After a busy August and a historic number of draws throughout July, Canada’s Express Entry system has witnessed various changes in the composition of the candidate pool and in the newcomers who have received Invitations To Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency. This blog covers the current status of the Express Entry pool as of September 2024.
To better inform candidates within the Express Entry pool, & individuals interested in Canadian immigration, the following breaks down the present composition of the pool – as well as tracking CRS cut-off scores for different draws throughout the last month.
The Current State Of The Express Entry Pool
What Draws Took Place In August?
August witnessed five Express Entry draws throughout the month, issuing over 10,000 ITA as IRCC returned to the established pattern of holding Express Entry draws every other week.
| Draw Number | Date | Round Tye | ITAs Issued | CRS Cut-off Score |
| 312 | 27/08/24 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,300 | 507 |
| 311 | 26/08/24 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,121 | 694 |
| 310 | 15/08/24 | Category Based Selection: French Language Proficiency | 2,000 | 394 |
| 309 | 14/08/24 | CEC | 3,200 | 509 |
| 308 | 13/08/24 | PNP | 763 | 630 |
The draws which took place in August demonstrated changes declared by the Minister of Immigration Marc Miller. For instance, the prevalence of CEC & PNP draws follows statements made by Marc Millet last March, when he announced his intention to pursue more ‘domestic’ draws through the federal immigration system. He further added in the same press conference that he would request his provincial counterparts to do the same with Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs.
The rationale for this move was to reduce burdens on housing stock and potential impacts on affordability by not adding new immigrants to Canada. Rather, the department is working on prioritizing people who are already in the nation as temporary residents and are eligible to transition to PR. This will also help IRCC meet its annual immigration target for permanent residents.
In addition, Canada has emphasized the importance of Francophone immigration to the country, declaring that it will increase the percentage allocation of Francophone immigrants destined for provinces outside of Quebec within yearly targets. This percentage allocation will increase from 6% this year to 7% in 2025 and 8% in 2026. This year has seen around seven French Language proficiency draws, with over 19,000 ITAs issued so far in 2024.
What Is The Distribution Of Scores In The Pool Presently?
Looking at the current status of the Express Entry pool, below is the breakdown of scores as of August 27th.
| Score Range | Number Of Candidates |
| 0 – 300 | 5,491 |
| 301 – 350 | 24,396 |
| 351 – 400 | 52,363 |
| 401 – 410 | 10,155 |
| 411 – 420 | 10,493 |
| 421 – 430 | 9,814 |
| 431 – 440 | 11,142 |
| 441 – 450 | 10,259 |
| 451 – 460 | 10,779 |
| 461 – 470 | 12,676 |
| 471 – 480 | 14,722 |
| 481 – 490 | 12,038 |
| 491 – 500 | 10,918 |
| 501 – 600 | 9,764 |
| 601 – 1200 | 127 |
How Does Every Score Compare To The Overall Distribution?
The table below takes the top end of each CRS score range, & assigns it a percentile with the assumption that the top-most score will contain the total number of applicants within the score range in the Express Entry pool.
| Score Ranges | Number Of Candidates | Percentile |
| 0 – 300 | 5,491 | 2.68 |
| 301-360 | 24,396 | 14.57 |
| 351 – 400 | 52,363 | 40.10 |
| 401 – 410 | 10,155 | 45.04 |
| 411 – 420 | 10,493 | 50.20 |
| 421 – 430 | 9,814 | 55.00 |
| 431 – 440 | 11,142 | 60.40 |
| 441 – 450 | 10,259 | 65.40 |
| 451 – 460 | 10,779 | 70.60 |
| 461 – 470 | 12,676 | 76.80 |
| 471 – 480 | 14,722 | 84.00 |
| 481 – 490 | 12,038 | 90.00 |
| 491 – 500 | 10,918 | 95.18 |
| 501 – 600 | 9,764 | 99.93 |
| 601 – 1200 | 127 | 100 |
| Total | 205,137 |
As we can see from the present distribution, half of the candidates in the Express Entry pool currently have a CRS score of 420 or lower.
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