Express Entry: IRCC invites 1,499 candidates in latest draw

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to apply (ITAs) in Canada’s latest Express Entry draw.

The department issued 1,499  ITAs in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)- only draw.

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 663 to be considered.

This draw follows two draws on May 30 and 31. They were unique in that they were both program-specific draws. No program-specific draws have taken place since the introduction of category-based selection draws in May 2023.

The May 30 draw considered only candidates who had a provincial nomination thorough the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and the May 31 draw was for candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Together, these draws issued ITAs to 5,985 Express Entry candidates.

The CEC draw was the first such draw since September 2021. As many CEC candidates currently live and work in Canada, the draw is in line with Canada’s recent announcement that would be holding more domestic draws to transition more temporary residents to permanent residents and bring down the overall level of temporary residents in Canada. This also applies to the PNP draw.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an application management system that oversees three of Canada’s most prominent economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Each of these programs uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to evaluate candidates based on human capital factors such as their age, work experience, language ability, occupation, and education. The system also considers the inclusion of a spouse or partner in an application.

Each factor is worth a certain number of points and when added together, these points comprise a candidate’s overall CRS score. Once the candidate receives a CRS score, they are then ranked against other Express Entry candidates and those with the highest scores are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency in an upcoming Express Entry draw.

All three programs have different eligibility criteria but use the same system.

Once a candidate receives an ITA, they have 60 days to submit their final application for permanent residence to IRCC.

What is category-based selection?

Category-based selection was introduced in May 2023 as a means for IRCC to select Express Entry candidates with attributes that will have the most positive impact and Canada’s labour force and economy.

The six categories include five that are occupation based and one that targets candidates with strong proficiency in the French language. The occupation categories are:

• Healthcare occupations
• Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
• Trades occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
• Transport occupations
• Agriculture and agri-food occupations

According to a recently obtained Access to Information Request, the highest number of category-based selection draws this year will be for candidates in the French proficiency category (30%). Healthcare and STEM occupations will account for 15% and 25% respectively and the remaining categories will be 5% or less.