Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently conducted an Express Entry draw, issuing 400 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). To qualify for this draw, candidates were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 539.
This marks the second Express Entry draw of the week, with the previous draw taking place on October 21, which invited 648 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The CRS score for the PNP-specific draw was significantly higher, with a minimum requirement of 791.
In recent months, IRCC has established a pattern of conducting multiple Express Entry draws every second week. These draws often target specific groups, such as PNP and CEC candidates. This ongoing strategy reflects IRCC’s commitment to increasing domestic draws, prioritizing those already living and working in Canada as temporary residents. The goal is to reduce the number of temporary residents while meeting the country’s annual immigration targets as outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan.
The updated Immigration Levels Plan for 2025–2027 is expected to be released by November 1, 2024. According to the plan, Canada aimed to welcome 110,770 new permanent residents through Express Entry in 2024. As of now, IRCC has not confirmed whether this target has been met. Those who receive ITAs in the latter half of the year are likely to be admitted in 2025, as Express Entry applications typically take six months to process.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is Canada’s system for managing applications for three key economic immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
These programs use the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to evaluate candidates based on various human capital factors, including age, education, work experience, language proficiency, and occupation. The CRS assigns a score to each factor, which is combined to form an overall score.
CRS scores tend to be higher in PNP draws because candidates nominated by a province receive an additional 600 points. Other factors that can influence a candidate’s score include having family in Canada or immigrating with a spouse or partner.
Candidates with the highest CRS scores are most likely to receive ITAs in future Express Entry draws.
Summary of Express Entry draw results in 2024
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 22 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 539 |
| October 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 648 | 791 |
| October 10 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 444 |
| October 9 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 539 |
| October 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,613 | 743 |
| September 19 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 509 |
| September 13 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 446 |
| September 9 | Provincial Nominee Program | 911 | 732 |
| August 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,300 | 507 |
| August 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,121 | 694 |
| August 15 | French language proficiency | 2,000 | 394 |
| August 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,200 | 509 |
| August 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 763 | 690 |
| July 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 5,000 | 510 |
| July 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 964 | 686 |
| July 18 | French language proficiency | 1,800 | 400 |
| July 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,300 | 515 |
| July 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,391 | 670 |
| July 8 | French proficiency | 3,200 | 420 |
| July 5 | Healthcare occupations | 3,750 | 445 |
| July 4 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 436 |
| July 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 920 | 739 |
| June 19 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,499 | 663 |
| May 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 522 |
| May 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,985 | 676 |
| April 24 | French proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
| April 23 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| April 11 | STEM occupations | 4,500 | 491 |
| April 10 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| March 26 | French language proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
| March 25 | General | 1,980 | 524 |
| March 13 | Transport occupations | 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 and agri-food occupations | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare occupations | 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 |