IRCC invites 5,500 Express Entry candidates in second draw of 2023

 IRCC invites 5,500 Express Entry candidates in second draw of 2023

IRCC held a surprise draw today, marking two weeks in a row of Fast Track draws. IRCC has now invited 11,000 Express Entry candidates for 2023, the fastest start ever for Express Entry.

Express Entry 5,500 Invited to Apply for Canada PR 

Canada held its second Express Entry draw of the year today.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued invitations to 5,500 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 490. There are no designated programs, meaning eligible candidates are invited from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). All of these are programs that run under the Express Entry system.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment 

The draw was a surprise because it marked the second round of Fast Track invitations in consecutive weeks. IRCC just held its draw on Wednesday, January 11, in which it also invited 5,500 candidates. The CRS cut-off score for last week's draw was 507, meaning the CRS cut-off score dropped by 17 points between draws. IRCC also initially reported the score for this draw as 507, but has since updated this to the correct score of 490. Last week's draw was the first since the November 23, 2022 draw. Express Entry draws tend to take place approximately every two weeks, usually on Wednesdays. IRCC did not explain why the draw was suspended during this period.

Still, the fact that draws are being held for several weeks starting in 2023 shows that IRCC hopes to attract more skilled immigrants to Canada this year. The 11,000 ITAs already issued mark the fastest launch of Express Entry since its launch in 2015, surpassing the previous record of 10,000 ITAs issued in January 2021.

Express Entry's service standard is to provide the most successful candidates with permanent residence in as little as six months, the fastest service standard of all of Canada's more than 100 different skilled immigration pathways.

The fast-track start to the year is part of what could be an eventful year for IRCC's main skilled migration pathway.

IRCC developing categories for targeted Express Entry draws

Since Bill C-19 received royal assent last June, IRCC has been working to create new draw categories for Express Entry candidates. This is a far cry from the current method of inviting candidates based solely on their high scores in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). 

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

     In the latest step, IRCC completed a round of consultations with the public and stakeholders to better understand Canada's worst skilled worker shortages.

Regardless of category, all candidates must be eligible to apply under the existing Express Entry application management system.

Once categories are decided on by the Minister, they will be announced before invitations are issued.

Possible categories for targeted draws

These categories will be based on attributes of candidates such as their occupation, work experience, education and language ability. The immigration minister said this will support Canada's economic priorities by inviting candidates who are better equipped to fill pressing gaps in Canada's workforce.

There may be a draw for Express Entry candidates with specific work experience relevant to the sector in demand for the workforce.

IRCC also has the potential to create categories to help international students in Canada express-track to permanent residence, especially if the student has already earned a degree or diploma in a popular field from a designated learning institution.

Temporary residents are also considered a category for similar reasons. Those with temporary work experience in Canada were found to be better integrated into the labor market and have the ability to transfer their skills when needed.

Skilled French-speaking immigrants may also have an advantage in obtaining an ITA as the government seeks to fulfill its mission to strengthen Canada's bilingual character and fill workforce gaps in need of French-speaking communities. 

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is the application management system for three Canadian immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the Express Entry pool are already eligible for at least one of these programs.

Express Entry uses a point-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to rank candidate profiles. Applicants with the highest scores receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and can then apply for permanent residency.

Once a candidate has applied, IRCC officers review the application and decide whether or not to approve it. Once completed and approved, the applicant is now a permanent resident of Canada, one step closer to Canadian citizenship.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

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