Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to evaluate applicants based on factors like their age, work experience, language skills, etc. A higher CRS score increases the chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Express Entry draws come in various forms and include program-specific, category-based, and general draws. All applicants are considered in general draws, regardless of their program or employment type.
In the week's third Express Entry draw, a total of 1,800 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to candidates who are proficient in French language. The minimum CRS score that was required to receive selection in this draw was 515 - one of the lowest of the year. The latest Express Entry draw for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) also had the lowest score of any non-category-based selection draw at 515, for 6,300 candidates.
Earlier this week, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 1,391 candidates in a Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)-only draw with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 670. Before that, the IRCC invited 3,200 candidates in a category-based draw for French proficiency on July 8. For PNPs-only draws, candidates tend to have higher CRS scores because successful PNP nominees receive additional 600 CRS points. So far this month, the IRCC has issued 19,161 ITAs over seven separate draws, making it the busiest month for Express Entry in this year.
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.
Express Entry is an electronic selection system used by the Federal as well as Provincial governments of Canada [to select], as well as designated Canadian employers [to nominate] candidates for Canadian permanent residence under three of its popular economic [skilled] immigration programs:
Candidates eligible for any of the above programs are given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in the Express Entry Pool. It is based on their Core/Human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language ability in English and/or French, etc. And, based on scores, candidates are periodically invited (or nominated) for permanent residence.
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:
The rationale behind category-based EE Selection is to address labour 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.
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