Canada Express Entry: Record 21,000 invites issued in 3 weeks, CRS cutoff lowest in over 2 years

The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have conducted another Express Entry draw for all programs, marking the third consecutive week of such a draw. A total of 7,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence have been issued this time around, and that should make a total of 21,000 ITAs in three weeks. The minimum cut-off score for the Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) has also dropped considerably. This time it was 481, the lowest draw requirement of any program since the December 23, 2020 draw, when the score was 468.

To be eligible for the Express Entry programs (Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Program), candidates must meet specific criteria, such as language skills, education, work experience, and age. Once a candidate uploads their profile to the IRCC website, they are awarded a CRS score based on these criteria, with the highest scoring candidates receiving ITAs during IRCC's biweekly draws.

IRCC has not adhered to the expected draw schedule in recent months, such as holding two draws in consecutive weeks on March 15 and 23, which tied for the largest draws of all programs, issuing 7000 ITAs each.

Once the ITA is received, candidates have 60 days to submit their completed permanent residence application to IRCC. IRCC aims to process these applications within six months.

Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025

Under its 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC intends to welcome approximately 83,000 Express Entry immigrants in 2023. This goal will increase to 109,000 in 2024 and 114,000 in 2025.

Canada has made the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) its main avenue of economy class immigration since last year. Each province and territory has its own PNP, which allows it to identify and nominate candidates that meet the needs of its particular economy. The PNP admissions goal is approximately 106,000 immigrants in 2023, 110,000 in 2024, and approximately 118,000 in 2025.

Several provinces recently announced new PNP allocations, and Ontario can now nominate up to 18,000 immigrants by 2025.

The PNP works through Express Entry, which means that eligible candidates who enter the Express Entry pool may receive an invitation from a province or territory to apply for the PNP. Those approved under the PNP stream receive an additional 600 CRS points, increasing their chances of obtaining an ITA for permanent residence.

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