IRCC grants 1,000 ITAs in the third Express Entry Draw

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently conducted Express Entry draws, issuing 1,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a category-based selection draw for candidates with French-speaking proficiency. To qualify, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 444.

This was the third Express Entry draw this week. Previously, IRCC invited 1,613 candidates with Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nominations, requiring a score of 743, and on October 9, another draw took place, inviting 500 candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) with a minimum score of 539.

Before this week, the last draw occurred on September 19, which invited 4,000 CEC candidates needing a minimum score of 509, a slight increase from the 507 required in the August 27 draw. Recently, IRCC has decreased the frequency of category-based selection draws, with the only category-based draw aside from French proficiency being for healthcare occupations back on July 5.

Conversely, CEC draws have been more frequent this summer, with 21,800 ITAs issued since July. This aligns with IRCC's goal of increasing "domestic" draws while reducing the number of temporary residents in Canada, helping to meet its annual permanent resident targets.

October has seen three draws so far, compared to four draws held in October of the previous year, which invited a total of 9,173 candidates.

What is Express Entry? Express Entry is an immigration management system introduced in 2015 to help IRCC select candidates for economic immigration who can address urgent labor shortages. Candidates applying through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, or CEC are assessed using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which considers factors like work experience, age, language skills, education, and occupation. Additional points can be earned for factors like having a spouse or partner immigrating with them, having a sibling in Canada, or having Canadian work or education experience.

Higher CRS scores increase the likelihood of receiving an ITA in future draws.

Category-Based Selection CRS scores in category-based selection draws are generally lower on average. These draws, introduced in May 2023, aim to select candidates who can meet urgent labor or demographic needs. There are six categories: healthcare, STEM professions, trades, transport, agriculture and agri-food, and French language proficiency. These categories were chosen after extensive consultations and considering labor market conditions, as well as IRCC's target to admit 6% of newcomers into French-speaking communities outside Quebec. While CRS cut-off scores for these draws tend to be lower than those for program-specific or general draws, having a high CRS score remains beneficial for candidates.

Summary of Express Entry draw results in 2024