IRCC held the third Express Entry draw of the week, yesterday, on December 8, 2023. This was the latest Stem-Category draw in which the department issued a total of 5,900 invitations to apply (ITAs).

To be eligible for this draw, candidates needed to have work experience in STEM occupations and the lowest Comprehensive Ranking System score of 481. 

Express Entry Draws Prior to the Latest STEM-Category Draw.

The two other Express Entry draws of this week, before the latest STEM-Category draw, were held on December 7th and 6th.  

On December 7, a category-based draw took place in which 1000 candidates with high French proficiency were issued ITAs. This was the week’s second draw, with a minimum required CRS score of 470.

A day prior to this, Canada held an all-program draw and invited 4,750 candidates. To be eligible, candidates needed to have a minimum CRS score of 561. This was the first Express Entry draw after a pause of over a month.  

The nearest EE draw prior to the pause was held on October 26, in which 3600 candidates were invited. The draw targeted candidates from the healthcare sector, and the lowest required CRS score for the draw was 431.

IRCC tweeted on November 14 that some applicants had difficulties using the Express Entry Profile Builder, preventing them from submitting their applications. Later, on November 16, IRCC retweeted to reveal that it had successfully resolved the issue. 

However, what caused the long pause in Express Entry draws remains unknown. 

Recap of Express Entry Draws Since June This Year. 

This is the outline of all the Express Entry draws that have occurred this year since June. This will highlight the draw type, the draw date, and the cut-off score. 

The Express Entry System in Canada?

In Canada, the Express Entry system manages the applications of candidates. In particular, it processes candidates’ PR applications from the three specific programs. The first is the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the second is the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the third is the Canadian Experience Class. 

In Express Entry, IRCC uses a specific point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assess candidates. The system assigns points to candidates on the basis of their different human capital attributes. These include language ability, age, work experience, education, profession, etc. Each factor is assigned a specific point value, which is calculated to provide the candidate with a score.

Candidates with the tallest CRS score have a greater possibility of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA).

Once a candidate receives an ITA, they have 60 days to apply for Permanent residency and submit their complete application to IRCC.

IRCC’s typical service standard for Express Entry Applications is six months. This means that it seeks to process the applications within the given time.

Understanding the Category-Based Selection under Express Entry

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), in May this year, declared its plan to launch the category-based selection invitation rounds under the Express Entry.

These draw target specific Express Entry candidates who satisfy a particular condition of either having French-language proficiency or work experience in any of the five below-stated occupations:

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

All these occupations are selected as these are undergoing a shortage of skilled workers. The shortages are putting pressure on the Canadian economy as well as other key sectors like the healthcare and supply chain.

According to the immigration minister of Canada, Marc Miller, accepting more skilled workers will help in lowering these shortages. This is especially true because over nine million Canadians are projected to retire by 2030.

Immigration Targets and Present Express Entry Scenario

Recently, Canada resumed Express Entry draws to invite express entry candidates. This was the week’s third draw, as well as the latest STEM-Category draw. 

The recent Immigration Levels Plan of Canada for 2024-2026 suggests that the country aims to admit around 110,770 Federal High Skilled workers through Express Entry in 2024 and 117,500 each year in 2025 and 2026.

In a recent meeting, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration stated that, in spite of these high immigration targets, there has been a decrease in the number of Express Entry draws.

Christiane Fox, Canada’s Deputy Immigration Minister, stated that, at the time of the launch of new categories, an IT issue led the government to lower the number of draws, and the department will increase the number of draws in the future.

He further added that by December 2023, there will be a category-based draw for skilled trades professionals.

Since the first category-based draw took place in June, Canada has held the category-based selections draws 12 times. A total of 11,000 candidates who were already in the Express Entry pool received ITAs.