IRCC reduced the number of people it accepted through Express Entry in September following a busy July and August. The IRCC held three Express Entry draws during the month. They continue to encourage candidates who are native to the country and speak French to apply for permanent residence. Here’s a closer look at the current state of Canada’s express entry pool and the composition of the federal Express Entry candidate pool as of early October.

The current status of the Express Entry pool

Which draws took place in September?

In September, there were three Express Entry draws, during which IRCC issued nearly 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs):

  • Draw 313: Held on September 9, 2024, targeting Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. A total of 911 ITAs were issued with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 732.
  • Draw 314: Held on September 13, 2024, focusing on candidates with French language proficiency. IRCC issued 1,000 ITAs, and the CRS cut-off score was 446.
  • Draw 315: Held on September 19, 2024, for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The authorities issued a total of 4,000 ITAs, setting the CRS cut-off score at 509.

The kinds of draws that the IRCC conducts show several trends. Invitations for candidates with French language competency, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) have all been included in the draws held in September, August, and July of this year. Notably, PNP and CEC candidates had numerous draws in both August and July.

The emphasis on “domestic” immigration candidates—those who are now residents of Canada—and the nation’s continued commitment to promoting Francophone immigration outside of Quebec are reflected in these drawings, which also mirror remarks made by Immigration Minister Marc Miller.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that the IRCC sent out less ITAs in September.

In July, a total of 25,125 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued. In August, this number dropped to 10,384 ITAs. September saw a further decline, with 5,911 ITAs issued.

How are the scores currently distributed within the pool?

As of September 19th, the date of the most recent Express Entry draw at the time of this writing, we distribute the scores in the Express Entry pool as follows:

There are 5,457 candidates with scores ranging from 0 to 300. In the 301 to 350 range, there are 23,613 candidates. A total of 51,137 candidates have scores between 351 and 400. For scores ranging from 401 to 410, there are 10,387 candidates, while 10,598 candidates fall within the 411 to 420 range. The range of 421 to 430 includes 10,102 candidates, and there are 11,528 candidates with scores between 431 and 440. In the 441 to 450 range, there are 10,655 candidates, and 11,035 candidates have scores from 451 to 460.

There are 12,690 candidates with scores between 461 and 470, while 14,582 candidates fall within the 471 to 480 range. The range of 481 to 490 includes 12,110 candidates, and 11,352 candidates have scores between 491 and 500. Lastly, there are 11,752 candidates with scores ranging from 501 to 600, and 764 candidates have scores between 601 and 1200.

Analyzing Candidate Distribution in the Express Entry Pool

To give a better idea of how particular CRS scores fit into the general distribution of CRS scores in the Express Entry candidate pool, the following table employs percentile scores.

Based on the proportion of applicants with scores at or below that level compared to the total number of candidates in the pool, we determined the percentile score at the top limit of each CRS score range.

The IRCC data only shows ranges, thus the only thing we could figure out was the percentile of the highest CRS score that fell within each range.

Below, we list the percentile ranges that correspond to the upper bounds of each range reported by the IRCC, along with the proportion of applicants who fall within each range:

  • For scores between 0 and 300, the percentile ranking ranges from 0 to 2.63%, representing 2.63% of the overall pool.
  • Scores in the 300 to 350 range have a percentile ranking between 2.63% and 13.99%, accounting for 11.37% of the pool.
  • Candidates with scores from 350 to 400 fall within a percentile ranking of 13.99% to 38.61%. It making up 24.61% of the overall pool.
  • The 400 to 410 score range has a percentile ranking between 38.61% and 43.60%, representing 5.00% of the pool.
  • Scores ranging from 410 to 420 have a percentile ranking of 43.60% to 48.71%, accounting for 5.10% of candidates.
  • For the 420 to 430 range, the percentile ranking is between 48.71% and 53.57%, comprising 4.86% of the pool.
  • Candidates with scores from 430 to 440 fall within a percentile ranking of 53.57% to 59.12%. It representing 5.55% of the overall pool.
  • The 440 to 450 score range has a percentile ranking between 59.12% and 64.25%, accounting for 5.13% of candidates.
  • For scores from 450 to 460, the percentile ranking ranges from 64.25% to 69.56%, making up 5.31% of the pool.
  • Scores between 460 and 470 have a percentile ranking of 69.56% to 75.66%, comprising 6.11% of the overall pool.
  • Candidates with scores ranging from 470 to 480 fall within a percentile ranking of 75.66% to 82.68%, representing 7.02% of the pool.
  • The 480 to 490 score range has a percentile ranking between 82.68% and 88.51%, accounting for 5.83% of candidates.
  • Scores from 490 to 500 have a percentile ranking of 88.51% to 93.98%, comprising 5.46% of the overall pool.
  • Candidates with scores between 500 and 600 have a percentile ranking of 93.98% to 99.63%. This group represents 5.66% of the pool.
  • Finally, for scores ranging from 600 to 1200, the percentile ranking is between 99.63% and 100%, accounting for 0.37% of the overall pool.