The first Express Entry Draw of 2024 sent 1,510 invitations to apply for permanent residency in a general (all program) round of invitations.
Candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 546 or higher have received invitations.
The CRS cut-off score went up by 4 points compared to the Express Entry draw on December 18, 2023.
In a general draw or all-program draw, candidates from all Express Entry programs are considered. These programs include the:
The draw does not focus on specific jobs or other personal qualities.
Latest Express Entry Draw – January 10, 2023
- Round of Invitation #279
- Express Entry Program: General or All-Program
- Number of invitations issued: 1,510
- Rank required to be invited to apply: 1,510 or above
- Date and time of round: January 10, 2024 at 16:59:13 UTC
- CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 546
- Tie-breaking rule: December 31, 2023 at 18:23:22 UTC
If more than one candidate has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles.
Jump to:
CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of January 9, 2024
Summary of All Express Entry Draws in 2023
What is Express Entry?
The Express Entry system is the fastest way to become a permanent resident in Canada. It takes about 6 months to process your application after you submit all the required documents following an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
Your application is ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which assigns points based on certain factors. Those with the highest scores receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), allowing them to apply for permanent residency.
Express Entry is a system that handles applications for three Canadian immigration programs:
Express Entry candidates from any of the three programs can also get Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in a selection draw that focuses on a specific characteristic. These category based Express Entry draws were introduced in May 2023, includes six categories:
- French-language proficiency
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
No matter the program or draw type, people with the highest CRS score are most likely to get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next Express Entry draw.
Processing Times
As of January 9, the processing times for all three Express Entry categories at IRCC have increased. See the details below:
| Program | Processing Time |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 5 months |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) | 5 months |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) | (Not updated by IRCC since March 1 as there could be no application in processing for FSTP as of now) |
| Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry | 8 months |
