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Canada's Express Entry | Agri-Food Professionals Invited

Canada's Express Entry | Agri-Food Professionals Invited

Suchithra Munegowda Published:
February 22, 2024

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In the latest Express Entry draw, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued a total of 150 invitations in a category-based selection draw for agriculture and agri-food occupations. To qualify, candidates were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 437.

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This marks the year's inaugural draw for Agriculture and Agri-Food Occupations. All selected candidates hailed from specific occupations within the industry, sourced from the Express Entry pool. In comparison to draws conducted in 2023, this draw featured a notably higher qualifying score, leading to a reduction in the number of invitations issued to candidates within the agriculture and agri-food sector. In another category-based selection draw that was conducted on 1 February, a total of 7,000 candidates with French language proficiency were invited, marking it as the largest draw of the year thus far.

Below are some of the eligible agriculture and agri-food occupations:

Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services: 82031
Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors: 82030
Butchers- retail and wholesale: 63201

A chart depicting the CRS cut-off scores for the last 10 EE draws

Source: Owlspriority Immigration internal, IRCC

The chart illustrates a noticeable pattern in the recent Express Entry draws conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and this trend has been received with enthusiasm. There has been a decrease in the cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, in each separate category, resulting in a higher number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) being issued to eligible candidates. This adjustment has been made to ensure that IRCC achieves its multi-year immigration target for 2024-26, aiming to welcome over 485,000 new immigrants by the end of 2024.

Categories-based EE Selection

What is the New Category-based selection in Express Entry?

Category-based selection in Express Entry refers to the practice of holding rounds of invitations that specifically target candidates with certain attributes or qualifications. These attributes could include proficiency in French language or work experience in specific occupations facing shortages. In the context mentioned, the categories include:

French-language proficiency: candidates demonstrating proficiency in the French language.

Occupation-specific draws: candidates with work experience in the below five key occupations facing shortages:

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Healthcare
STEM Professions (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Trades
Transport
Agriculture and Agri-food

The rationale behind category-based EE Selection is to address labor shortages in critical sectors of the Canadian economy. Canada aims to welcome more skilled workers to alleviate these shortages, especially considering the anticipated retirement of up to nine million Canadians by 2030. The Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, emphasizes the importance of skilled immigration in eliminating these shortages.

Check if you qualify for Express Entry. Check out our Settlement Resources to learn how to find employment in Canada, making your initial days stress-free, etc.