Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations in the latest Express Entry draw.
The department invited 1,040 candidates in a general draw.
Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 543.
It was the second draw of 2024 following the draw on January 10 which invited 1,510 candidates in a general draw for candidates from all Express Entry managed programs. Candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 546 to be considered.
The latest draws follow a busy December in which IRCC invited candidates in seven separate Express Entry draws throughout the month. Two were all-program draws and the remaining five were category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates who met the eligibility criteria for French language proficiency as well as trades, transport, STEM, agriculture and agri-food occupations.
Throughout 2023, IRCC held 42 Express Entry draws. The majority (19) were all-program draws (now called general draws). IRCC also invited candidates in 17 category-based selection draws between late June and December. Finally, five draws considered only Express Entry candidates who were nominated through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and one draw for Federal Skilled Worker candidates only.
It is difficult to predict how Express Entry results will shape up throughout 2024. IRCC has moved away from a predictable frequency of draws and there is no way to know what the draw types will be.
However, according to the Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026, the department aims to admit up to 110,770 new permanent residents to Canada in 2024 and will need to issue enough ITAs to also help meet the 2025 admissions target of 117,500. Many of these invitations will be issued in 2024 because it takes IRCC up to six months to process an Express Entry application.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an application management system that was established in 2015 to help expedite application processing for economic immigration candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
It uses the Comprehensive Ranking System to assign scores based on human capital attributes such as occupation, education, language ability, work experience and age. Candidates with the highest scores are the most likely to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent resident status.
In May 2023, the department introduced category-based selection rounds of invitations for candidates who can demonstrate that they met the criteria for one of six new Express Entry draw categories:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
- Trades occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- Strong French proficiency
- Candidates with these attributes must be in the application pool under one of the three Express Entry-managed programs to be considered.
Express Entry candidates who also receive a nomination through the Provincial Nominee Program have the advantage of gaining an additional 600 CRS points. This virtually guarantees that they will get an ITA in an upcoming draw.
Once an Express Entry candidate receives an ITA, they have 60 days to submit their final application for permanent resident status to IRCC.
