Express Entry Draw 323: 400 CEC Candidates Issued Invitations on November 13, 2024

Key Takeaways for Express Entry Candidates

• Type of draw: Canadian Experience Class
• Invitations issued: 400
• CRS score: 547
• Tie-breaking rule: April 10, 2024 at 03:58:05 UTC
• Prediction for the next draw: French or healthcare draw on Thursday November 14, 2024.
• Learn more about the changes proposed for the 2025 Express Entry categories.
• New to the excitement of Express Entry draws? Check out our guide to Express Entry.

Watch this reel for a quick summary:

Our Analysis of This Express Entry Draw

Today’s Canadian Experience Class draw marks the second draw of this week, after we saw IRCC skip draws last week — likely due to the US election taking place. However, after two draws, we have only seen 1,133 invitations this week. We think it’s likely that there will be a larger category-based draw as a result of the small number of invitations sent so far this week.

We also feel compelled to talk about the CRS for this week’s draw — at 547, it is a high CRS. In fact, it’s the highest CRS we’ve ever seen for a Canadian Experience Class draw. So, what does this mean for in-Canada immigration going forward?

Well, we can see from the state of the Express Entry pool that there is a high number of entrants currently in the pool — which can lead to higher CRS cut-offs.

Generally, within the pool, we saw a significant jump in October:

• October 7, 2024: 209,892 candidates
• October 22, 2024:  211,780 candidates
• November 13, 2024: 217,500 candidates
• Change: An increase of 7,608 candidates in a little over one month.

This includes a large leap in candidates with a score of 501-600:

• October 7, 2024: 11,800 candidates
• October 22, 2024: 13,430 candidates
• November 13, 2024: 16,625 candidates. 

So, the pool is competitive even amongst higher scoring applicants. While this may not be welcome news for those of you hoping to receive an invitation, it may be a signal to start working to improve your CRS.

In case you missed it, Tuesday’s PNP draw was relatively small with a high CRS of 812. This outcome was unsurprising given that Canada plans to massively decrease its PNP allocation for 2025.

What Does 2025 Hold for CEC Express Entry Draws?

Today’s draw marks the first Canadian Experience Class Express Entry draw since the release of the 2025–2027 immigration levels plan. Given Canada’s plan to switch to a focus of transitioning temporary residents currently in Canada (and presumably with Canadian work experience) to permanent residency, this small draw may be surprising. 

However, we are optimistic about the future of these draws, including the potential for further pathways to be announced.

Remember — there is a positive note: the immigration levels plan includes a special allocation of 82,980 spots for applicants already in Canada. We expect that a significant portion of these admissions will go to in-Canada applicants who might have otherwise applied through a PNP. For more details on the 2025 PNP targets, you can read our in-depth analysis here.

For more information:

• 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.

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