IRCC Invites 1,000 Applicants In Category-Based Draws For Trades

IRCC invites 670 applicants in the third Express Entry draw for applicants in transport occupations. Applicants needed a CRS score of 435 in order to be eligible for an ITA. This draw follows two others this week on December 18 & 19. The draw which took place on December 18 was an all-program draw & invited 1,325 applicants with a minimum CRS of 542.

On December 19, IRCC invited over 1,000 applicants in the second category-based draw for trades professions this year. Applicants required a minimum CRS score of 425. The first draw took place on August 3 & invited 1,500 applicants.

This draw follows the most recent results from December 8, in which 5,900 applicants obtained ITAs with the minimum CRS of 481 in a category-based selection draw for applicants in STEM professions. In addition, December 7 saw a category-based draw for individuals with French-language proficiency, thus inviting over 1,000 applicants with a minimum CRS score of 470 from the Express Entry pool. 

There was also an all-program draw on December 6 for applicants with a minimum CRS score of 561. It was the first draw that took place in a month. Before that, the most recent draw was a category-based selection draw for applicants in healthcare professions on October 26. 

IRCC did not confirm a cause for the temporary pause in the draw on November 14. They tweeted that there was an IT issue with the Express Entry profile builder for applicants who had obtained ITA & were trying to upload their final application on the IRCC’s website. Two days later, the department reported that the glitch had been fixed, but draws did not immediately resume as was widely expected. 

Well, there are many reasons IRCC might delay an Express Entry draw, such as if they are already on track to meet targets for Express Entry applicants set out in the Immigration Levels Plan, IT issues, staffing charges, or updates to the CRS.

Summary Of The Latest Express Entry Draws Since June 2023

IRCC invites 1,325 applicants in the latest Express Entry draws. Here is the outline of the latest Express Entry draws result. Take a look!

What Is Express Entry? 

IRCC invites 1,325 applicants in the latest Express Entry draws. In addition, Express Entry manages three economic immigration programs, i.e., CEC, FSTP, & FSWP. Express Entry uses CRS to evaluate applicants based on human capital factors like age, education, language proficiency, work experience, etc. 

Those with the highest CRS score will most likely obtain an ITA for PR in an upcoming Express Entry draw. Once applicants obtain an ITA, they can submit their application to IRCC. The department has a service standard of six months for processing Express Entry applications & issuing a final decision. 

What Is Category-Based Selection? 

IRCC declared that it was introducing a category-based selection round of invitations for Express Entry applicants.

Through these new rounds, IRCC targets applicants with specific, in-demand attributes that the immigration minister believes will help strengthen Canada’s workforce & economy. Among six categories, one targets Express Entry applicants with proficiency in French. The remaining five are for applicants who have work experience in a sector that is presently experiencing a labor shortage in Canada, including: 

• STEM Professions
• Healthcare
• Trades
• Transport
• Agriculture/ Agri-food 

ITAs issued in category-based selection rounds will count towards the targets for Federal High Skilled Workers in the Immigration Levels Plan. Over the next three years, Canada will admit around 114,000 new permanent residents annually via Express Entry by the end of 2025.