Recently, IRCC sent 2985 ITAs in a Program-Specific Express Entry Draw to potential candidates. It was the most recent draw under the Express Entry pathway with a CRS score requirement of 676.
It was a program-specific draw under Express Entry that targeted Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. Find more details about the draw below.
After a Month-Long Pause, IRCC Sent 2985 ITAs in a Program-Specific Express Entry Draw
Since IRCC introduced the category-based selection draws last June, this was the first program-specific Express Entry draw.
Generally, a program-specific draw invites candidates from the Express Entry pool who apply via a particular PR program. This is unlike a general Express Entry draw that considers candidates from all programs.
This was also the first express entry draw since April 24, after a month-long pause.
Canada’s immigration department has not specified any reason for the break. However, according to the recent Access to Information Request, IRCC noted that this year, all draws will take place based on the predetermined schedule. IRCC has not yet released the draw schedule. In addition, it stated that the draw size and frequency will be decided based on the immigration targets for 2024 and 2025.
Notably, the processing capacity of the department may also impact the frequency of the draw.
April Draws Before the Pause in Express Entry draw
Prior to this month-long pause, IRCC held four draws under the Express Entry in April. The first draw on April 10 invited 1280 candidates in a general draw. The second draw on 11 was a category-based selection for STEM occupations, inviting 4,500 skilled candidates.
The two other April draws occurred on 23 and 24. In the April 23 draw, IRCC sent 2,095 ITAs in a general draw. Ultimately, the April 24 draw invited 1400 French skilled candidates under the category-based selection draw.
Overall, IRCC invited 9,275 candidates in April through distinct Express Entry draws.
Which Category will Lead the Express Entry Draws in 2024?
In accordance with the latest Access to Information Request, in the Express Entry category draws, the French Category is anticipated to lead the draws in 2024.
According to IRCC, this is because of the high employment rate for bilingual candidates. In addition, IRCC stated that being proficient in the French language means that the candidates will have a higher CRS score. As a result, they have a higher probability of overall successful economic integration in Canada.
After this, the STEM category will have the second-highest number of invitations, with a 25 % rate. The healthcare sector has 15 %, and the rest Transport, Trades Agriculture, and agri-food categories will account for 5% or less of the total invitations to be issued under the category-based draws this year.
Moreover, around 21.5% of the ITAs will be issued under the general Express Entry draws. In particular, the ITAs for the program-specific draws were not mentioned.
Canada’s Express Entry and Category-based draw- What are they?
IRCC employs an application management system for economic immigration candidates called the Express Entry System.
It handles three programs:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- The Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Each immigration program has distinct qualifying requirements, but candidates are evaluated using a similar Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
Several factors, such as language ability, age, education, work experience, occupation, and more, are considered during the evaluation process.
Each factor has points, and all the points are added together to create a final CRS score. Candidates with high CRS scores are more likely to obtain an invitation under the coming draw.
Last May, Minister Miller announced the launch of new category-based selection draws under the Express Entry. It includes the six categories based on language abilities and work experience:
- Healthcare
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
- Trades
- Transport
- Agriculture and agri-food
- Strong French proficiency
This year, IRCC confirmed that it will use all the similar six categories for this year. These categories may change in 2025. In order to be eligible under the category-based draws, candidates have to be in the Express Entry application pool.
If you have questions about Canadian Immigration, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our MakeHomeCanada experts at 1-800-979-0509 or email us at [email protected].
