Canada Releases Its Fourth All-Program Express Entry Draw Results

Canada releases its fourth all-program Express Entry draw results, wherein IRCC issued 2250 Invitations to Apply for permanent residence with a Comprehensive Ranking System score (CRS) cut-off of 525. Express Entry is one of Canada’s popular immigration pathways for skilled newcomers. In this draw, no program was specified which means that applicants from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were qualified to be invited.

Till now, 7500 applicants have been issued ITAs since all-program draws resumed on July 6.  The number of applicants invited has significantly increased by 250 with each draw and the CRS score is declining by eight to nine points. The latest draw CRS score is 33 points lower than the draw held on July 6.

Due to the application backlog caused by the pandemic, all-program Express Entry draws were put on hold by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada for over 18 months. During this time, applicants who qualified under CEC and PNP were invited for permanent residence were invited to apply. Although CEC draws were also paused in September 2021.

Express Entry Updates Expected in 2023

Express Entry targets skilled workers who are best suited to bridge the gap in Canada’s labour market by reacting to the labour shortages, including French-language immigrants outside Quebec. Canada plans to invite 55,900 permanent residents through Express Entry and these digits will significantly increase to 111,500 by 2024.

By welcoming applicants through Express Entry, IRCC can effectively process more applications as the applicant has already met basic eligibility, depending upon their CRS score. Now that the draws have resumed, IRCC targets to get back to the standard of six months for new applications.

Also, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is now planning to hold target-specific draws that target specific skills and occupations in the coming times, rather than relying solely on a CRS score.