IRCC has invited applicants to apply for permanent residence in the second Express Entry draw of the week. Canada issues 2500 ITAs in draws for the French language. Applicants required a minimum score of 336.
Today’s draw follows a general draw on February 28, wherein 1,410 applicants with a minimum CRS of 534 obtained ITAs. Moreover, in a general draw, applicants are considered from all three Express Entry managed programs.
The results this week round up a busy February. Apart from today’s draw, over 13,610 applicants obtained ITAs in five draws. Two of the draws were general & there were category-based selection draws for applicants with strong French proficiency, healthcare professions, & agriculture/ agri-food professions.
Summary Of Express Entry Draw Results In 2024
Canada invites immigration applicants in the Express Entry draw. Here are the results for the same.
| Date | Draw Type | Number Of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
| February 28 | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| February 16 | Agriculture | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare Professions | 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 |
Category-Based Selection Not Changing In 2024
In May 2023, IRCC introduced category-based selection rounds of invitation for applicants who can showcase that they met the criteria for one of six new Express Entry draw categories:
- Healthcare
- STEM Professions
- Agriculture/ Agri-Food
- Trades
- Transport
- Strong French-Language Proficiency
At the time of the declaration, the department said that it would review these categories & make any changes deemed necessary. As of February 13, IRCC has confirmed that these categories will not be updated in 2024.
The categories were chosen following consultations with IRCC stakeholders such as provinces & territorial governments, settlement services, & Canadian employers & businesses.
In addition, applicants with these attributes should be in the application pool under one of the three Express Entry-managed programs to be considered.
What Is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an immigration application management system. The system exists to help expedite application processing for economic immigration programs, i.e., CEC, FSTP, & FSWP.
Express Entry utilizes the CRS to assign scores based on human capital factors like occupation, age, education, language ability, work experience, etc. Moreover, applicants with the highest scores are the most likely to receive an ITA for PR status.
Applicants who also obtain a nomination via the Provincial Nominee Program can gain an additional 600 CRS points. This virtually guarantees that they will obtain an ITA in an upcoming draw. Once an Express Entry applicant receives an ITA, they have around 60 days to submit their final application to gain Canadian PR to IRCC.
How Many ITAs Will Be Delivered This Year Via Express Entry?
Canada invites immigration applicants in the Express Entry draw. According to IRCC’s Immigration Levels Plan, the department plans to welcome over 110,770 new PRs in 2024 via Express Entry. This represents a major increase from last year, in which the government targeted 82,880 newcomers for Canadian PR via the same system. In 2025 & 2026, this number is set to stabilize at 117,500.
Beginning in 2025, Canada’s allocation for new PR via the PNP will increase to 120,000, thus making provincial pathways collectively Canada’s main route to welcome new economic immigrants.