IRCC invites 3,200 candidates in category-based Express Entry draw for French language proficiency

Edana Robitaille
Published: July 8, 2024

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to apply (ITAs) in the fourth Express Entry draw this month.

The department issued 3,200 ITAs in a category-based selection draw for French language proficiency.

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 420 to be considered.

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Today's draw closely follows three draws from last week between July 2-5. The July 2 draw invited 920 candidates in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) only draw. Candidates needed a minimum CRS score of 739 to be considered.

The other two draws were category-based selection draws. The first occurred on July 4 and issued 1,800 ITAs to candidates in trade occupations and the second was for 3,750 candidates in healthcare occupations on July 5.

Altogether this month has been a busy one so far for Express Entry draws. IRCC typically holds draws every second week, and averages between two and four draws every month. Comparatively, April was the last month to feature four draws and the February was the busiest of the year so far with six.

French-proficiency draws are expected to account for 30% of the ITAs issued in category-based selection draws this year. To date, IRCC has issued 15,600 ITAs to eligible candidates this year for this category.

Summary of Express Entry draw results in 2024

DateDraw TypeNumber of ITAsMinimum CRS
October 7Provincial Nominee Program1,613743
September 19Canadian Experience Class4,000509
September 13 French language proficiency1,000446
September 9Provincial Nominee Program911732
August 27Canadian Experience Class3,300507
August 26Provincial Nominee Program1,121694
August 15French language proficiency2,000394
August 14Canadian Experience Class3,200509
August 13Provincial Nominee Program763690
July 31Canadian Experience Class5,000510
July 30Provincial Nominee Program964686
July 18French language proficiency1,800400
July 17Canadian Experience Class6,300515
July 16Provincial Nominee Program1,391670
July 8French proficiency3,200420
July 5Healthcare occupations3,750445
July 4Trade occupations1,800436
July 2Provincial Nominee Program920739
June 19Provincial Nominee Program1,499663
May 31Canadian Experience Class3,000522
May 30Provincial Nominee Program2,985676
April 24French proficiency1,400410
April 23General2,095529
April 11STEM occupations4,500491
April 10General1,280549
March 26French language proficiency1,500388
March 25General1,980524
March 13Transport occupations975430
March 12General2,850525
February 29French language proficiency2,500336
February 28General1,470534
February 16Agriculture and agri-food occupations150437
February 14Healthcare occupations3,500422
February 13General1,490535
February 1French language proficiency7,000365
January 31General730541
January 23General1,040543
January 10General1,510546

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is IRCC's application management system for three prominent economic immigration programs; the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). It was launched in 2015 to single-out the immigration candidates with the best chance of integrating into Canada's workforce and economy.

Express Entry programs each have different eligibility criteria but all candidates are evaluated using the Comprehensive Ranking System. The system assigns numeric scores to candidates based on human capital factors such as age, language ability, education, work experience and occupation. These scores are added together and form an overall CRS score. The higher the score, the more likely a candidate is to receive an ITA from IRCC in an upcoming Express Entry draw.

What is category-based selection?

Category-based selection draws were introduced in 2023 as a way for IRCC to further target candidates who can fill urgent workforce gaps. The six categories were chosen following extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders, as well as provincial and territorial governments. The current categories are:

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

These will remain in place until 2025, at which point they may change to better suit the demands on Canada's labour force. In all categories except French-proficiency, eligible candidates require at least six months of relevant work experience in an occupation that falls under an eligible National Occupation Classification (NOC) code. French-speaking candidates need French language test results with a minimum score of seven in reading, writing, speaking and listening on the on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens

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