New Express Entry draw produces 3,600 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence

The Government of Canada issued 3,600 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence to Express Entry candidates in a new draw held November 27.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required in this draw was 471. This is a reduction of one point from the previous Express Entry draw held on November 13, which had a cut-off score of 472.

The Express Entry system is Canada's principal source of skilled foreign labour. It manages the pool of candidates for the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class, which are three of Canada's main Economic Class immigration programs.

Eligible candidates are given a score under Express Entry's CRS that is based on factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English and/or French.

A job offer is not required in order to be eligible for an Express Entry invitation to apply (ITA), though additional points are awarded if a candidate has one.

The Government of Canada holds regular draws for a set number of the highest-scoring Express Entry candidates and the minimum CRS score is determined by the size of the draw.

Find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied a tie-break time and date of November 11, 2019, at 6:29:10 UTC in this draw. This means that all candidates with a score of 471 who submitted their profile before this date and time received an ITA.

Factors that can affect the cut-off CRS score include the size of the draw (larger draws can produce a lower minimum CRS score) and the time between draws (shorter periods between draws can help to lower the CRS score).

Today's draw brings the number of Express Entry candidates who have received an ITA this year to 78,900. This leaves IRCC nearly 11,000 ITAs shy of last year's record of 89,800 invitations with just over a month left in 2019.

Regardless of whether this record stands or falls, the new year will see the admissions target rise to 85,800 for the three Express Entry-managed immigration programs, up from 81,400 this year.

The admissions target for Canada's Provincial Nominee Program, or PNP, is also set to increase from 61,000 to 67,800 in 2020, a portion of which is managed by the Express Entry system.

Nine Canadian provinces and two territories have so-called "enhanced" provincial nominee streams that are linked to the Express Entry system. These streams allow these provinces and territories to invite Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

Express Entry candidates who obtain a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score and are effectively guaranteed an invitation from the Government of Canada to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Many enhanced nomination streams have low or even no CRS score requirements.

Recent weeks have seen enhanced nomination streams in Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island issue invitations to Express Entry candidates.

"IRCC could still beat its 2018 invitation record in the coming weeks if draw sizes increase or more draws are held in quick succession," said David Cohen, senior partner with the Campbell, Cohen Canadian immigration law firm in Montreal.

"Either way, we know 2020 is going to be an even bigger year for Express Entry and the PNP and that's something to look forward to."

Who’s invited?

The following are hypothetical examples of candidates who would have obtained an ITA in today’s draw:

Mickaël is 29, holds a bachelor's degree and has been working as a graphic designer for three years. He has an advanced French language proficiency. While Mickaël has never worked or studied in Canada, he has a brother who is a Canadian permanent resident living in Toronto.

Mickaël’s CRS score of 471 would have been high enough to obtain an ITA in the November 27 Express Entry draw.

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Fatima and Mohamed are married and are 30 and 35 years old, respectively. They have each been working in finance for the last five years, Fatima as an accountant and Mohamed as an auditor. They each wrote the IELTS where Fatima scored an 8 in each category and Muhammad scored a 7 in each category. Fatima holds a master’s degree and Mohamed holds a bachelor’s degree. Neither Mohamed nor Fatima have ever worked or studied in Canada. They entered the Express Entry pool with Fatima as the principal applicant.

Fatima's CRS score of 472 would have been high enough to obtain an ITA during the November 27 Express Entry draw.

Find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool