Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have issued invitations to apply (ITAs) in the most recent Express Entry draw.
The department issued 400 ITAs in a Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw.
Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 539 to be considered.
Today’s draw follows a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on November 18 which invited 174 candidates.
This is also the second week in a row that Express Entrydraws have occurred.
The previous week issued a total of 1,933 ITAs to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program, PNP candidates, and candidates with French-language proficiency.
Federal targets for immigration through the Express Entry system are set to increase next year, per IRCC’s latest Immigration Levels Plan. The immigration department hopes to welcome 124,680 Express Entry candidates to Canada in the next year.
In addition, more than 82,000 of these admissions will be dedicated to a new category for Express Entry candidates in Canada, known as the In-Canada Focus category. This category will be comprised primarily of CEC candidates in the Express Entry pool, but may also include candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program(FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and PNP-aligned Express Entry streams.
Per the latest Levels Plan, the remaining 41,700 permanent residence (PR) admissions will be reserved for the “Federal Economic Priorities” category. This category will invite candidates in the Express Entry pool who have professional experience in in-demand professions and occupations in the Canadian labour market.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an application management system for three major economic immigration programs for those seeking permanent residence: the CEC, the FSWP, and the FSTP.
Candidates in these programs are assessed through the CRS, which assigns scores based on human capital factors such as age, occupation, language skills, education, and work experience.
Additional points can be awarded for having a sibling in Canada, applying with a spouse or partner, or combining education and work experience from Canada and abroad.
Candidates who have received a provincial nomination through an enhanced PNP stream can receive an extra 600 CRS points, significantly increasing their chances of receiving an ITA.
Candidates with the highest CRS scores are the most likely to receive an ITA in future Express Entry draws, provided they meet the criteria of the specific draw.
