Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently conducted an Express Entry draw, issuing 3,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) specifically for candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). To receive an invitation, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 522.
This draw, the second this week, follows a May 30 program-specific draw for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. This marks the first Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw since September 14, 2021, featuring the lowest CRS score of the year for a non-category-based draw. These are the first program-specific draws since category-based selection was introduced in May 2023. Many CEC and PNP candidates are already temporary residents in Canada. IRCC aims to help more temporary residents transition to permanent status, reducing the overall number of temporary residents.
Program-specific draws focus on candidates from specific residency programs rather than inviting applicants from all programs, as seen in general draws.
The May 30 draw was the first since a month-long pause following the last draw on April 24. While IRCC hasn’t explained the pause, a recent Access to Information Request revealed that all draws this year will follow a predetermined schedule based on 2024 and 2025 admission targets and processing capacity.
Before the pause, there were four draws in April: a general draw on April 10 inviting 1,280 candidates, a category-based draw for STEM occupations on April 11 issuing 4,500 ITAs, a general draw on April 23 with 2,095 ITAs, and a French proficiency category-based draw on April 24 inviting 1,400 candidates.
A recent Access to Information Request indicates that French proficiency will dominate category-based selection draws in 2024 due to the high employment rate of bilingual candidates and their generally higher CRS scores, which aid economic integration. STEM occupations will account for 25% of ITAs, healthcare for 15%, and transport, trades, agriculture, and agri-food for 5% or less. The remaining 21.5% of ITAs will be issued in general draws, with no mention of program-specific draws.
