Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released invitations to apply (ITAs) in the most recent Express Entry draw.
In this category-based draw, 1,000 ITAs were issued to candidates with French language skills.
To be considered, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 446.
Today’s draw is the second of the month and follows a busy summer for IRCC. Over July and August, the department conducted 14 Express Entry draws, with July setting a record for the highest number of draws in a single month since the system's inception in 2015, featuring nine draws between July 2 and 31.
The latest Express Entry draw before today’s took place on September 9th, issuing 911 ITAs exclusively to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates.
IRCC has recently implemented a bi-weekly draw pattern, typically including at least one draw for PNP candidates. This aligns with IRCC's goal of increasing opportunities for temporary residents in Canada to transition to permanent residency and managing the influx of temporary residents.
Summary of Express Entry Draw Results in 2024:
Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
September 13 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 446 |
September 9 | Provincial Nominee Program | 911 | 732 |
August 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,300 | 507 |
August 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,121 | 694 |
August 15 | French language proficiency | 2,000 | 394 |
August 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,200 | 509 |
August 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 763 | 690 |
July 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 5,000 | 510 |
July 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 964 | 686 |
July 18 | French language proficiency | 1,800 | 400 |
July 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,300 | 515 |
July 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,391 | 670 |
July 8 | French proficiency | 3,200 | 420 |
July 5 | Healthcare occupations | 3,750 | 445 |
July 4 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 436 |
July 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 920 | 739 |
June 19 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,499 | 663 |
May 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 522 |
May 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,985 | 676 |
April 24 | French proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
April 23 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
April 11 | STEM occupations | 4,500 | 491 |
April 10 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
March 26 | French language proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
March 25 | General | 1,980 | 524 |
March 13 | Transport occupations | 975 | 430 |
March 12 | General | 2,850 | 525 |
February 29 | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
February 28 | General | 1,470 | 534 |
February 16 | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 150 | 437 |
February 14 | Healthcare occupations | 3,500 | 422 |
February 13 | General | 1,490 | 535 |
February 1 | French language proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
January 31 | General | 730 | 541 |
January 23 | General | 1,040 | 543 |
January 10 | General | 1,510 | 546 |
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry, introduced by IRCC in 2015, is an application management system designed to select economic immigration candidates based on in-demand skills. It oversees three economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is central to this system, assigning points based on attributes such as language ability, work experience, education, occupation, and age. Candidates with the highest CRS scores are the most likely to receive an ITA.
Candidates in these programs can also apply for streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) that are aligned with Express Entry, a process known as enhanced nomination. When Express Entry candidates receive a provincial nomination, they automatically earn an additional 600 CRS points, significantly increasing their chances of receiving an ITA in an upcoming Express Entry draw, depending on the draw type.
In 2023, IRCC introduced category-based selection draws to target candidates with specific in-demand attributes, primarily focusing on work experience. Candidates who receive ITAs in these draws do not need to be in a specific Express Entry program (although they must still be in the Express Entry pool), and the minimum CRS score required is generally lower compared to program-specific or general draws.
The six categories are:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
- Trades occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- French-language proficiency
IRCC reviews these categories annually and notes that they may change in response to shifting labour market priorities and demographic demands in the future.
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