The first Express Entry draw of the year has seen invites sent out by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). In a general draw, the department asked 1,510 applicants to apply.
A minimum score of 546 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) was necessary.
Candidates from all Express Entry administered programs, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), are taken into consideration for a general draw. Targeted human capital traits and jobs are not mentioned.
The dates of the last four draws were December 18–21. A minimum CRS of 524 was required for 1,325 candidates to be accepted to the all-program draw on December 18.
Candidates who met the requirements for category-based selection in any one of the six available categories were eligible for the remaining three draws. A category-based draw on December 19th invited 1,000 candidates for trades occupations with a minimum CRS of 425, and a draw on December 20th invited 670 candidates for transport occupations. A minimum CRS score of 435 was required of candidates.
.webp)
ITAs were given to 400 individuals on December 21 for positions in agriculture and agri-food. A minimum CRS score of 386 was necessary.
Three draws were also held by IRCC from December 6–8. applicants who met the requirements for French language competency were invited to the December 8 draw, while applicants in STEM fields were invited to the December 6 draw, which was open to all programs.
December saw a total of seven Express Entry draws. This represents 2023's highest number of Express Entry draws in a single month. It came after a six-week break from October 26 to the draw on December 6. The purpose of the halt was not confirmed by the IRCC.
Summary of Express Entry draws since June 2023
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 19 | Trade occupations | 1,000 | 425 |
| Dec 18 | All-program | 1,325 | 542 |
| Dec 8 | STEM occupations | 5,900 | 481 |
| Dec 7 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 470 |
| Dec 6 | All-program | 4,750 | 561 |
| Oct 26 | Healthcare occupations | 3,600 | 431 |
| Oct 25 | French language proficiency | 300 | 486 |
| Oct 24 | PNP-only | 1,548 | 776 |
| Oct 10 | All-program | 3,725 | 500 |
| Sept 28 | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 600 | 354 |
| Sept 27 | French language proficiency | 500 | 472 |
| Sept 26 | All-program | 3,000 | 504 |
| Sept 20 | Transport occupations | 1,000 | 435 |
| Sept 19 | All-program | 3,200 | 531 |
| Aug 15 | All-program | 4,300 | 496 |
| Aug 3 | Trade occupations | 1,500 | 388 |
| Aug 2 | French language proficiency | 800 | 435 |
| Aug 1 | All-program | 2,000 | 517 |
| July 12 | French language proficiency | 3,800 | 375 |
| July 11 | All-program | 800 | 505 |
| July 7 | French language proficiency | 2,300 | 439 |
| July 6 | Healthcare occupations | 1500 | 463 |
| July 5 | STEM occupations | 500 | 486 |
| July 4 | All-program | 700 | 511 |
| June 28 | Healthcare occupations | 500 | 476 |
| June 27 | All-program | 4,300 | 486 |
| June 8 | All-program | 4,800 | 486 |
How will 2024's Express Entry look?
According to the Immigration Levels Plan 2024–2026, 110,000 new permanent residents will be admitted to Canada via Express Entry in 2024.
The IRCC targeted 82,880 Express Entry candidates in 2023; this is a surge. However, even the high goal does not guarantee that every applicant invited in 2024 will be accepted before the year ends. Some will arrive in 2025, particularly those who are invited later in the year. This is due to the six-month service standard that the IRCC has for making a final decision on applicants for permanent residence through Express Entry.
In 2023, the IRCC granted over 100,000 ITAs to applicants for Express Entry.
Express Entry: What Is It?
The Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program are all managed via the application management system Express Entry.
Candidates for these three economic immigration programs are ranked according to their human capital traits using the Comprehensive Ranking System. This covers elements including age, occupation, employment experience, education, and language proficiency. Candidates are rated in relation to one another after each attribute is given a score.
ITAs may also be awarded to Express Entry candidates in any of the three programs in a category-based selection draw that focuses on a particular attribute. May 2023 saw the introduction of this kind of draw, which has six categories:
Healthcare, STEM fields, trades, transportation, agriculture and agri-food, and fluency in French
The candidates with the highest CRS score are most likely to receive an ITA in an upcoming Express Entry draw, regardless of the program or kind of draw.
