Canada’s first program-specific Express Entry draw
On February 1st, Canada held the first program-specific Express Entry draw since July 2022. On that day, Canada invited 893 candidates to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence (PR).
The draw targeted candidates who had previously received a nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Therefore, the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score was relatively high: 733.
Remember that all PNP candidates in the Express Entry pool automatically get 600 points added to their score. This means that without the nomination, the lowest-scoring candidates would only have scores of 133.
Further, in this round, the tie-break rule applied to candidates who submitted their profiles before December 09, 2022, at 10:49:57 UTC. Invited candidates now have 60 days to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence.
<<Also Read: Canada to conduct targeted Express Entry draws this year>>
Table of contents
About Express draws in the past months
Canada held 24 draws in 2022. In the second half of that year (June 2022), IRCC resumed Express Entry draws under the federal high-skilled streams, after a pause of over 18 months.
This included the: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTP).
Between July 2022 and January 2023, IRCC has been inviting candidates every two weeks on Wednesdays. Moreover, the institution has been holding all-program draws in which it was considering all eligible Express Entry candidates for invitations.
In an all-program draw, Express Entry candidates may be invited from one of the three programs managed by the Express Entry system.
Please note that, on December 7, 2022, hundreds of candidates with an Express Entry profile were eagerly waiting for the details of the bi-weekly draw. However, the expected draw did not take place and Immigration Canada did not provide any information about it. While the reason for the pause was not confirmed, IRCC mentioned that there was an IT issue in the Express Entry system following the implementation of NOC 2021. You can read more about it in the following article: Glitch in the Express Entry system.
You can also check the number of invitations and scores of the previous rounds in the following table.
Recent Express Entry results
| January 18, 2023 | 5,500 candidates invited | 490 CRS points |
| January 11, 2023 | 5,500 candidates invited | 507 CRS points |
| November 23, 2022 | 4,750 candidates invited | 491 CRS points |
| November 9, 2022 | 4,750 candidates invited | 494 CRS points |
| October 26, 2022 | 4,750 candidates invited | 496 CRS points |
| October 12, 2022 | 4,250 candidates invited | 500 CRS points |
| September 28, 2022 | 3,750 candidates invited | 504 CRS points |
| September 14, 2022 | 3,250 candidates invited | 510 CRS points |
| August 30, 2022 | 2,750 candidates invited | 516 CRS points |
| August 17, 2022 | 2,250 candidates invited | 525 CRS points |
| August 3, 2022 | 2,000 candidates invited | 533 CRS points |
| July 20, 2022 | 1,750 candidates invited | 542 CRS points |
| July 6, 2022 | 1,500 candidates invited | 557 CRS points |
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is now expected to implement targeted Express Entry draws in the first quarter of this year.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an online system that Canada uses to manage applications for permanent residence under 3 programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. Applicants are normally young, highly educated, have some work experience, and know English or French.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to immigrate to Canada permanently. Applicants in this group are normally licensed plumbers, welders, etc.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): skilled workers who have at least one year of full-time Canadian work experience in a professional capacity.
If you are not familiar with these options, please click the links and read the relevant articles. Regardless, you may also find the following articles helpful.
- The Express Entry process in Canada
- Comparing Express Entry programs
- Canada to conduct targeted Express Entry draws in 2023
- Minimum Requirements for Express Entry Canada
- Express Entry Points and CRS Calculator
<<Also Read: Canada to welcome up to 500,000 new immigrants in 2025>>
What to do if you receive an invitation to apply?
If you were invited to apply for permanent residence, you’ll get a message in your account telling you:
- Which program you’ve been invited to apply for
- What to do next
Also, you’ll need to show proof of the information you gave in your EE profile. IRCC will assess whether the information you submit in your application is different from what was in your profile. If the information is false or left out important details, IRCC could:
- Refuse your application
- Find you inadmissible
- Bar you for 5 years from applying to come to Canada for any reason
<<Also Read: Canada will conduct targeted Express Entry draws next year>>
Assistance with ITAs? Let us help!
If you need help with your Express Entry application 2023 or ITAs, please fill out the following form. Of course, you may alternatively book a consultation session or fill out our free assessment form for other immigration options to Canada.
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