Express Entry Draw 326: 400 CEC Candidates Issued Invitations on November 19, 2024

Key Takeaways for Express Entry Candidates

• Type of draw: Canadian Experience Class
• Invitations issued: 400
• CRS score: 539
• Tie-breaking rule: July 08, 2024 at 01:41:37 UTC
• Prediction for the next draw: Potentially a healthcare draw on Thursday November 20, 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 of last week’s draws:

Our Analysis of This Express Entry Draw

We’re feeling some deja vu after today’s Express Entry draw.

This Canadian Experience Class draw is the second CEC draw in two weeks, and the second time IRCC has invited 400 CEC candidates in November.

Given the relatively small round, we aren’t surprised to see a relatively high CRS cut off. At 539, it’s high but it is a decrease from last week’s CEC round which was 547. To refresh your memory, 539 was the CRS cut off for both Canadian Experience Class rounds in October 2024.

This is due to the state of the Express Entry pool, including 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
• November 19, 2024: 218,167 candidates
• Change: An increase of 8,275 candidates in a little over one month, and an increase of 667 in one week.

But the number of candidates in the pool with a score of 501-600 did decrease since November 13:

• October 7, 2024: 11,800 candidates
• October 22, 2024: 13,430 candidates
• November 13, 2024: 16,625 candidates. 
• November 19, 2024: 16,495 candidates.

This may offer a glimmer of hope for candidates looking for a CEC invitation in the lower 500s range, but it’s too early to tell exactly where draws are headed in the near term.

In case you missed it, yesterday’s PNP draw was very small with a high CRS of 816. 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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