Express Entry
IRCC Invited 667 PNP Candidates in Its Sixth Express Entry Draw
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its sixth Express Entry draw for the year 2023. The draw issued invitations to 667 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 748 to apply for permanent residence.
The draw invited candidates in the category of the Provincial Nominee program. In 2023, this was the fourth program-specific draw; the first three was held on February 1 and 2, and 15 respectively. Only candidates who had already gained provincial nomination were invited to the February 1 draw, while the February 2 draw was program-specific.
Ongoing of All-Program Draws For Over a Month
The draws are expected to be conducted every 2 weeks on Wednesdays however, IRCC held five draws consecutively.
After a pause of six weeks between November 23 and January 11, the Express Entry draws restarted three weeks ago. In the January 11 draw, 5500 individuals were selected with a CRS score of 507 and invited the same number of applicants was with a score of 490 in January 18 draw. The department is attempting to resume regular draws, according to IRCC.
One of the most recent draws, which was held on February 1 after an anticipated two-week break, was the first since June 2022. The draw was conducted to invite only Express Entry applicants who had obtained a provincial nomination. Even prior to COVID-19, the IRCC rarely held program-specific draws. Nearly all Express Entry drawings have been all-program draws, with a few exceptions for the FSTP. Since the all-program draw suspension during the COVID-19 epidemic, the IRCC has not conducted an Express Entry draw for PNP-only candidates.
Then, recently, another draw conducted on February 2 for Federal Skilled Workers Program Candidates since 2015. The draw issued invitations to 3,300 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 489 to apply for permanent residence. After the February 1 draw, only candidates who had already received provincial nominations received ITAs in this program-specific draw.
The immigration minister and IRCC have sole discretion over Express Entry draws. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act makes no provisions regarding the timing of draws, the number of applicants, or the minimum CRS cut-off score. The minister may decide that holding drawings on a daily or irregular basis is the best method for Canada to achieve its economic aims.
Canada’s Express Entry Application Tracker System
Recently, IRCC introduced launched application tracker for Express Entry programs. As of January 31 there were 66,214 PNP applicants and 47,868 Express Entry applicants in line, according to the most recent information from IRCC.
The new online status trackers represent yet another attempt by the IRCC to shorten wait times and enhance information access. According to the department, application progress tracking will be made available for other sorts of applications in the upcoming months as part of the ministry’s commitment to increasing transparency.
This is the most recent development in the IRCC’s digitization plan, which will facilitate applicants’ access to their data. For family class permanent residence applicants, sponsors, and their agents to more easily check the status of their applications online, IRCC developed status trackers exactly one year ago.
