IRCC issues 2,500 ITAs in category-based Express Entry draw for French language proficiency

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited candidates to apply for permanent residence in the second Express Entry draw of the week.

The department issued 2,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a in a category-based selection draw for candidates with strong French language proficiency

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 336.

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Today’s draw follows a general draw on February 28 in which 1,410 candidates with a minimum CRS of 534 received invitations to apply. In a general draw, candidates are considered from all three Express Entry managed programs.  

The results this week round up a busy February. Not including today’s draw, 13,610 candidates received ITAs in five draws. Two of the draws were general and three were category-based selection draws for candidates with strong French proficiency, healthcare occupations and agriculture and agri-food occupations.

Summary of Express Entry draw results in 2024

Date	Draw Type	Number of ITAs	Minimum CRS
December 3	French language proficiency	800	466
December 2	Provincial Nominee Program	676	705
November 20	Healthcare occupations	3,000	463
November 19	Canadian Experience Class	400	539
November 18	Provincial Nominee Program	174	816
November 15	French language proficiency	800	478
November 13	Canadian Experience Class	400	547
November 12	Provincial Nominee Program	733	812
October 23	Trade occupations	1,800	433
October 22	Canadian Experience Class	400	539
October 21	Provincial Nominee Program	648	791
October 10	French language proficiency	1,000	444
October 9	Canadian Experience Class	500	539
October 7	Provincial Nominee Program	1,613	743
September 19	Canadian Experience Class	4,000	509
September 13	French language proficiency	1,000	446
September 9	Provincial Nominee Program	911	732
August 27	Canadian Experience Class	3,300	507
August 26	Provincial Nominee Program	1,121	694
August 15	French language proficiency	2,000	394
August 14	Canadian Experience Class	3,200	509
August 13	Provincial Nominee Program	763	690
July 31	Canadian Experience Class	5,000	510
July 30	Provincial Nominee Program	964	686
July 18	French language proficiency	1,800	400
July 17	Canadian Experience Class	6,300	515
July 16	Provincial Nominee Program	1,391	670
July 8	French proficiency	3,200	420
July 5	Healthcare occupations	3,750	445
July 4	Trade occupations	1,800	436
July 2	Provincial Nominee Program	920	739
June 19	Provincial Nominee Program	1,499	663
May 31	Canadian Experience Class	3,000	522
May 30	Provincial Nominee Program	2,985	676
April 24	French proficiency	1,400	410
April 23	General	2,095	529
April 11	STEM occupations	4,500	491
April 10	General	1,280	549
March 26	French language proficiency	1,500	388
March 25	General	1,980	524
March 13	Transport occupations	975	430
March 12	General	2,850	525
February 29	French language proficiency	2,500	336
February 28	General	1,470	534
February 16	Agriculture and agri-food occupations	150	437
February 14	Healthcare occupations	3,500	422
February 13	General	1,490	535
February 1	French language proficiency	7,000	365
January 31	General	730	541
January 23	General	1,040	543
January 10	General	1,510	546

IRCC says category-based selection not changing in 2024

In May 2023, the department introduced category-based selection rounds of invitations for candidates who can demonstrate that they met the criteria for one of six new Express Entry draw categories:

• Healthcare occupations
• Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
• Trades occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
• Transport occupations
• Agriculture and agri-food occupations
• Strong French proficiency

At the time of the announcement, the department said that it would review these categories and make any changes deemed necessary. As of February 13, IRCC has confirmed that these categories will not be updated in 2024.

The categories were chosen following consultations with IRCC stakeholders such as a provincial and territorial governments, settlement services and Canadian businesses and employers.

Candidates with these attributes must be in the application pool under one of the three Express Entry-managed programs to be considered.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is a management system for immigration applications. The system exists to help expedite application processing for economic immigration candidates in three programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Express Entry utilises the Comprehensive Ranking System to assign scores based on human capital attributes such as occupation, education, language ability, work experience and age. Candidates with the highest scores are the most likely to receive an Invitation to Apply  for PR status.

Candidates who also receive a nomination through the Provincial Nominee Program can gain an additional 600 CRS points. This virtually guarantees that they will get an ITA in an upcoming draw.

Once an Express Entry candidate receives an ITA, they have 60 days to submit their final application to gain Canadian PR to IRCC.

How many ITAs will be delivered this year through Express Entry?

According to IRCC's Immigration Levels Plan, the department plans to welcome 110,770 new PRs in 2024 through Express Entry. This represents a significant increase from last year, in which the government targeted 82,880 newcomers for Canadian PR through the same system. In 2025 and 2026, this number is set to stabilise at 117,500.

Starting in 2025, Canada's allocation for new permanent residents through the PNP will increase to 120,000—making provincial pathways collectively, Canada's main route to welcome new economic immigrants.

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