On January 31st, the third Express Entry draw of 2024 sent out 730 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency in Canada.
In this general draw, the Express Entry profiles with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 541 or higher were invited by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Latest Express Entry Draw – January 23, 2023
- Round of Invitation #281
- Express Entry Program: General or All-Program
- Number of invitations issued: 730
- Rank required to be invited to apply: 730 or above
- Date and time of round: January 31, 2024, at 15:18:02 UTC
- CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 541
- Tie-breaking rule: July 15, 2023 at 10:52:08 UTC
Tie-breaking rule: 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.
CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of January 30, 2024
Compared to the previous general draw on January 23, the CRS cutoff score only dropped by 2 points. The number of invitations has been decreasing since the beginning of 2024, which has been keeping the cutoff score relatively high.
In the last general draw on January 23, 1,040 invitations were issued to those with a CRS score of 543 or above. The first draw of the year on January 10 sent 1,510 invitations with a CRS score cutoff of 546.
Summary of All Express Entry Draws in 2023
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is a system managing applications for three main economic immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System to assess candidates based on factors like work experience, language proficiency, education, age, and occupation. Those with higher CRS scores have a better chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the subsequent Express Entry draw.
Once an individual receives an ITA, they can submit their application to the IRCC. The government aims to process Express Entry applications and provide final decisions within a six-month service standard.
Express Entry draws often target specific occupations. The program is currently focusing on the following five sectors:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
