Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted its third Express Entry draw this week, issuing 1,800 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in a category-based selection draw for candidates proficient in French.
Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 400 to be eligible, marking one of the lowest CRS scores for any Express Entry draw this year. Yesterday, a program-specific draw for 6,300 Canadian Experience Class candidates had a minimum score of 515, the lowest for any non-category-based selection draw.
Earlier this week, IRCC invited 1,391 candidates in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)-only draw with a minimum CRS score of 670. On July 8, 3,200 candidates with French proficiency were invited with a minimum score of 420.
CRS scores for PNP-only draws tend to be higher because candidates nominated for the PNP receive an additional 600 CRS points. For example, a candidate with a score of 300 who is nominated will have an overall CRS score of 900.
So far this month, IRCC has issued 19,161 ITAs over seven separate draws, making it the busiest month for Express Entry this year.
Summary of Express Entry draw results in 2024
What is the Express Entry system?
Express Entry is an application management system for three economic immigration programs in Canada: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). These programs lead to permanent residency in Canada.
Candidates are evaluated using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which scores them on factors such as occupation, age, education, language ability, and work experience. The system, introduced in 2015, aims to expedite processing times, with a standard of six months.
What is Category-Based Selection?
Launched in 2023, category-based selection targets candidates likely to fill urgent workforce gaps or strengthen demographics in Canada. The six categories are:
⦁ Healthcare occupations
⦁ Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
⦁ Trade occupations (e.g., carpenters, plumbers)
⦁ Transport occupations
⦁ Agriculture and agri-food occupations
⦁ French-language proficiency
Draws for these categories are not program-specific, and applicants must be in the Express Entry pool to be eligible.
