More French Category Draws Will Occur in 2024 – ATIP Reveals
According to Access to Information Request (ATIP), more French category draws will occur in 2024 Express Entry compared to other selection categories.
ATIP reveals that IRCC will issue 78.5% of all Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Express Entry candidates in category-based selection draws throughout 2024. IRCC will issue the remaining 21.5% of the Express Entry ITAs in general draws.
Notably, candidates meeting the French proficiency requirement will obtain 30% of these invitations, leading the Express Entry draws. The STEM category candidates are in second position, making 25%, and healthcare candidates, with 15%, are in third.
More French Category Draws will Occur in 2024: Percentage Breakdown of ITAs.
The category-based draws were started in May 2023 by IRCC to target candidates with work experience in in-demand fields and French language abilities.
| Type of Category-Based Draw | Category Target |
|---|---|
| French proficiency | 30% |
| Healthcare occupations | 15% |
| STEM occupations | 25% |
| Trade occupations | 5% |
| Transport occupations | 3% |
| Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 0.5% |
Why is the French Language Category Leading in Category Based Selections?
As per a previous ATIP study from April 2023, French proficiency was highlighted as an important category. This is because a 2021 Labour Market Information Council report found that employers in Canada struggled to find qualified, skilled workers to fill vacant positions requiring bilingualism.
In addition, French-speaking economic principal applicants had reportedly higher incidences of employment.
A January report revealed similar data that language proficiency is crucial for economic immigrants’ success in the Canadian workforce.
IRCC further claims that this impacts public services in Canada. This is because Canadians have the right to access them in either the official language (French or English).
As per 2023 ATIP, at the time of the introduction of categories, IRCC noted that around 11% to 15% of candidates would be invited through category-based selection from this category.
However, as of now, French language draws have invited the most candidates of any category. IRCC has issued around 17,300 ITAs since July 2023.
The department declared that inviting more French-proficient candidates would help IRCC fulfill its mandated target of 4.4% of all francophone newcomers settling outside of Quebec by 2023. IRCC was successful in attaining its target.
In January 2024, Minister Miller declared that there are 4.7% of all newcomers outside of Quebec. He added that the 2024 target would increase to 6%.
ATIP also cited that this category’s support was mixed. For instance, around 54% of stakeholders showed support for the category, whereas 42% said that this would have no impact or they were unsure.
In particular, stakeholders in Alberta and British Columbia showed the lowest levels of support. As per them, there would be no meaningful economic impact outside of Francophone minority communities.
Other respondents who showed support stated that bilingualism is essential in healthcare, tourism, hospitality, and education.
They also highlighted the non-economic benefits of the category. For example, removing barriers for French-speaking minorities accessing services in their first language.
When will the French language-based draws occur?
The 2024 ATIP revealed that IRCC has an Express Entry draw schedule for 2024. However, not many details are available on this.
It stated that draws will occur in a predictable manner, providing provinces, territories, and clients with a consistent schedule. This implies that this year, the category-based draws will occur as per a schedule. In 2023, the draw frequency was unpredictable.
So far this year, IRCC has held one general draw and at least one category-based draw every two weeks. However, occasionally, there were three draws in one week.
Still, it is unsure whether IRCC will follow this pattern throughout the year.
What will the draw size be?
Concerning the draw size, IRCC stated that it will invite candidates as per the immigration targets mentioned in the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan.
IRCC aims to admit around 110,770 new permanent residents in 2024 and 117,500 in 2025. Notably, the total number of invited candidates will be different each year as IRCC has a service standard of six months for Express Entry applications. This implies that candidates to whom invitations will be issued in the second half of 2024 will not arrive in Canada until 2025.
What will the impact be on CRS scores?
The 2024 ATIP stated that more French category draws will occur in 2024. As per it, pool vitality should support the expected round size at this frequency. However, the CRS score and the pool composition may differ from the expected values based on the PT (Provincial and Territorial) behavior and pool replenishment.
This implies that the total number of candidates in the Express Entry pool and their CRS score will impact the minimum CRS cut-off score for future draws.
In 2023 ATIP, IRCC expected to witness a 10% drop in the total average CRS score after the launch of category-based draws. The IRCC department predicted this would help broaden occupational diversity and source country, but it also warned that it could have a negative impact on newcomers’ economic outcomes. This is because higher CRS correlates with more substantial economic outcomes.
In recent months, Express Entry draws have witnessed higher minimum scores for general draws, and none was lower than 524. At the same time, some category-based draws have a minimum CRS score requirement of much lower scores. For instance, a February 29 draw for French-language proficiency had a CRS score requirement of 336.
Express Entry is Canada’s popular immigration pathway, allowing interested candidates to move and settle in Canada easily and effectively.
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