Prospective immigrants should stay abreast of Express Entry draws to assess their chances of securing an invitation for permanent residency in Canada.
How often does Canada Express Entry take place? It is one of the common questions asked by a Canadian immigrant. The Express Entry draw is usually held on a bi-weekly schedule. If there is a gap between two successive draws, the draw comes out to be larger with issuing more invitations. And each express entry draw has a tie-break date and time. This means that candidates must have submitted their profiles before the tie-break date and time in order to have received an Invitation to Apply.
Visa applicants who wish to immigrate to Canada are selected for immigration through the following programs:
The Express Entry system is developed by the Canadian government to help a large number of people around the world move to Canada. And, to sustain the Canadian economy which is largely dependent on new immigrants. Foreign nationals are invited from all the programs that come under the express entry including the express entry aligned stream of the nominee program.
What is an Invitation to Apply?
To enter the immigration process through the Express Entry system, a foreign worker must create and submit his/her profile in the express entry pool. The candidates who have higher points as per the Comprehensive Ranking System are invited by the IRCC to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Consequently, this invitation makes a candidate eligible to apply for permanent resident status.
What is a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score?
To apply for the express entry immigration system and get resident status, a candidate has to submit his/her profile in the Express Entry pool. This profile acts as an Expression of Interest shown by the candidate for applying for permanent residence in Canada.
Once a profile is submitted, the candidate is awarded a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which is eventually the deciding factor for securing an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence.
CRS score is dependent on the following factors:
Age;
Education;
Post-secondary degree;
Language proficiency;
Foreign work experience;
Canadian work experience;
Canadian certificate of education
How can you increase your express entry score?
The major factors that are considered in the Express Entry system are age, language skills, education, and work experience.
You can have a good CRS score by following these tips:
Try to fetch the maximum number of points with the help of human capital factors, like age, education qualification, and language test results.
Good proficiency in French can help you earn additional points
A Canadian citizen or a permanent resident as your sibling can make you get extra points
If applicable, human capital factors of your spouse can also help you increase your points
A provincial nomination from provinces of Canada makes you earn 600 additional points
Increase your CRS score for the next Express Entry Draw!
If a candidate has got a low CRS score in the latest draw, he/she does have a chance to improve his/her score in order to be invited to apply for residency application in the subsequent express entry draw.
An applicant can increase his/her score by re-appearing for the language test, for example, IELTS. In addition to this, the spouse of a candidate can also be beneficial to get additional points to the total CRS score.
The candidate should apply to a Provincial Nominee Program of the province he/she would like for immigration. This will fetch him/her an additional 600 points which will effectively guarantee an ITA in the next express entry draw.
If an applicant has a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, he/she can earn additional points depending on the chosen NOC.
Canada’s Immigration Target for 2020-2024
The Immigration Minister of Canada has recently expressed his wish to welcome more than one million residents in the next three years. The Minister has stated that immigration will help Canada to boost its economy, have labour market growth, and support new businesses.
Thus, as a candidate, you can expect a large number of ITAs being issued in the coming years, giving a great opportunity to aspirants to settle their base in Canada.
Anticipating the Next Express Entry Draw
Express Entry Draws operate without a fixed schedule. Typically, they occur bi-weekly, though there might be variations in frequency, including more frequent draws or temporary pauses. To stay updated on the latest Express Entry draws, eligibility criteria, and selection details, please refer to the following section.
Makeup of the Express Entry Candidate Pool
Shortly before each draw, the IRCC made information about the composition of the Express Entry pool public. The distribution of CRS scores among applicants in the Express Entry pool is seen below:
CRS Score Range
Number of Candidates
601-1200
965
501-600
9,567
451-500
59,371
491-500
7,574
481-490
10,095
471-480
17,137
461-470
13,373
451-460
11,192
401-450
50,695
441-450
10,265
431-440
10,474
421-430
9,110
411-420
10,407
401-410
10,439
351-400
56,178
301-350
29,305
0-300
5,406
Total
211,487
Updated
February 27, 2024
Varieties of Express Entry Draws – A Comprehensive Overview
Every year, IRCC holds multiple invitation rounds with three different kinds of Express Entry draws:
General Invitations: High-ranking candidates in the Express Entry pool, eligible for any of the three programs—Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), or Canadian Experience Class (CEC)—receive invitations in these rounds.
