IRCC Invited 4,300 Candidates in Its Fifteenth all-program Express Entry Draw

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its fifteenth Express Entry draw for the year 2023. The draw issued invitations to 4,300 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 486 to apply for permanent residence. The draw was the second in the month of June followed by the latest draw of June 8. The previous all-program draw invited a total of 4,800 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 486 to apply for permanent residence.

IRCC Introduced the New Selection Categories; Qualified 82 Occupations

On May 31, IRCC disclosed that it would start holding lotteries later in the summer for Express Entry applicants who fit into six new categories. The introduction of these six new categories offers exciting opportunities for prospective immigrants to pursue their dreams of living and working in Canada. Express Entry drawings will now prioritize applicants with a strong French language proficiency or job experience in the following streams:

The categories include:

• Healthcare
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Professions
• Carpenters, Plumbers, and Contractors
• Transport
• Agriculture and Agri-Food

Express Entry selection draws for these new categories are anticipated by the end of the summer. If applicants want to be eligible for an ITA in the targeted drawings, they must be in the Express Entry pool. Express Entry applicants who meet the requirements will still be ranked, according to IRCC, and those with the highest scores will receive ITAs.

Express Entry so far in 2023!

In 2023, IRCC invited a total of 54,748 candidates across 14 draws. There are already a lot more applicants here than were requested between July and November of 2022.

• In May, there were two draws for Express Entry. The first all-program draw since April 26, invited a total of 4800 candidates. In addition, the month also held a PNP-specific draw that issued invitations to 589 candidates.
• The month of April has marked the historical return of the regular draw schedule. From late 2022 through March 2023, Wednesdays were the day of the every-other-week Express Entry draws. This implies that throughout March and April, Express Entry draws were held every week.
• In terms of the number of draws and candidates, March was also an exceptional month. There were four draws, and 21,677 applicants were selected overall. Three of the four draws sought 7,000 candidates each and were all-program.
• Despite each draw being specific to a separate program, the month of February held a total of four draws. Three were for PNP candidates, while the fourth was for those applying for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (the first draw of its kind in Express Entry history).
• And last, the month of January invited 5,500 candidates for each of the two all-program lotteries.