IRCC invites 975 applicants in the transport profession draw this week. Applicants required a minimum CRS score of 430.
IRCC also issued ITAs on March 12. It was a general draw inviting 2,850 applicants. A general draw considers applicants from all three Express Entry managed programs & uses the CRS as the main eligibility criteria.
In addition, applicants required a minimum CRS of 525, a decrease of nine CRS points from the previous general draw on February 28 & the lowest minimum CRS for a general draw so far this year.
There were six draws throughout the month of February, inviting 16,110 candidates. The month opened & closed with category-based selection draws for applicants with strong French language proficiency. The first was on February 1 and invited over 7,000 applicants with a minimum score of 365. The other occurred on February 29 & invited around 2,500 candidates with a minimum score of 336, the lowest CRS score in any draw so far.
The remaining four draws witnessed two extra category-based draws. One occurred on February 14 & invited over 3,500 applicants in healthcare professions with a minimum CRS score of 422. The other was on February 16 and invited 150 applicants in agriculture and agri-food professions. They required a minimum score of 437.
Lastly, the immigration department held two general Express Entry draws in February. On February 13, IRCC invited 1,490 applicants with a minimum score of 535 & 1,740 applicants on February 28. These candidates had a minimum CRS score of 534.
| Date | Draw Type | Number Of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
| 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 & 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 Category-Based Selection?
IRCC invites 975 applicants to the transport profession draw. Unlike a general draw, in which applicants are considered from all Express Entry-managed programs based solely on their CRS score, category-based selection draws target Express Entry applicants with specific in-demand attributes.
This type of draw was introduced on May 23 in order to help labor shortages in critical sectors of Canada’s workforce. There are six categories through which eligible Express Entry applicants might obtain an ITA. They are:
- Healthcare professions
- STEM professions
- Trades
- Transport
- Agriculture/ Agri-Food professions
- Strong French proficiency
These draws might be advantageous for applicants already in the Express Entry application pool. Well, this year, the CRS score in category-based draws has been lower than it is for general draws.
For instance, of four category-based selection draws, the highest minimum CRS score was 437 & the lowest was 336.
On the contrary, no general draw so far in 2024 has had a minimum CRS lower than 534.
What Is Express Entry?
IRCC invites 975 applicants in the transport profession draw. Express Entry manages Canada’s three most prominent economic immigration programs, i.e., Federal Skilled Trades Program, Federal Skilled Worker Program, & CEC.
Candidates who self-evaluate that they are eligible for one of these programs can upload a profile to the IRCC’s official website & receive their CRS score. The CRS assigns scores for human capital attributes like work experience, education, profession, age, and language ability.
Applicants in the Express Entry application pool are ranked against each other according to CRS scores. Moreover, those with the highest scores will most likely obtain an ITA for PR.
Once an applicant obtains an ITA, they have around 60 days to submit their final application to IRCC.