In the most recent Express Entry Draw, Invitations to Apply (ITAs) have been released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The only Canada Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates were eligible to receive 911 ITAs from the department. To be considered, candidates had to receive a minimum of 732 points on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

The first draw of the month is today, and it comes after a hectic summer. 14 separate Express Entry draw invited by IRCC in July and August. More precisely, since the system's launched in 2015, July has broken the record for the most draws  in a single month. Between July 2 and July 31, there were nine draws.

In the most recent Express Entry, which was held on August 27, 3,330 individuals received invitation to apply that was limited to those enrolled in the Canadian Experience Class.

The IRCC has started draws more than once every other week. Usually, there is one or more draws for PNP candidates. This is consistent with the IRCC's previously declared goal to organize more "domestic" draws in order to lower the number of temporary residents entering Canada and boost the opportunities for temporary residents already there to become permanent residents.

2024 Express Entry List

What is an Express Entry?

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched Express Entry, an application management system in 2015 to assist the department in choosing economic immigration applicants possessing desirable human capital attribute. The Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program are the three economic immigration initiatives that it is in charge of.

The cornerstone of the system is the Comprehensive Ranking System. It gives candidates a point total based on a number of factors, including age, employment, job experience, education, and language proficiency.

These points add up to the total score of a candidate. The most likely candidates to receive an ITA are those with the highest scores.

A procedure known as enhanced nomination allows candidates in these programs to apply for Provincial Nominee Program streams that are in line with Express Entry. Depending on the type of draw, candidates for Express Entry who are nominated through a PNP automatically receive an additional 600 CRS points, increasing the chances that they will receive an ITA in a future Express Entry draw.

In 2023, the IRCC implemented category-based selection draws, which enable the department to focus on candidates possessing particular traits that are in high demand, primarily related to job experience. The minimum CRS needed is typically lower than it would be for a program-specific or general draw, and candidates who receive ITAs in one of these draws are not required to be in any particular Express Entry program (though they must still be in the Express Entry application pool).

The current six target categories are:

●      Healthcare occupations.

●      Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions.

●      Trades occupations: this would include those working as carpenters, plumbers, contractors.

●      Transport occupations.

●      Agriculture and agri-food occupations.

●      French-language proficiency.

Every year, the IRCC reviews these categories and makes adjustments to better meet the demands of the evolving labor market and shifting demographics.