Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to 2,000 candidates in its latest Express Entry draw. This particular draw focused on candidates with proficiency in the French language, who needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 394 to qualify.
This draw is the third conducted by IRCC this week, marking a notable period of activity. Earlier in the week, on August 14, IRCC held a program-specific draw that invited 3,200 candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Just a day before, on August 13, another draw saw 763 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates receive ITAs, with these candidates required to have a minimum CRS score of 690.
These frequent draws are part of a broader surge in Express Entry activity. In July 2024, IRCC conducted an unprecedented nine draws, issuing over 25,000 ITAs to candidates. This made July the busiest month for Express Entry since the system’s launch in 2015, far surpassing the activity in June, which saw only one draw.
Among the July draws, four were category-based selection rounds. Two of these targeted candidates with French language proficiency, with the July 18 draw setting the lowest CRS score of the month at 400. The other two category-based draws focused on candidates in healthcare and trade occupations, demonstrating IRCC’s effort to align immigration with labor market needs.
The remaining five July draws included two program-specific draws for the Canadian Experience Class and three for candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program. The highest CRS score recorded in July was 739, seen in the PNP draw on July 2.
The rise in program-specific draws, particularly after a year dominated by category-based selection and general draws, indicates that IRCC is focusing more on candidates already living in Canada. This shift aligns with the department’s strategy to reduce the number of temporary residents while meeting its permanent resident admissions targets.
Understanding Express Entry
Express Entry is an application management system launched by IRCC in 2015. It was designed to streamline the selection of economic immigration candidates who are most likely to integrate successfully into Canada’s economy. The system manages applications from three key programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Candidates are evaluated and ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). This system considers several human capital factors, including a candidate’s age, occupation, education, language proficiency, and work experience. Each factor contributes to a candidate’s overall CRS score, with those having the highest scores most likely to receive ITAs for permanent residency.
