Over the course of the eight months preceding March 2024 Express Entry outpaces Quebec’s arrima in francophone invitations. IRCC granted 18,200 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence (PR) to qualified candidates meeting the criteria specified for category-based Express Entry draws within the department’s French language proficiency category.
Between July 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, the province of Quebec issued 13,133 provincial immigration invitations through Arrima draws as part of the Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) program. Concurrently, IRCC granted 18,200 Express Entry Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates proficient in French language skills. Also, this number exceeds the total invitations sent out by Quebec through its immigration system in 2023, which stood at 18,173.
Understanding Category-Based Express Entry Draws
IRCC employs a selection method known as category-based Express Entry draws to extend invitations to applicants seeking permanent residence in Canada through the Express Entry system. IRCC tailors these invitations to specific groups of candidates who meet defined criteria, such as language proficiency (e.g., French), educational background, professional experience, or other parameters outlined by IRCC.
Candidates meeting the requirements of the designated category receive ITAs for permanent residence, facilitating the progression of their immigration applications. By aligning with the country’s unique economic and social needs, category-based draws enable IRCC to effectively manage the immigration process while ensuring a transparent and equitable selection process for prospective immigrants.
Category-based Express Entry draws are a variation of the Express Entry draw system that was introduced in June 2023 with the goal of helping the Canadian federal government hire talented foreign workers. These draws go after applicants for immigration who, in the opinion of IRCC, have experience or competence in fields that are strategically significant to Canada. 2023 saw the IRCC announce that eligible candidates with the following would be given priority in category-based draws:
- Candidates with professional experience in one of the following sectors: Healthcare; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Trades; Transport; and Agriculture/Agri-Food.
- Applicants demonstrating proficient fluency in the French language.
Qualifications for French Proficiency in Express Entry Draws
The federal government’s goal of empowering French minority communities across Canada is the driving force behind the IRCC’s decision to include French language proficiency in Express Entry.
Candidates must submit French language test results showing a least of a 7 in each of the four language competencies (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) in order to be eligible for this category.
According to the IRCC, the guidelines for every invitation cycle will include detailed qualifying requirements.
Advantages of PR in Canada via IRCC’s French Proficiency Category
Minimal CRS score prerequisites
Since the department started conducting category-based Express Entry draws in June 2023, three of the five lowest scores have been included in the CRS score thresholds for the IRCC’s French language competence category.
- February 29, 2024: French language proficiency category, CRS score 336.
- September 28, 2023: Agriculture and Agri-Food category, CRS score 354.
- February 29, 2024: French language proficiency category, CRS score 365.
- July 12, 2023: French language proficiency category, CRS score 375.
- December 21, 2023: Agriculture and Agri-Food category, CRS score 386.
This is important because it signifies that lowering the CRS score limits would qualify more individuals to receive an ITA.
Substantial draw volumes
The IRCC held its biggest category-based draw to date on February 1, 2024, inviting 7,000 candidates in the French language category. The IRCC has released 9,500 ITAs in two French-language drawings since the start of 2024. For context, as of March 1, the IRCC had only given 490 additional ITAs (for a total of 9,890) in the combined general and category-based Express Entry drawings this year.
Benefits of being part of the Express Entry pool
Choosing to immigrate to Canada via the Express Entry route usually entails extra perks for individuals included in the Express Entry candidate pool. Candidates in the pool, for example, may be eligible to participate in general drawings, program-specific draws, and enhanced provincial nominee program (PNP) draws, among other Express Entry draws. In both general and program-specific Express Entry draws, applicants receive preference based on their CRS scores, rather than their specific work experience or proficiencies, unlike category-based draws.
Moreover, candidates who are already in the Express Entry pool and receive a provincial nomination for permanent residency are eligible to participate in enhanced PNP draws. As well as individuals in the Express Entry pool who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an extra 600 CRS points, practically guaranteeing them an ITA in a future IRCC Express Entry draw.
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