Exciting news for Canada Immigration Applicants! The IRCC has just issued 4800 invitations through the express entry draw. This points-based system is the fastest and most popular way for skilled workers to obtain Canadian permanent residency. If you haven’t already, now is the time to create your profile and enter the express entry pool. Keep an eye out for future draws. Good luck!
The fourteenth Express Entry draw of 2023 has been conducted by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), where they invited a total of 4,800 candidates across all programs. To be eligible, the candidates were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 486.
Following the recent draw on May 24 where a total of 4,800 candidates were invited across all programs with a minimum CRS score of 488, this latest draw marks the first one for the month of June. It’s worth noting that the minimum CRS score requirement in the May 24 draw was higher than that of the April 26 all-program draw, which required a minimum score of 483.
The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that category-based selection draws are set to commence during this summer season.
A news release was issued by the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on May 31, stating that the department has introduced six new category-based selection criteria for candidates applying through Express Entry.
The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced six new category-based selection criteria for candidates applying through Express Entry. The new categories aim to attract candidates who possess specific attributes that align with Canada’s economic objectives.
Out of the six categories, five are focused on individuals who have work experience in certain fields. The categories are as follows:
- Healthcare
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professions
- Trades such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- Transport
- Agriculture and Agri-food
The last category is designed for candidates who possess strong French language proficiency.
While an exact date is not yet announced, the department has stated that it plans to conduct category-based draws during the summer. To be eligible for targeted draws, candidates must already be in the Express Entry pool. According to IRCC, Express Entry candidates who satisfy the category requirements will still be ranked based on their scores, and ITAs will be issued to those with the highest rankings.
Aside from category-based draws, IRCC will continue to hold program-specific and all-program draws as necessary.
Express Entry in 2023 | Latest Figures
Since the start of 2023, IRCC has conducted a total of 13 draws and has invited a considerable number of candidates amounting to 49,948. This is substantially higher compared to the period between July and November in 2022. It’s worth noting that IRCC did not conduct any all-program draws until July 2022 due to a temporary suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the invitation of 31,000 candidates.
In May, there were two draws conducted for the Express Entry program. The first draw, which occurred on May 10, was exclusively for candidates who were nominated by a provincial government and were already in the Express Entry pool. A total of 589 candidates were invited to apply through this Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw.
In April, two all-program draws were conducted by the Express Entry program, which shared similarities in terms of the number of candidates invited. Both draws invited a total of 3,500 candidates to apply. However, there was a difference in the required Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for each draw. In the first draw on April 12, candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 346, while in the second draw on April 26, the minimum CRS score requirement increased to 483.
March stood out in terms of the number of draws and the total number of candidates invited by the Express Entry program. During the month, a total of four draws were conducted, inviting 21,677 candidates altogether. Out of these four draws, three were all-program draws, each inviting 7,000 candidates. The fourth draw was PNP-only and extended invitations to 667 candidates through the Provincial Nominee Program.
In February, the Express Entry program conducted four draws, but each draw was specific to a certain program. Three of the draws were for candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), while the fourth one was for those applying through the Federal Skilled Worker Program. The latter draw marked the first time in the history of Express Entry that such a specific draw was held.
In January, there were two all-program draws conducted by the Express Entry program, and both invited 5,500 candidates each.
Later this year, there is an anticipation that IRCC will shift its focus from solely prioritizing a high CRS score to targeting candidates based on specific attributes that are currently in demand in Canada’s economy.
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