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February 5th, 2020
Express Entry draw figures for the February 5 draw are below.
In the February 5 Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada, 3,500 candidates will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off threshold was 472 points. This is an all-program draw, so candidates in any Express Entry-aligned program are eligible.
In the previous draw, which occurred on January 22, the CRS score cut-off threshold was 471 points.
The tie-breaking rule was applied for the February 5 draw, meaning that not all candidates with 472 points will receive an ITA. As multiple candidates have 472 points, those who submitted their Express Entry profile to the pool before January 30, 2020 at 07:36:26 UTC will be prioritized.
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Will the CRS score go below 450 in 2020?
The CRS score cut-off is dependent on a number of different variables, so it is impossible to predict with 100 percent accuracy how the score may change in future draws. However, we can take a look at some of the available information to analyze what may happen in 2020.
The two most notable pieces of data impacting the current CRS score cut-off are:
- The total number of candidates in the Express Entry pool: 142,491 as of January 31, 2020.
- The total number candidates in the pool with a score ranging from 451-600: 19,861 as of January 31, 2020.
Both of these numbers are at record-high levels, showing that Express Entry is more popular than ever. The popularity of the program is resulting in an increase of candidates in the competitive range which is driving the CRS score cut-off upward.
In order for the CRS score cut-off to drop below 450, all of the 19,861 candidates with a score above 450 would have to be invited from the pool, exit the pool, or have their CRS score cut-off drop. Plus, this would all have to happen before enough new candidates could enter the pool to take their place. While this may seem unlikely, there have been surprises with Express Entry in the past.
On a hopeful note, Canada’s intends to increase immigration levels over the coming years, up to 350,000 by 2021, of whom around 90,000 are expected to be admitted through Express Entry. Increased immigration levels should offset some of the upward pressure placed on the CRS score cut-off by the increase in candidates, but only time will tell the magnitude of the offset.
There are a range of factors that may influence the CRS cut-off score, including:
- The number of candidates invited;
- The frequency of draws;
- The number of new candidates entering the pool; and
- Changes in the CRS scores of existing candidates, whose scores may increase or decrease depending on their circumstances.
As of January 31, there were a total of 142,491 candidates in the Express Entry pool. The graph below shows their distribution according to their CRS score at that time.
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