Express Entry Draw 297: CEC Draw on May 31, 2024

Key Takeaways for Express Entry Candidates

• Type of draw: Canadian Experience Class
• Invites issued: 3,000
• CRS score: 522
• Tie-breaking rule: March 19, 2024
• This is the first Canadian Experience Class draw since the pandemic-era, on September 14, 2021.

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Our Analysis of This Week’s Express Entry Draw

This is the second program-specific draw in the week of May 31, 2024 — and it’s another surprising result. IRCC issued 3,000 invitations to Canadian Experience Class candidates, with a CRS cut-off of 522.

With this result in hand, we think there’s a likelihood that IRCC may be responding to feedback that the category-based draws are leading to more out-of-Canada applicants being selected to the detriment of those living and working in Canada already. Since it’s unlikely that IRCC would want to see qualified candidates who are already working and living in Canada leaving the country, we anticipate today’s Canadian Experience Class draw and yesterday’s Provincial Nominee Draw reflect IRCC’s desire to retain these workers.

If we’re right about this, it is likely that we may see intermittent CEC and PNP draws throughout the rest of the year. This would be a welcome addition to the draw schedule for workers in Canada who do not:

• Speak French or work in the occupations for the other category-based rounds; or
• Have the extremely high CRS required to qualify for this year’s general rounds of invitations.

Comparison To Previous Canadian Experience Class Rounds

Canadian Experience Class rounds of invitations were relied on heavily during the pandemic-era when travel was restricted. We were seeing Canadian Experience Class rounds almost every two weeks for a period in 2021, until they ceased in September 2021.

The CRS for the most recent CEC round was 462, with 2,000 invitations sent. Prior to that, 3,000 invitations were sent for a CRS of 403. The difference between that round (which took place on August 19, 2021) and today’s round, with its CRS of 522, highlights how competitive the candidate pool is for Express Entry at the moment.

• Learn more about the latest Express Entry draws.
• Learn more about the state of the Express Entry pool.
• Learn when to expect the next Express Entry draw.

For up-to-date information about Express Entry draws, consider creating a free Moving2Canada account.