IRCC Invited 4,800 Candidates in Its Fourteenth Express Entry Draw

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its fourteenth Express Entry draw for the year 2023. The draw issued invitations to 4,800 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 486 to apply for permanent residence.

The draw was the first in the month of June followed by the latest draw of May 24. The previous all-program draw invited a total of 4,800 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 488 to apply for permanent residence.

IRCC Introduced the New Selection Categories for Express Entry 2023 Draws

According to the latest Express Entry Update, IRCC has recently introduced new selection categories designed to enhance the immigration system and attract skilled workers. 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:

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

The selection draws for Express Entry under these additional categories are expected by the end of the summer.

Candidates are required to be in the Express Entry pool if they want to be eligible for an ITA in the targeted drawings. According to IRCC, Express Entry applicants who satisfy the prerequisites will still be ranked, and those with the best scores would be issued ITAs.

Express Entry so far in 2023!

In 2023, IRCC invited 49,948 candidates across 13 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. First, a Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP) only draw for 589 candidates was held on May 10. These applicants were both in the Express Entry pool and provincial government nominees.

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 exceptional. 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. With 667 people yet to be drawn, only PNP was eligible. Four draws were held in February as well, although each was particular to a different program; three were for PNP applicants, and the fourth was for applicants to the Federal Skilled Worker Program (the first such draw in Express Entry history). Two all-program drawings in January attracted 5,500 applicants each