During the previous two years, there have been major adjustments to Canada’s Express Entry system.
Category-based selection draws were introduced by IRCC in 2023 as part of Express Entry. The immigration department may now concentrate on candidates who share the nation’s economic and demographic goals thanks to this approach.
Have these modifications affected the way candidates are invited by the Express Entry system? The Express Entry draws over the same period in 2023 and 2024 are shown below. Even if the IRCC has sent out more ITAs this year than it did last, a more complete examination of the data is required.
Understanding Category-Based Selection
The IRCC uses a method called category-based selection draws to choose immigration applicants via Canada’s Express Entry system. By employing these drawings, the IRCC is able to give preference to candidates who possess particular human capital qualities, such language proficiency and work experience, as opposed to just considering their CRS scores. Healthcare vocations, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) occupations, trade, transport, agriculture, and agri-food occupations are among the current Express Entry categories. Candidates must also demonstrate fluency in French.
Canada’s Immigration Invitations from 2023 to 2024
Using the Express Entry mechanism, the IRCC has sent out 84,874 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) as of September 19, 2024, the date of the most recent draw. In contrast, the IRCC had issued 81,948 ITAs as of September 20, 2023.
It is noteworthy that between 2023 and 2024, there was a modification in the federal distribution of landed immigrants under the Express Entry program. The yearly Immigration Levels Plan’s “Federal High Skilled” allocation is influenced by ITAs obtained through Express Entry. The immigration agency expects to receive 110,770 immigrants through Express Entry in 2024, compared to the IRCC’s projection of 82,800 immigrants using this system in 2023.
A Deep Dive into Express Entry Draw Frequencies – 2024 vs. 2023 Analysis
Nine distinct categories and streams have been covered by the 37 draws that the IRCC has held thus far in 2024 using the Express Entry method. 2,294 ITAs are typically granted in these draws, however this can vary greatly depending on the particular category or stream. In contrast, the IRCC held 28 draws with an average draw size of 2,927 ITAs across eight categories and streams at this time last year. Like this year, there was a significant variation in the draw sizes in 2023 based on the chosen category and stream.
The Express Entry system saw a record-breaking July, with nine draws performed by the IRCC—the most in a single month since the program’s launch in 2015. This may be partially responsible for the spike in draws this year.
Top Express Entry Streams of 2024 – A Comparison with 2023 Draws
The number of draws by category/stream and the total number of ITAs issued for each category/stream in 2024 and concurrently in 2023 are shown in the table below.
Source: CIC News
| Category/Stream | Number of Draws (2024) | ITAs Issued (2024) | Number of Draws (by Sept 20, 2023) | ITAs Issued (by Sept 20, 2023) |
| Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations Category | 0 | 0 | 1 | 150 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 6 | 24,800 | 0 | 0 |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3,300 |
| French Language Proficiency Category | 8 | 20,400 | 3 | 6,900 |
| Healthcare Occupations Category | 2 | 7,250 | 2 | 2,000 |
| General (includes CEC, FSWP, and FSTP) | 9 | 14,445 | 0 | 0 |
| No Program Specified (includes CEC, FSWP, and FSTP) | 0 | 0 | 15 | 63,900 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 8 | 10,554 | 4 | 2,848 |
| STEM Occupations Category | 1 | 4,500 | 1 | 500 |
| Trade Occupations Category | 1 | 1,800 | 1 | 1,500 |
| Transport Occupations Category | 1 | 975 | 1 | 1,000 |
Significant Increases in CEC and PNP Draws
Draws through the Express Entry system for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) have increased significantly since May and June of this year, respectively. This increase is in response to statements made by Immigration Minister Marc Miller that more “domestic draws” for applicants under Express Entry are planned. There were no CEC draws in 2023 and a total of four PNP draws. On the other hand, eight PNP draws and six CEC draws have already occurred in 2024.
Furthermore, the category of French Language Proficiency is becoming increasingly important. In 2024, there have already been eight draws in this category, compared to just three in 2023. The proportion of French-speaking immigrants outside of Quebec, as specified in the levels plan, is expected to increase from 6% this year to 8% by 2026, according to the IRCC.
The CRS cut-off scores for streams and categories that were picked more than once in both years are listed in the following table, which helps to improve the comparison of cut-off scores across each stream or category.
Source: CIC news
| Category/Stream | Highest CRS Cut-off Score (2024) | Lowest CRS Cut-off Score (2024) | Highest CRS Cut-off Score (by Sept 20, 2023) | Lowest CRS Cut-off Score (by Sept 20, 2023) |
| French Language Proficiency Category | 446 | 336 | 439 | 375 |
| Healthcare Occupations Category | 445 | 422 | 476 | 463 |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 739 | 663 | 791 | 691 |