April has seen more Express Entry draws as immigration continues throughout the year. Last month mirrored March in terms of draw types and sizes, with potential patterns emerging for 2024. Read on to learn more about the current state of the Express Entry pool, the draws that took place in April, and how this can impact your immigration chances.
The Current State Of Express Entry Pool
What Draws Took Place In April?
Similar to March, April saw four Express Entry draws: two general draws and two category-based selections.
General draws occurred on April 10th and 23rd, with CRS cut-offs of 549 and 524, respectively. Category-based selections took place on April 11th and 24th, inviting applicants with experience in STEM-related professions and French language proficiency.
Overall, Comprehensive Ranking System scores for general draws remain elevated compared to previous years. Every month this year has seen between three and five draws, with a roughly even split between general and category-based draws cumulatively.
| Draw Type | Round Type | Invitations Issued | CRS Cut-Off |
| 10-04-2024 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| 11-04-2024 | STEM Professions | 4,500 | 491 |
| 23-04-2024 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| 24-04-2024 | French-Language Proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
According to the Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC will allocate 110,770 ITAs for permanent residence via the Express Entry system this year. As of April, 35,970 of these ITAs have been issued.
The Express Entry Pool
As of April 23rd, 2024, there are 214,697 applicant profiles within the Express Entry profiles within the Express Entry pool – marking an increase of 2753 profiles from March. Increases were seen across all score brackets at a roughly even rate, maintaining distributions at approximately the same volume as the previous month.
A complete table of score distributions and numbers of people in the pool are as follows:
| Score Range | Number Of Candidates |
| 0 – 300 | 5,484 |
| 301 – 350 | 27,740 |
| 351 – 400 | 56,383 |
| 401 – 410 | 10,799 |
| 411 – 420 | 10,740 |
| 421 – 430 | 9,645 |
| 431 – 440 | 10,645 |
| 441 – 450 | 10,646 |
| 451 – 460 | 11,432 |
| 461 – 470 | 13,558 |
| 471 – 480 | 16,928 |
| 481 – 490 | 11,495 |
| 491 – 500 | 7,520 |
| 501 – 600 | 10,625 |
| 601 – 1200 | 1,057 |
These scores have also been visualized in a bar graph format to understand the distribution better. Further, as we can see, the most populous score range continues to be the 351 – 400 CRS boundary.
What Percentile Is Your Score In The Pool?
Talking about the current state of the Express Entry pool, taking the upper bound of each score range, we can calculate the percentile of that score relative to the overall pool. Moreover, the percentile can help us better understand how scores compare to each other and what percentage of the pool is below that score. While having a score with a higher percentile might not guarantee an ITA, it can still indicate how one’s immigration chances might be throughout the year.
Here’s the complete breakdown of score percentiles below:
| Score Ranges | Number Of Candidates | Percentile |
| 0 – 300 | 5,484 | 2.55 |
| 301-360 | 27,740 | 15.47 |
| 351 – 400 | 56,383 | 41.74 |
| 401 – 410 | 10,799 | 46.77 |
| 411 – 420 | 10,740 | 51.77 |
| 421 – 430 | 9,645 | 56.26 |
| 431 – 440 | 10,645 | 61.22 |
| 441 – 450 | 10,646 | 66.18 |
| 451 – 460 | 11,432 | 71.50 |
| 461 – 470 | 13,558 | 77.82 |
| 471 – 480 | 16,928 | 85.70 |
| 481 – 490 | 11,495 | 91.06 |
| 491 – 500 | 7,520 | 94.56 |
| 501 – 600 | 10,625 | 99.51 |
| 601 – 1200 | 1,057 | 100.00 |
How Does The Composition Of The Express Entry Applicant Pool Influence Score Cut-Offs and Draw Sizes?
Predicting upcoming CRS score cut-offs and draw sizes can be very difficult due to the multitude of considerations that IRCC takes before conducting each draw.
However, understanding the spread of these scores and the size of the pool overall can help us understand the trends that might impact draw sizes and cut-off scores. Not only does IRCC likely consider the spread of CRS scores when determining what the next cut-off score should be, but all draw sizes must eventually work towards meeting the department’s targets outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan.
Thus, while the information provided above cannot help us predict the future accurately, understanding the trends within and behind the Express Entry pool can still be valuable in evaluating an applicant’s chances of obtaining an ITA this year.