In June, the 14th Express Entry draw of 2023 was conducted by IRCC, resulting in the invitation of 4800 eligible candidates in this particular draw. In order to be considered, candidates should have scored at least 486 on the CRS.
A minimum CRS score of 488 was required for applicants to be invited to the all-program draw held on May 24, and this was the first draw of June. CRS score of 483 for April 26 is higher than the minimum requirement.
This summer, the IRCC will begin holding category-based selection draws
According to a news release issued by the IRCC on May 31, six new categories have been established for Express Entry applicants.
New categories are designed to promote Canada’s economic objectives by selecting candidates who possess particular qualities.
In addition, five places are reserved for professionals with prior experience in these fields:
- Healthcare
- Agriculture and agri-food
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
- Transport
- Trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
Fluent French speakers make up the last category. However, the government has not provided a specific date for the start of category-based lotteries this summer.
Candidates in the Express Entry pool are eligible for an ITA in targeted drawings if they are in the Express Entry pool. Candidates who meet the Express Entry eligibility requirements will still be ranked by IRCC, with ITAs being issued to those who perform best.
IRCC will still conduct program-specific, and all-program draws as needed.
Express Entry draw in 2023
A total of 49,948 candidates have been invited to participate in the IRCC’s draws in 2023, except for the present draw. The number of applicants here has already increased significantly over what was requested between July and November of 2022. The IRCC didn’t hold another all-program draw until July 2022 due to the COVID-19 epidemic (31,000 candidates).
Express Entry held two draws in May. The first draw was for 589 candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) on May 10. The applicants belonged both to the Express Entry pool and to the pool of nominees of the provincial governments.
It was clear from both April draws that they were very similar. Each drawing, which invited 3,500 candidates, was for the entire program. To qualify for the April 12 draw, candidates must have a CRS score of 346. To qualify for the April 26 draw, they must have a CRS score of 483.
March was an exceptional month in terms of the number of draws and candidates. The total number of applicants selected was 21,677 over the course of four draws. 7,000 candidates were sought in each of the four draws, and three of the four were all-program draws. PNP was the only eligible group, as 667 people were still to be drawn.
Furthermore, Express Entry conducted four draws in February, each concerning a different program; three dealt with PNP applicants; the fourth dealt with Federal Skilled Worker Program applicants (the first such draw in the history of the program). Five thousand applicants each applied to two all-program draws in January.
Express Entry – An overview
The IRCC launched the Express Entry application management system in 2015 to make it easier to choose skilled immigrants who wanted to settle permanently in Canada.
To evaluate applicants from the Federal Skilled Worker Program – FSWP, Federal Skilled Trades Program – FSTP, and Canadian Experience Class – CEC, this system uses the CRS. Work experience, occupation, linguistic ability, education, age, and other transferrable traits are all taken into account. An ITA for permanent residency is more likely to be granted to applicants with better CRS scores.
It is predicted that the IRCC will change its emphasis from prioritizing applicants with a high CRS score to focusing on those with particular skills that are in demand in the Canadian economy at any given time. Later this year, this modification is anticipated to take effect.
