IRCC invites candidates in first Express Entry draw of the year
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITAs) in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Express Entry draw.
The department issued 471 ITAs to candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 793.
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Today's draw is the first Express Entry selection of the year and follows two PNP draws and a French language proficiency draw in December. Last month, the immigration department issued a total of 2,561 ITAs to candidates.
IRCC largely held to the pattern of inviting candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program, PNP candidates, and French-language category candidates in 2024. The immigration department emphasized these three selections more than others, and are expected to continue to do so in 2025.
Candidates with French-language proficiency, along with candidates who have professional experience in healthcare and trades occupations form IRCC's "Federal Economic priorities" category under Express Entry, as detailed in the newest Immigration Levels Plan. Meanwhile, candidates under the CEC, and PNP, (and possibly candidates from the two other Express Entry programs) form the "In-Canada Focus" category. These two categories are expected to occupy the grand majority of IRCC's admissions allocation (124,680 landings) under Express Entry, at least for the coming year.
Summary of Express Entry draws in 2024
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,085 | 727 |
| December 3 | French language proficiency | 800 | 466 |
| December 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 676 | 705 |
| November 20 | Healthcare occupations | 3,000 | 463 |
| November 19 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 539 |
| November 18 | Provincial Nominee Program | 174 | 816 |
| November 15 | French language proficiency | 800 | 478 |
| November 13 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 547 |
| November 12 | Provincial Nominee Program | 733 | 812 |
| October 23 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 433 |
| October 22 | Canadian Experience Class | 400 | 539 |
| October 21 | Provincial Nominee Program | 648 | 791 |
| October 10 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 444 |
| October 9 | Canadian Experience Class | 500 | 539 |
| October 7 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,613 | 743 |
| September 19 | Canadian Experience Class | 4,000 | 509 |
| September 13 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 446 |
| September 9 | Provincial Nominee Program | 911 | 732 |
| August 27 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,300 | 507 |
| August 26 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,121 | 694 |
| August 15 | French language proficiency | 2,000 | 394 |
| August 14 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,200 | 509 |
| August 13 | Provincial Nominee Program | 763 | 690 |
| July 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 5,000 | 510 |
| July 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 964 | 686 |
| July 18 | French language proficiency | 1,800 | 400 |
| July 17 | Canadian Experience Class | 6,300 | 515 |
| July 16 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,391 | 670 |
| July 8 | French proficiency | 3,200 | 420 |
| July 5 | Healthcare occupations | 3,750 | 445 |
| July 4 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 436 |
| July 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 920 | 739 |
| June 19 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,499 | 663 |
| May 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 522 |
| May 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,985 | 676 |
| April 24 | French proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
| April 23 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| April 11 | STEM occupations | 4,500 | 491 |
| April 10 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| March 26 | French language proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
| March 25 | General | 1,980 | 524 |
| March 13 | Transport occupations | 975 | 430 |
| March 12 | General | 2,850 | 525 |
| February 29 | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
| February 28 | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| February 16 | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare occupations | 3,500 | 422 |
| February 13 | General | 1,490 | 535 |
| February 1 | French language proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
| January 31 | General | 730 | 541 |
| January 23 | General | 1,040 | 543 |
| January 10 | General | 1,510 | 546 |
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an applicant management system that oversees three federal economic immigration programs:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP);
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and
- The CEC.
Cumulatively these three programs form the largest economic immigration pathway to Canada.
To be considered under Express Entry, newcomers must submit a candidate profile to the Express Entry pool, where they will be ranked according to the CRS. Each eligible candidate receives a CRS score based on human capital factors such as education, age, work experience, etc.
Candidates with the highest CRS scores are routinely invited to apply for Canadian PR through the issuance of ITAs. If a candidate receives an ITA they will have 60 days from the day they received the invitation to submit a complete application for PR to IRCC.
If an application is complete and meets all requirements, IRCC will aim to process it within six months. Candidates who complete this process successfully are given Canadian PR and may live, work, and settle in Canada permanently, and even build eligibility to apply for Canadian citizenship.
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