Express Entry: ITAs up CRS down in new all-program draw

Canada invited 1,750 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence on July 20. Express Entry is one of the main ways Canada welcomes immigrants. In 2022, Canada is on track to welcome 55,900 immigrants through Express Entry, then by 2024 the target will skyrocket to 111,500.

Candidates were invited if they had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 542. There was no program specified for this draw, meaning candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) had the potential to be invited.

The CRS requirement for the new draw is 15 points lower than the previous all-program draw on July 6, when the minimum cut-off score was 557. Also, Canada issued 250 more invitations in this draw compared to the previous round of 1,500 invitations.

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Second Express Entry draw since December 2020

This was the second all-program draw since July 6 after an 18-month hiatus, during which time Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only invited candidates eligible for immigration through either the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

In an all-program Express Entry draw, IRCC considers the CRS from all candidates in the Express Entry pool, regardless of which program they are eligible for. Before the pandemic, most Express Entry draws were not program-specific, meaning candidates eligible for any Express Entry program had the chance to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) if they met the minimum CRS.

Between January 2021 and September 2021, IRCC held PNP and CEC draws about every two weeks. After September 21, 2021, IRCC stopped inviting CEC candidates because the expected application processing times were driven in excess of the six-month standard.

Although IRCC is back to holding all-program draws, further changes are forthcoming to the Express Entry system. The reforms named in the recently-passed Bill C-19 are expected to come into force in early 2023. Once implemented, IRCC will be able to hold targeted draws that invite Express Entry candidates to apply based on an economic goal. Candidates could be invited based on their occupation, educational credential, language ability, or other factor that corresponds to labour market needs.

What is Express Entry?

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) are all economic immigration programs that operate under the Express Entry application management system. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in the Express Entry pool are already eligible for at least one of these programs.

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is a core component of Express Entry. The CRS ranks candidates’ profiles based on several factors. The top-scoring candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.

An IRCC officer reviews the application after a candidate applies, and makes a decision. The officer may set up an interview or request more documents. Once approved, the applicant gets a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).

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