Express Entry: 5,000 ITAs in biggest draw ever

Canada has held its largest Express Entry draw ever on November 18, 2020.

A total of 5,000 invitations were issued in this draw, bringing immigration candidates one step closer to Canadian permanent residence.

Candidates needed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 472 in order to receive an invitation this round.

Express Entry is Canada’s immigration application management system for three federal economic-class programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

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Candidates in these programs, as well as some Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are given a score based on the CRS. Points are awarded depending on a candidates human capital factors such as age, education, work experience, and language ability in English or French.

The highest scoring candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence in an Express Entry invitation round.

In case of a tie between candidates, IRCC applies the tie-breaking rule. So, for this draw, candidates who had a CRS score of 472 or more, needed to have submitted their Express Entry profile before October 27 at 06:18:11 UTC in order to receive an invitation.

This year, the CRS requirement has typically hovered above 470 for all program draws. The Federal Skilled Trades Program-only draw on August 6 invited trades workers with a CRS of 415, and previous Canadian Experience Class-only draws dipped into the 440s. PNP-only draws have higher requirements because Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are automatically awarded an additional 600 CRS points. PNPs offer alternative pathways to permanent residence for Express Entry candidates who have a lower CRS score.

The new draw brings the total number of ITAs issued in 2020 to 92,350. This year is shaping up to be a new record-breaking year for Express Entry, as the number of ITAs issued to date is the highest it has ever been.

The large number of ITAs is in line with Canada's commitment to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants in 2021, most of them coming through the Express Entry system.

Who is invited?

The following are hypothetical examples of people who may have been invited in today’s invitation round.

Tania is 34 years old, holds a bachelor’s degree and has been working as an accountant for six years. She wrote the IELTS and scored a 7.5 in listening and a 6.5 in every other ability. Tania does not have Canadian experience. She recently entered the Express Entry pool and obtained a CRS of 333. Last month, she obtained a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan which increased her CRS to 933 and allowed her to secure an ITA in today's Express Entry draw.

Salome is 28, single, and an investment analyst. She obtained a master’s degree in her home country, then spent three years working there, followed by two years working in Canada. Salome has scored CLB 7 for English reading and writing and CLB 8 for English speaking and listening. Salome’s CRS score of 478 would qualify her for today’s draw.

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