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On Sept. 27 Canada invited French-speaking Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence.

A total of 500 candidates were invited to apply for permanent residence. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off was 472 CRS points.

The draw comes on the heels of an official announcement that there will be an agriculture Express Entry draw this week as well.

For those of you who may have been invited today, please note: It can take up to 24 hours for an ITA to appear in your IRCC account.

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The latest Express Entry draw analysis

French draws tend to have the low CRS cut-offs

Category-based draws are proving to have lower Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) requirements than all-program draws.

This week has illustrated this perfectly. Just yesterday, Canada invited 3,000 candidates in an all program draw and the minimum CRS score was 504. Today, just 500 invited and the CRS has plummeted to 472.

The August 2 draw is another prime example. Canada invited 800 Express Entry candidates in a French category-based draw. The CRS cut-off was 435.

In order to be eligible for a French draw, candidates need a minimum score of 7 in all language abilities: reading, speaking, listening, and writing.

To put these low CRS scores into perspective, the lowest CRS cutoff ever was a CEC draw that invited candidates with scores as low as 75. The lowest all-program CRS cutoff was 413. The low CRS cutoff of the July 12 French draw shows that having French ability does greatly help your chances of being invited to apply through Express Entry.

Category-based Express Entry draws

In 2023, Express Entry candidates may be invited for one of the following six categories:

  • French language proficiency
  • Healthcare occupations
  • STEM occupations
  • Trade occupations
  • Transport occupations
  • Agriculture and Agri-food occupations

To be eligible for the French-language proficiency category, you must have French-language test results that show a minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens.

For occupation-specific categories, you need to have full time work experience in an eligible occupation for a minimum of six months within the past three years, in conjunction with the minimum full time work experience to be eligible for Express Entry. Learn more about the specific occupations on Moving2Canada’s dedicated category-based Express Entry draw webpage.

If you want to be one of the first people to find out about Express Entry updates, create a free Moving2Canada account and sign up for our newsletter.

For more information on Express Entry and other Canadian immigration options, check out these resources:

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CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool

The following table shows the recent distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool. As of September 26, there were a total of 214,000 candidates in the Express Entry pool. The score distribution may change as people submit new profiles and other profiles expire.

Want to improve your Express Entry CRS score? See our updated guide for tips you might not have thought of yet.

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When will the next Express Entry draw take place?

IRCC does not publish a date for the next Express Entry draw therefore it is not possible to know for certain when the next Express Entry draw will take place.

However, IRCC has historically tended to conduct Express Entry draws every two weeks on Wednesdays. That being said, Express Entry draws can, and do, take place on other days of the week, and sometimes there is a longer or shorter gap between one Express Entry draw and the next draw.

The quickest way to find out when an Express Entry draw has taken place is to create a free Moving2Canada account and sign up for our newsletter.

Express Entry CRS score cut-off all-time records

In the history of Express Entry, the following CRS score cut-off records have taken place:

Lowest CRS score cut-off in any Express Entry draw:

  • All programs: 413 points
  • Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 75 points — this was an exceptional draw that invited all CEC candidates in the Express Entry pool
  • Federal Skilled Trades (FST): 199 points
  • Category-based: 375 points in a French draw

Highest CRS score cut-off in any Express Entry draw:

  • All programs: 886 points
  • PNP Draw: 902 points

Express Entry draw list by year

DateNumber of invitations to apply issuedMinimum CRS points requiredCategory
Draw 266Sept 26500472French
Draw 265Sept 263,000504--
Draw 264Sept 201,000435Transport
Draw 263Sept 193,200531--
Draw 262Aug 154,300498--
Draw 261Aug 31,500388Trades
Draw 260Aug 2800435French
Draw 259Aug 12,000517--
Draw 258July 123,800375French
Draw 257July 11800505--
Draw 256July 72,300439French
Draw 255July 61,500463Healthcare
Draw 254July 5500486STEM
Draw 253July 4700511--
Draw 252June 28500476Healthcare
Draw 251June 274,300486--
Draw 250June 84,800486--
Draw 249May 244,800488--
Draw 248May 10589691 *PNP-only draw--
Draw 247Apr 263,500483--
Draw 246Apr 123,500486--
Draw 245Mar 297,000481--
Draw 244Mar 237,000484--
Draw 243Mar 157,000490--
Draw 242Mar 1667748 *PNP-only draw--
Draw 241Feb 15699791 *PNP-only draw--
Draw 240Feb 23,300489 *FSW-only draw--
Draw 239Feb 1893733
*PNP-only draw
--
Draw 238Jan 185,500490--
Draw 237Jan 115,500507--

Express Entry Canada requirements

Express Entry is one of Canada’s main immigration pathways. It is designed to make it quicker for immigrants with skilled work experience to get Canadian permanent residence.

First off, let’s dispel a common mistake. Express Entry is not an immigration program. Rather, it is an online application management system for these three Canadian immigration programs:

You need to meet the minimum requirements of at least one of the three Express Entry programs, mentioned above, in order to get a profile in the Express Entry pool of candidates.

Once you are deemed eligible, you will get a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Your score is based on factors that are determined by the Canadian government to be important for successful economic immigration in Canada. Namely, the four general points categories include:

  • Age: top points are awarded to candidates between ages 20-29
  • Language proficiency: the higher your language level the more points you get, topping out at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 10 in all language abilities
  • Education: the greater your education, the more points you get (foreign credentials require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA))
  • Work experience: in a skilled occupation according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.

You may receive additional points for skills transferability factors, having a valid job offer, education in Canada, or a provincial nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Also, your points distribution will be different depending on if you are applying solo or with your spouse/common-law partner.

After you get your score, you may need to keep your profile updated. The Express Entry system counts your points based on the documents submitted to your profile. For example, if your language test results expire, you will need to submit new ones.

Other than keeping your profile current, the next thing you need to do is wait to be invited in an Express Entry draw. The types of draws you may be invited for include:

  • All-program draws: which consider candidates who may be eligible for any program and from any occupation.
  • Program-specific draws: which target candidates who may be eligible for one particular program, such as CEC draws or PNP draws.
  • Category-based draws: for candidates whose profiles fit an economic goal set out by the government, such as for language ability or occupation.

Will Canadian Experience Class or CEC draws continue?

With the introductions of category based Express Entry draws, IRCC will still hold program specific draws targeting applicants who qualify under a certain immigration program. This means that they will likely continue to hold Canadian Experience Class or CEC draws from the Express entry pool although it is not clear when the next CEC draw will take place. The last CEC draw took place on the 14th September 2021 and selected CEC applicants with a CRS of at least 462. Since this draw, IRCC have focused on all program draws, category based draws and provincial nominee program draws.

What to do if you receive an Express Entry invitation?

If you are invited, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). This is your chance to apply for Canadian immigration.

You have 60 days to respond to your ITA. Once you have submitted an application, you may receive a decision on your application at any time. IRCC’s standard is six months, but it may take more or less time.

If you are approved, you will get a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). Then it’s just a matter of following IRCC’s instructions to officially become a permanent resident of Canada!

To see if you are eligible for Express Entry, check out Moving2Canada’s CRS Calculator or take the free Canada Immigration Quiz.

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