As immigration to Canada continues throughout the year, there have been more Express Entry draws in April. Notably, last month’s draw kinds and sizes were similar to those of March’s draw, with possible trends emerging for 2024. This article will give you an overview of the April 2024 Express Entry Pool and determine the draw type, CRS score, invitations issued, and more.

Overview of the April 2024 Express Entry Pool: Understanding the Current State

The following sections discuss the details of the type of draws, the percentile score, and how it impacts future draws. Let’s understand each individually.

Type of Draws Occurred in April 2024

Like March, IRCC held four Express Entry draws in April 2024: two general draws and two category-based selection draws.

The general draw took place on 10 and 23 April, and the CRS score for these draws was 549 and 524, respectively. The two category-based draws occurred on 11 and 24 April. The targeted categories for these draws were STEM professions and French language proficiency. The needed CRS scores for these draws were 491 and 410, respectively. As compared to past years, the overall CRS scores for general draws remain high. 

There have been three to five draws every month so far this year, with a rough distribution of general and category-based draws overall.

As per the immigration levels plan, IRCC will issue 110,770 invitations to apply (ITAs) for PR under Express Entry in 2024. As of April, IRCC has invited 35,970 candidates through this pathway.

The Express Entry pool status in April 2024

As per the data, there are 214,697 candidate profiles within the Express Entry pool as of April 23, 2024. Notably, this shows a rise of 2753 candidate profiles compared to March. 

The increase in candidate profiles occurred roughly evenly across all score ranges, keeping distribution at the same volume as of March.

The table below demonstrates the CRS score range and the total number of people in the pool. The 351-400 CRS score range is clearly the most populous.

Understanding the percentile against CRS score in the pool

We may calculate the percentile of a score in relation to the entire pool by taking the upper bound of each score range. 

The percentiles help assist in understanding how scores relate to each other and what proportion of the pool has a score below that.

Although having a CRS score with a high percentile is not a guarantee of an ITA, it can give an indication of an individual’s immigration chances during the year. 

The following is an overview of score percentiles.

How does the current state of the Express Entry pool influence future score cutoffs and draw sizes?

Before conducting a draw, IRCC takes into account a number of factors and puts less emphasis on CRS scores. Therefore, estimating the CRS score for future CRS scores can be difficult.

However, understanding the pool size and the score range can help us determine the trends that might impact the draw size and cutoff score, especially for the yearly immigration levels.

This is because, in addition to considering the spread of CRS scores when deciding the next CRS score for the draw, all draw sizes should work towards fulfilling the department’s targets outlined in the immigration levels plan.

Thus, even if the above data can not provide us with the perfect forecast for the future, it can still be helpful in understanding the pattern within and behind the Express Entry pool when assessing the likelihood of an applicant being selected to receive an ITA this year.

Express Entry is Canada’s popular immigration pathway, allowing interested candidates to move and settle in Canada easily and effectively.

Are you interested in immigrating to Canada but have concerns about the process and pathways? Feel free to connect with our experienced immigration experts for help at NavaImmigration. You can also send us an email at [email protected]