Canada’s latest Express Entry general draw issued 730 ITAs to eligible candidates, with a CRS score of 541. This draw occurred after the recent Express Entry draw on January 23, in which 1,040 candidates received invitations and had a minimum CRS score of 546. Before this one, another general draw took place on January 10 and issued ITAs to 1,510 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 546.
However, it is still uncertain how the Express Entry draws will shape throughout this year. Looking at 2023, IRCC conducted a total of 42 Express Entry draws and sent ITAs to over 110,000 candidates to enable Canada to fulfill the admission targets from 2023 to 2024. The Immigration Levels Plan determines the admission targets for three years.
PGWP recent updates
Several Express Entry candidates obtain Canadian work experience for their programs by working in Canada after graduating from a Canadian post-secondary institution. One of the most common work permits for recent graduates is the Post-Graduation Work Permit.
IRCC recently declared certain updates to the PGWP concerning its eligibility requirements on January 22. International students enrolled in a program at a private college that aligns with the curriculum licensing agreement with a public college will discontinue their eligibility for a PGWP.
Additionally, students at a graduate level enrolled in a program that is shorter than the duration of eight months will now qualify for a PGWP of three years. At present, graduates are ineligible for a PGWP if their program is less than eight months in duration. Also, the validity period of a PGWP is connected with the length of a graduate’s academic program. For instance, a program of one year will have a validity period of one year for a permit.
Furthermore, this implies that an increasing number of graduate-level students will attain adequate Canadian work experience to apply to the Express Entry pool.
Canada’s latest Express Entry general draw issued 730 ITAs – Express Entry details
The Express Entry application system supervises applications from three chief programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the FSTP, and the Canadian Experience Class.
In these programs, candidates obtain scores using the Comprehensive Ranking System. These scores depend on human capital characteristics, including education, age, work experience, occupation, and language proficiency. For instance, candidates between the age groups 20 and 29 attain 100 CRS points, and once they reach 30, the points also get reduced.
In May 2023, IRCC launched six new categories for category-based selection draws under Express Entry. These types of draws target candidates with recent work experience and skills in an in-demand occupation. They also focus on candidates with stronger French language abilities, and one of the categories is French language proficiency.
The remaining five categories include occupations such as:
- Healthcare occupations;
- STEM occupations – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics;
- Transport Occupations;
- Trade Occupations – Carpenters, Plumbers, and Contractors;
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Occupations
Submitting an Express Entry application requires multiple steps. The foremost step for any Express Entry applicant must be self-assessment of their eligibility for the program. The three different Express Entry programs have separate eligibility criteria. The second step is creating an Express Entry profile and attaining a CRS score. Hereafter, candidates must wait for their time to receive an invitation to apply in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
After the candidate receives an ITA, they will need to gather their documents and submit their complete permanent residence application to IRCC within 60 days.
Do you have any queries on Canada Express Entry? Get in touch with our immigration representatives at MakeHomeCanada by writing to us at [email protected].
