Canada invites candidates in the first Express Entry draw of 2024

Edana Robitaille
Published: January 10, 2024

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations in the first Express Entry draw of the year.

The department invited 1,510 candidates to apply in a general draw.

They required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 546.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

A general draw considers candidates from all Express Entry managed programs including the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). No occupations or other human capital attributes are targeted.

The four most recent draws took place from from December 18-21. The all-program draw on December 18 invited 1,325 candidates with a minimum CRS of 524.

The remaining three draws were for candidates who fit the criteria for category-based selection in one of the six possible categories. The December 19 draw invited 1,000 candidates in a category-based draw for trades occupations with a minimum CRS of 425 and the December 20 invited 670 candidates in transport occupations. Candidates needed a CRS score of at least 435.

On December 21, 400 candidates in agriculture and agri-food occupations received ITAs. They required a minimum CRS score of 386.

IRCC also held three draws between December 6-8. The December 6 draw was all-program, December 7 was for candidates who were eligible under the category for French-language proficiency and the December 8 draw invited candidates in STEM occupations.

In total, there were seven Express Entry draws in December. This is the most Express Entry draws in one month for all of 2023. It followed a six-week pause that lasted from October 26 until the December 6 draw. IRCC did not confirm a reason for the pause.

Summary of Express Entry draws since June 2023

DateDraw TypeNumber of ITAsMinimum CRS
Dec 19Trade occupations1,000425
Dec 18All-program1,325542
Dec 8STEM occupations5,900481
Dec 7French language proficiency1,000470
Dec 6All-program4,750561
Oct 26Healthcare occupations3,600431
Oct 25French language proficiency300486
Oct 24PNP-only1,548776
Oct 10All-program3,725500
Sept 28Agriculture and agri-food occupations600354
Sept 27French language proficiency500472
Sept 26All-program3,000504
Sept 20Transport occupations1,000435
Sept 19All-program3,200531
Aug 15All-program4,300496
Aug 3Trade occupations1,500388
Aug 2French language proficiency800435
Aug 1All-program2,000517
July 12French language proficiency3,800375
July 11All-program 800505
July 7French language proficiency2,300439
July 6Healthcare occupations1500463
July 5STEM occupations500486
July 4All-program 700511
June 28Healthcare occupations500476
June 27All-program4,300486
June 8All-program4,800486

What will Express Entry look like in 2024?

The Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026, shows that Canada will admit 110,000 new permanent residents through Express Entry in 2024.

This is a jump from the 82,880 Express Entry candidates IRCC targeted in 2023. Still, the high target does not necessarily mean that all the candidates invited in 2024 will be admitted before the year’s end. Some, especially those invited later in the year, will arrive in 2025. This is because IRCC has a service standard of six months to issue a final decision on Express Entry applications for permanent residency.

IRCC issued more than 100,000 ITAs to Express Entry candidates in 2023.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an application management system that oversees the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

These three economic immigration programs use the Comprehensive Ranking System to assign a score to candidates based on their human capital attributes. This includes factors such as language ability, education, work experience, occupation, and age. Each attribute is assigned a score and candidates are ranked against each other.

Express Entry candidates in any of the three programs may also receive ITAs in a category-based selection draw that targets a specific attribute. This type of draw was introduced in May 2023 and features six categories:

  • Healthcare;
  • STEM professions;
  • Trades;
  • Transport;
  • Agriculture and agri-food; and
  • French-language proficiency

Regardless of the program or the type of draw, those with the highest CRS score are the most likely to receive an ITA in an upcoming Express Entry draw.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

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