IRCC invites 3,000 applicants in the latest draw. Applicants required a minimum CRS score of 522 in order to be considered.
Today’s draw is the second of the week & follows a program-specific draw on May 30 for Express Entry applicants with a nomination via the Provincial Nominee Program. It is the first draw specifically for CEC applicants since September 14, 2021, & also featured the lowest CRS score of the year for a non-category-based selection draw.
This week’s draw also represents the first program-specific draw since the introduction of category-based selection in May 2023. In addition, many CEC applicants & PNP applicants are already living & working in Canada as temporary residents. These draws reflect IRCC’s currently declared commitment to hold more ‘domestic draws’ to help more temporary residents transition to permanent residents & bring down the overall level of temporary residents in Canada.
Program-specific draws consider only candidates from the Express Entry pool who have applied through a specific permanent residency program rather than inviting applicants from all programs, such as occurs in a general draw.
The May 30 draw was also the first Express Entry draw since April 24 following a month-long pause. IRCC has not confirmed a reason for this month-long pause. However, in the recent Access To Information Request, the department stated that all draws this year will occur on a predetermined schedule. It is also said that draw size and frequency will be determined based on admission targets in 2024 and 2025. Processing capacity might also influence draw frequency.
Before the pause, there were four draws throughout April. The first draw invited 1,280 applicants to a general draw on April 10. The following day, the department issued over 4,500 ITAs to Express Entry applicants in a category-based selection draw for STEM professions.
The remaining two draws took place on April 23 and 24. On the 23rd, IRCC invited over 2,095 applicants in a general draw and 1,400 applicants in a French proficiency category-based selection draw on the 24th.
According to a recent Access to Information Request, French proficiency is expected to lead category-based selection draws in 2024. IRCC states this because of the high rate of employment for bilingual applicants. In addition, the department also states that French proficiency generally implies that these applicants have a higher CRS score. Therefore, there’s a better chance of overall successful economic integration.
STEM occupations will have the second-highest number of ITAs, at 25%, healthcare professions at 15%, and transport, trade, agri-food, and agriculture categories will account for 5% or less of all ITAs issued in category-based draws this year.
The remaining 21.5% of ITAs were slated to be issued in general draws. Notably, no mention was made of program-specific draws.
Summary Of Express Entry Draw Results In 2024
IRCC invites 3,000 applicants in the latest draw. Here are the results for the same.
| Date | Draw Type | Number Of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
| May 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,982 | 676 |
| April 24 | French Proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
| April 23 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| April 11 | STEM Professions | 4,500 | 491 |
| April 10 | General | 1, 280 | 549 |
| March 26 | French Language Proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
| March 25 | General | 1,980 | 524 |
| March 13 | Transport Professions | 975 | 430 |
| March 12 | General | 2,850 | 525 |
| February 29 | French Language Proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
| February 28 | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| February 16 | Agriculture and Agri-Food Professions | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare | 3,500 | 422 |
| February 13 | General | 1,490 | 535 |
| February 1 | French Language Proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
| January 31 | General | 730 | 541 |
| January 23 | General | 1,040 | 543 |
| January 10 | General | 1,510 | 546 |
What Is Express Entry?
Express Entry oversees the management of three economic immigration programs, i.e., Federal Skilled Trades Program, Federal Skilled Workers Program, and Canadian Experience Class.
Each program has unique eligibility requirements, but they are all evaluated using the same CRS.
Through the CRS, Express Entry applicants are given a point score for several human capital factors. The factors inlcude their age, education, work experience, profession, language ability, etc., if they are immigrating with a spouse/ partner.
Moreover, every score is added together to give applicants a final CRS score. Those with higher scores are most likely to obtain an ITA in an upcoming Express Entry draw.
In May 2023, IRCC also introduced category-based selection draws for those Express Entry applicants with specific work experience or language abilities. The six categories are:
- Healthcare
- STEM Professions
- Trades
- Transport
- Agriculture/ Agri-Food
- Strong French Proficiency
These categories will remain in place throughout 2024 but might change in 2025.
Immigration applicants must be in the Express Entry pool and meet the other category requirements to be considered.