Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its first draw for transport occupations on September 20. 

This was this week’s second Express Entry draw, in which IRCC issued 1000 invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates in transport occupations. To be eligible, candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 435. 

This week’s first Expres Entry draw was held on September 19, in which IRCC invited a total of 3,200 candidates. It was an all-program draw in which candidates require the lowest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 531 to be eligible. 

This week’s first draw was a long-awaited Express Entry Draw, as IRCC has not held any Express Entry draw since the last draw occurred on August 15, which was an all-program draw. IRCC issued 4,300 Invitations to Apply (ITA) in that draw. 

IRCC has not supplied any justification for the discontinuity in the Express Entry draws. 

However, there were more Express Entry Draws this summer as compared to last year due to the beginning of the new category-based round of invitations. 

First Draw for Transport Occupations under Express Entry New Categories. 

The draw for transport occupation was the first category-based selection draw under Express Entry for candidates with experience in the transportation field. The critical labor shortage within this field has caused IRCC to issue invitations under transport occupations. 

The Minister of Transport, Mr. Pablo Rodriguez, stated that the transportation field is vital to the country’s economy. He added that to keep things going, it’s essential to invest in individuals who help people travel and transport the goods across the country. 

As per the transport minister, this new effort will assist the country in managing the severe labor shortage as well as attracting skilled newcomers to different regions across Canada. Professionals like Truck drivers, sailors, pilots, and aircraft mechanical engineers all play essential roles in Canada’s economy and in the lives of Canadians. Therefore, closing gaps in these occupations will enhance economic growth and develop more substantial and more robust supplier networks. 

Category-Based Express Entry Draws 

IRCC has introduced the new category-based draws under Express Entry this year on May 31. The IRCC declared six new categories for the year, of which five categories are occupation-based, and the remaining one is non-occupation-based and requires candidates to have high French proficiency. 

The following are the five occupation-based categories: 

• STEM professions; 
• Trades; 
• Healthcare; 
• Agriculture and agri-food; and 
• Transport. 

The first-ever category-based draw was held on June 28 by the IRCC which was for the healthcare sector. 

Since then, IRCC has been conducting draws for categories including STEM, Trades, and French language proficiency. 

The recent draw of September 20 was the First Draw for Transport Occupations. 

Candidates must be in the Express Entry to be eligible to receive an ITA via the category–based selection draws. Also, having a high CRS score will still benefit candidates when ranking against other candidates.