For the third consecutive week, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted an all-program Express Entry draw. In this round, IRCC granted a total of 7,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence, with the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score set at 481. Candidates from all programs were taken into account.
The current draw's CRS score requirement is the lowest for an all-program draw since the Express Entry draw held on December 23, 2020, which had a cut-off score of 468. To lower the CRS score to 481, IRCC invited a cumulative total of 21,000 candidates over the past two weeks (three draws on March 15, 23, and 29 each at 7,000 invitations).
Express Entry serves as the primary method for the Canadian government to manage applications from economic class immigration candidates. Those who qualify for at least one of the three Express Entry programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) — can submit their profiles on the IRCC website.
Applicants are assigned a CRS score based on numerous human capital factors, such as age, education, language abilities, and work experience. IRCC typically conducts Express Entry draws every two weeks, extending ITAs to the candidates with the highest scores. However, the draw schedule has been irregular in recent months.
For instance, IRCC conducted two consecutive all-program draws on March 15 and March 23, which were the largest of their kind. In each draw, 7,000 Express Entry candidates were invited, totaling 14,000 invitations. An all-program draw involves considering ITAs for candidates from all three Express Entry programs, differentiating it from program-specific draws that focus on only one program.
Candidates who receive an ITA have up to 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application to IRCC. The organization aims to process these applications within a six-month period. Approved candidates can then arrive in Canada as permanent residents.
As outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025, which governs the functioning of Canada's immigration system, IRCC plans to admit nearly 83,000 immigrants through Express Entry in 2023. This target is set to increase to 109,000 in 2024 and 114,000 in 2025.