Canada’s federal immigration department has released preliminary data on how many Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates were invited in the two most recent Express Entry draws.

On July 6, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its first all-program draw in 18 months. A total of 1,500 candidates were invited to apply for Canadian immigration and candidates needed to have a score of at least 557, a very high score, in order to receive an invitation.

CIC News sent in the original media request on July 8, asking for the breakdown on how many candidates were invited from each Express Entry-managed program. IRCC media relations replied on July 27, and included the breakdown for its July 20 Express Entry draw where 1,750 candidates were invited and the minimum score cut off was 542.

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IRCC confirmed candidates who were eligible for the FSWP were invited, in addition to candidates eligible for the CEC and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The IRCC media spokesperson who sent the figures noted that these data are preliminary estimates and subject to change:

Express Entry-managed Program	July 6, CRS 557	July 20, CRS 542	Total from July 6-July 20
Provincial Nominee Program	700	764	1,464
Canadian Experience Class	595	569	1,164
Federal Skilled Worker Program	205	417	622
Total	1,500	1,750	3,250

There are a number of reasons why no Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates were declared. IRCC prioritizes sending CEC invitations to candidates who are eligible for more than one program. IRCC invites candidates to apply for the CEC when they are eligible for both the FSWP and the CEC, or if they are eligible for all three programs including the FSTP. The reason is because CEC candidates do not need to have a proof of funds in order to apply for immigration, where as FSWP and FSTP candidates without a Canadian job offer do. So, it is more desirable for candidates who are eligible for both to apply through the CEC.

If FSTP candidates were eligible for other programs, IRCC would invite them to apply for those programs first. Otherwise their scores were not high enough. IRCC occasionally holds draws specifically for FSTP candidates to give these skilled workers an opportunity to apply for Canadian immigration.

It stands to reason that as more Invitations to Apply (ITAs) are issued, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement could go down. IRCC will have to continue inviting candidates from all programs in order to meet its 2023 immigration targets according to its current multi-year immigration levels plan. About 80% of candidates who respond to their invitations in these new all-program draws are expected to get decisions in six months.

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