Canada has held its fourth all-program express-entry drawing since July 6.
IRCC issued 2,250 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off point was 525. Express Entry is one of Canada’s most popular immigration pathways for qualified newcomers.
No program was specified for this lottery, meaning Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates were eligible to be invited.
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Overall, 7,500 applicants have been issued ITAs since draws for all programs resumed on July 6. The number of invited candidates has been steadily increasing by 250 with each draw, while the minimum CRS score is steadily decreasing each week by eight or nine points. The current cutoff score is 33 points lower than the July 6 drawing, which was 557. Today’s CRS represents a decrease of 8 points compared to the last drawing on August 3.
mmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) halted Express Entry draws for the entire program for more than 18 months. During this time, only candidates eligible for permanent residence under the CEC or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) were invited to apply. However, the CEC draws also stopped in September 2021.
The pause in the draws was in response to an overwhelming number of applications for permanent residence submitted while the global COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing. During this time, Canada’s border was closed and travel regulations changed frequently.
Changes to Express Entry in 2023
Express Entry aims to target skilled workers who are best suited to help close gaps in Canada’s workforce by responding to labor market needs, including French-speaking immigrants outside of Quebec. Canada plans to welcome 55,900 permanent residents via Express Entry in 2022 and this number obviously shines at 111,500 by 2024.
By inviting candidates through Express Entry, IRCC is able to process applications more efficiently as candidates have already met an eligibility baseline, based on their CRS score. Now that the lotteries have been renewed, IRCC is targeting a standard six-month processing time for new applications.
However, IRCC is now considering holding Express Entry draws that focus on specific skills and occupations in the future, rather than relying solely on a CRS score. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told CIC News in June that by doing so, Canada could select more immigrants who are already poised to succeed in the job market.
“The goal is really to maximize the contribution that a newcomer can make in their communities, so that they are set up for success when they arrive, but also meet the needs of the community that they are going to go to. reside,” Fraser said. “I hope we see a potential increase in retention rates because people come in where they know they have opportunities because that was the basis of their invitation to apply.”
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is the application management system for three Canadian immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the Express Entry pool are already eligible for at least one of these programs.
Express Entry uses a point-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to rank candidate profiles. The highest scoring candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and can then apply for permanent residence.
After the candidate submits the application, an IRCC officer reviews the application and makes a decision. The officer will request biometrics and may schedule an interview or request more documents. Once this is complete, if approved, the candidate is now a permanent resident of Canada and one step closer to becoming a Canadian citizen.
