May 25, 2023

The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited candidates for the 13th Express Entry draw of 2023.

The draw is open to all three programs managed by the Express Entry application management system: The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Candidates must have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 488 to be considered for the draw. This is the first all-program draw since April 26.

Submit the Assessment Form to Determine your Eligibility

This draw follows the most recent draw on May 10, where 589 candidates received ITAs in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) specific draw. In a PNP only draw, candidates are only considered if they are in the Express Entry pool and have also been nominated by a Canadian province.

Express Entry Draws 2023

Throughout 2023, Express Entry has yet to establish a consistent pattern in terms of the number of candidates invited, the frequency of draws, or the specific type of draw.

In January, the draws followed the pattern seen before the pandemic, occurring every two weeks and inviting candidates from all programs. However, this changed in February when the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted four program-specific draws between February 1 and March 1. Notably, February marked the first program-specific draw for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).

February witnessed three draws, and March saw one draw each week. Overall, more than 21,000 candidates received invitations throughout March, making it the second-highest number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued in a single month in the history of Express Entry.

In April, the draw schedule returned to the pre-pandemic pattern of one all-program draw every two weeks.

Later in the year, it is anticipated that the IRCC will start conducting draws targeting Express Entry candidates based on specific attributes rather than solely relying on high Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores. This became possible when Bill C-19 received Royal Assent in June 2022.

The passing of this bill grants the Canadian immigration minister the authority to invite candidates who can best contribute to Canada’s economic goals by addressing the chronic labor shortages in specific sectors.

It’s important to note that Express Entry draws are entirely discretionary, determined by the IRCC and the immigration minister. As per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, there are no set rules dictating the timing of draws, the program from which candidates will be selected, the number of candidates invited, or the minimum CRS cut-off score. In other words, the IRCC is not obligated to follow a specific pattern or conduct draws at all if the minister deems it unnecessary.

Know more about Express Entry

The oversight of three Canadian economic immigration programs, namely the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class, falls under the management of the Express Entry application system.

Within these programs, candidates undergo evaluation through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS assesses various human capital factors such as language proficiency, education, work experience, occupation, and age. Based on these criteria, candidates are assigned scores, and those with the highest scores have a greater likelihood of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residency.

As per the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025, Canada aims to welcome more than 82,000 new permanent residents through the Federal High Skilled immigration program (Express Entry) by the conclusion of 2023.

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May 11, 2023

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently issued 589 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) specific draw. Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 691 to be considered for the draw. In a PNP specific draw, candidates are already in the Express Entry pool but have also received a nomination from a Canadian province. This is the fourth PNP specific draw of 2023, with the last one occurring on March 1 and inviting 667 candidates. All draws since then have considered candidates from all Express Entry programs.

Proof of funds

On May 2, IRCC announced that the amount of money that Express Entry applicants must have access to in Canada has changed. All Express Entry candidates must show proof of funds to demonstrate that they have enough money to settle in Canada. Proof of funds is not required for candidates in the Canadian Experience Class or for Express Entry candidates who are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer. This is true even for those who apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program. To stay eligible for Express Entry, candidates must now update their profiles to reflect that they still have the required amount of settlement funds. IRCC updates the amount yearly, based on 50% of the low-income cut-off totals, and varies depending on how many people a candidate must be able to support.

Number of family members Funds required (in Canadian dollars)
1 $13,757
2 $17,127
3 $21,055
4 $25,564
5 $28,994
6 $32,700
7 $36,407
If more than 7 people, for each additional family member $3,706

Express Entry

This draw follows the April 26 draw in which 3,500 candidates were invited with CRS scores of 483. IRCC also invited 3,500 candidates on April 12 with CRS scores of 486. This number of candidates per draw is half of what was seen over March when IRCC invited more than 21,000 candidates over four consecutive draws, three of which invited 7,000 candidates. The total number of candidates invited in March was the second highest in Express Entry history, only exceeded by a draw in February 2021 in which 27,332 CEC candidates received an ITA.

April also marks a tentative return to a normal draw schedule. Typically, until late 2022 and throughout March 2023, Express Entry draws occur every second week on Wednesdays. Draws occurred weekly throughout March. The March and April draws also showed a return to typical all-program draws. Throughout January and February this year, most draws were program specific for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). However, on February 2, IRCC held the first-ever program-specific draw for the Federal Skilled Workers Program.

The Express Entry application management system oversees three economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Each program has unique eligibility criteria but are all similar in that candidates require skilled work experience. After a candidate self-evaluates if they are eligible for one of the programs, they must upload a profile on the IRCC website.

Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to score and rank candidates according to a score they receive based on their profile. The system takes an individual’s work experience, occupation, language ability, education, age, and other human capital factors into consideration when assigning a score. The highest-scoring candidates are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Once a candidate receives an ITA, they have 60 days to send in their completed application. Once IRCC receives it, an immigration officer will review the application and decide if the candidate is approved.