Canada held its fifth all-program Express Entry draw, wherein Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada issued 2750 invitations to apply (ITA) with the Comprehensive Ranking System score (CRS) cut-off of 516. Express Entry is one of the main immigration pathways for skilled immigrants. No specific program was mentioned for this draw, which means applicants were invited from both Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).

In December 2020, Canada paused all-program Express Entry draws for over 1.5 years. During this phase, applicants eligible for permanent residence under the CEC or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) were invited to apply. Although. CEC draws were also put on hold in September 2021. The draws were paused due to the significant increase in the permanent residence applications submitted during the pandemic. During this time, Canada’s border was closed and travel regulations kept on changing frequently.

The latest all-program Express Entry draw offers the maximum ITAs, the number is up by 500, since the draw resumed. Till date, the number of applicants receiving ITAs has been growing by 250 points with each draw. For instance, the first July draw issued invitations to 1500 applicants, the second 1750, and so on. There has also been a steady fall in the minimum CRS score which has been dropping between eight or nine points with each draw. The initial minimum CRS score was 557.

Express Entry

It is an 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 applicants in the Express Entry pool are eligible for one of these programs.

Express Entry utilizes a points-based system, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), to evaluate applicants’ profiles. The top-scoring applicants receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and can then apply for permanent residency.

After the applicant applies, an IRCC official reviews the application and makes a decision. The department will request biometrics and set up an interview or request more documents. Once it’s completed, if approved, the applicant is now a permanent resident of Canada and one step closer to becoming a Canadian citizen.

Canada targets to make a major change to Express Entry in 2023 that will offer the department with authority to issue ITAs that aim at immigrants with specific work experience, education, or language proficiency. It is believed that it will be effective to strengthen Canada’s the economy and labour force. This concludes that CRS scores could be less important in the coming times.