Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to candidates in the first Express Entry draw of April.
The department issued 1,280 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a general draw.
Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 549 to be considered.
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Today’s draw is the first of the month following four draws throughout March.
General draws occurred on March 12 and 25. The draw on March 12 issued ITAs to 2,850 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 525. The March 25 draw invited 1,980 candidates with a score of 524.
The two category-based selection draws had notably lower CRS scores. On March 13, IRCC invited 975 candidates in transport occupations and a minimum CRS score of 430.
The final draw of the month, on March 26, invited 1,500 candidates eligible under the category for French language proficiency. Candidates required a minimum CRS of 388, which is still the highest minimum score for this category so far in 2024. Two other French proficiency draws this year had minimum CRS scores of 336 and 365.
Summary of Express Entry draw results in 2024
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 category-based selection?
Category-based selection draws were introduced in May 2023 as a means for IRCC to better target Express Entry candidates with in-demand skills or human capital attributes.
The department introduced six categories in 2023 and confirmed earlier this year that the same categories will be used throughout 2024. They are:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
- Trades occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- Strong French proficiency
Candidates must already have an application in the Express Entry pool to be considered for category-based selection.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an application management system for three of Canada’s most prominent economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Through these programs, applicants are evaluated based on their human capital factors such as their work experience, occupation, language ability, age and education.
Each factor is assigned a score and added together for a final Comprehensive Ranking System score. Those with the highest scores are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply for permanent resident status.
One of the major benefits of Express Entry is, as the name implies, that a candidate’s final applications for PR will be processed more quickly than other economic immigration programs. IRCC has a published service standard of six months for 80% of all Express Entry applications. The remaining 20% may take longer in complex cases.
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