Program-Specific Invitations: These rounds target highly-ranked candidates eligible for a specific Express Entry program. For instance, the IRCC regularly conducts draws for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), exclusively inviting eligible PNP candidates.
Categorized Invitations: The Immigration Minister defines specific classifications aligning with national economic goals. Top-ranked candidates in the pool, meeting the requirements for the designated category, receive invitations.
Selected Categories for 2024
The categories are chosen based on data and forecasts on the job market as well as suggestions from the provinces and territories. Every year, the IRCC submits a report to Parliament outlining the categories selected the year before and assessing prospective categories for the future.
In 2024, the selected categories are:
Agriculture and agri-food occupations
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
Trade occupations
Transport occupations
French-language proficiency
Healthcare occupations
Key Steps to Enhance Your Chances of Being Selected in an Express Entry Draw
CRS score is the main factor taken into account when making an Express Entry draw. For this reason, after you submit your profile to the Express Entry pool, you should investigate several ways to improve your CRS score ranking in the pool. This entails determining how to raise your overall CRS score by earning as many points as possible from a variety of categories, including work experience, education, language ability, and other aspects of your profile. You may be able to improve your chances of being invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada via the Express Entry system by carefully looking into these options.
Minimum CRS Scores for Successful Express Entry Draws
Examining historical data reveals that the lowest acceptable CRS score in the Express Entry system, which began in 2015, was 75. This notable achievement occurred during a CEC Draw in February 2021, underscoring the occasional adaptability in the criteria for scoring.
Additionally, in draws specifically targeting Federal Skilled Workers within the all-program category, the lowest permitted CRS score was 413. These instances emphasize the evolving nature of score thresholds and the need for applicants to stay informed about the latest draw patterns. Keeping abreast of these trends is crucial for individuals seeking to enhance their prospects of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada. The examples provided underscore the dynamic and variable nature of CRS score criteria over time.
Next Steps After Being Selected in an Express Entry Draw
An ITA, which is a crucial stage in the immigration process, is sent to you when your profile is chosen in an Express Entry Draw.
An official invitation given to candidates who satisfy the requirements for permanent residency is known as an ITA. You have 60 days from the time you obtain the ITA to gather and file an extensive Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR).
It is crucial that you carefully collect all of the information and paperwork needed for the eAPR submission during this time. This can include, but is not limited to, employment history records, educational records, certifications of completion, language proficiency test results, and any other supporting paperwork that the immigration authorities specify.
Respecting the 60-day window is essential since, should the eAPR not be submitted by then, the ITA will expire and the candidate will have to wait for a redraw to have another opportunity.
Candidates increase their prospects of moving forward in the Express Entry process and, eventually, obtaining permanent residency in Canada by precisely and swiftly completing the eAPR application within the designated deadline.
Strategies for Enhancing Your CRS Score to Secure an Invitation in the Next Express Entry Draw
Candidates whose CRS scores fall far short of the Express Entry minimum cut-off should actively look for ways to raise their scores. Updating their profile to correspond with particular category-based draws, where competition might be less fierce, is an effective tactic.
To satisfy the requirements for the French-language proficiency category, candidates may, for example, concentrate on raising their French language proficiency scores. In doing so, they not only improve their CRS score overall but also put themselves in a more competitive position among draws that specifically target candidates who speak French fluently.
Compared to taking part in a broad round of invites, when competition among candidates with different profiles and language proficiency may be stronger, this customized approach boosts the likelihood of selection. In order to maximize category-based draws that match their skills and credentials, candidates should carefully update their profiles. This will increase the likelihood that they will be invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
Understanding Delays in Express Entry Draws
The regular scheduling of Express Entry lotteries has been noticeably delayed in recent times for the Canadian government. A number of reasons have been given for these delays, including as the implementation of new category drawings, changes to immigration laws, reorganizations of governmental objectives, and adaptations to fulfill new immigration goals. Prospective applicants must be aware of these delays and watch for official notifications that provide updates on when Express Entry draws are expected to resume.
Have a look at the latest express entry draw trend with the following list:
