Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) commenced the year with its first Express Entry draw, issuing 1,510 invitations to apply in a comprehensive draw.
Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 546 to qualify.
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This inclusive draw was open to candidates across all Express Entry programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), without focusing on specific occupations or human capital factors.
The last four draws of the previous year occurred between December 18 and 21. The December 18 all-program draw invited 1,325 candidates, requiring a minimum CRS of 524.
The subsequent draws targeted specific categories. On December 19, 1,000 trade occupation candidates were invited with a CRS minimum of 425, followed by 670 transport occupation candidates on December 20 needing at least 435 CRS. December 21 saw 400 agriculture and agri-food candidates invited, with a required CRS of 386.
Between December 6 and 8, IRCC conducted three additional draws: an all-program draw on December 6, a French-language proficiency draw on December 7, and a STEM occupation draw on December 8.
December witnessed a record seven Express Entry draws, the highest in any month of 2023, following a six-week hiatus from October 26 to December 6. The reason for this pause was not disclosed by IRCC.
Summary of Express Entry Draws Since June 2023:
Dec 19: Trade Occupations, 1,000 ITAs, Min CRS 425
Dec 18: All-Program, 1,325 ITAs, Min CRS 542
Dec 8: STEM Occupations, 5,900 ITAs, Min CRS 481
Dec 7: French Language Proficiency, 1,000 ITAs, Min CRS 470
Dec 6: All-Program, 4,750 ITAs, Min CRS 561
Looking ahead to 2024, the Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 indicates Canada’s plan to welcome 110,000 new permanent residents through Express Entry, up from the 82,880 target in 2023. However, not all invited candidates in 2024 might arrive within the year, as some may enter in 2025 due to IRCC’s six-month processing standard for Express Entry permanent residency applications.
In 2023, IRCC issued over 100,000 ITAs to Express Entry candidates.
About Express Entry:
Express Entry manages applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. These programs use the Comprehensive Ranking System to score candidates based on various human capital factors, including language skills, education, work experience, and age. Candidates are ranked and those with the highest scores are more likely to receive an ITA in future Express Entry draws. Since May 2023, category-based selection draws targeting specific attributes like healthcare, STEM, trades, transport, agriculture and agri-food, and French-language proficiency have been introduced.
