Canada Immigration News: IRCC Invites 1,040 Candidates in Latest Express Entry Draw #280

The January 23rd Express Entry draw invited 1,040 immigration candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence, marking the second invitation round of 2024 so far. Candidates required a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 543 to be invited. 

This Express Entry draw comes on the heels of a busy 2023, which saw 42 draws in total and over 110,000 invitations issued. As Canada aims to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants in 2024, Express Entry is expected to remain a key source of economic immigrants.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is Canada’s main application management system for three popular economic immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program 
• Canadian Experience Class
• Federal Skilled Trades Program

Under Express Entry, candidates submit an online profile which is scored based on factors like education, work experience, language ability, and more. The highest-ranked candidates are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in regular invitation rounds.

Express Entry candidates who also have a provincial nomination get an additional 600 points, effectively guaranteeing an ITA.

Once invited, candidates have 60 days to submit a complete application for Canadian permanent residence. Processing times are generally within 6 months.

Over 1 Million Express Entry Candidates Invited Since 2015 

Since its launch in 2015, Express Entry has become the main driver of Canada’s economic immigration programs. More than 1 million candidates have received an ITA so far.

The numbers speak for themselves - Express Entry works. It provides a straightforward pathway for skilled workers looking to immigrate to Canada permanently.

While intake volumes fluctuate year to year, the long-term trend shows rising admissions through Express Entry. Canada clearly values the system as an efficient way to select immigrants that will succeed in the labour market.

In 2023, IRCC Issued Largest Number of ITAs Ever 

Last year was a record-setting year for Express Entry invitations. Across 42 draws, IRCC sent out 113,750 ITAs - the highest in any year since Express Entry began.

Not only were more candidates invited, but minimum CRS scores also dropped significantly. The lowest score was 511, occurring in March.

This shows that Canada was aggressively pursuing immigration growth in 2023. More candidates with relatively lower human capital scores were invited as IRCC worked swiftly to land its immigration levels targets.

IRCC Introduces Category-Based Express Entry Draws

One major change last year was the introduction of category-based Express Entry invitation rounds. Starting in June 2023, these draws targeted:

• Candidates with strong French language skills
• Healthcare workers
• Skilled trades
• Agriculture and agri-food occupations
• Transportation sector workers  
• STEM professionals

By tailoring draws to priority occupations, Canada ensured Express Entry continued supplying the talent needed for key industries.

So far, there have been 17 category-based draws out of the 42 rounds in 2023. These occupation-specific invitations are expected to continue in 2024.

Express Entry Draw Scores and Trends in 2024 

With only two draws so far in 2024, it’s difficult to predict exact trends in Express Entry this year. However, some insights can be gathered from IRCC’s immigration levels plan. 

Canada aims to welcome over 430,000 new immigrants in 2024. Of that, about 110,770 are slated to arrive through the Express Entry system. 

Achieving these ambitious targets will require IRCC to continue issuing ITAs at a healthy pace. While each draw may fluctuate in size, we can expect CRS scores to remain relatively low compared to pre-pandemic ranges.

That said, IRCC could always adjust invitation volumes and criteria depending on application processing capacity and backlogs. The department has clearly demonstrated more nimble draw management tactics lately.  

Express Entry: Quick and Efficient Permanent Immigration

For skilled workers around the world, Express Entry represents one of the fastest and most straightforward ways to gain Canadian permanent residence. The benefits are clear:

• Online profile submission is easy 
• Processing within 6 months once invited
• No job offer required for most candidates
• Clear, predictable eligibility criteria
• Option to include family members

With over 1,082,750 new permanent residents welcomed from 2015 to 2022, Express Entry has become the go-to pathway for labour-ready talent looking to establish a future in Canada. 

All signs point to Express Entry remaining a key pillar of Canada’s immigration system for years to come. With strong immigration targets in place, IRCC will continue leveraging the system’s efficiency to meet Canada’s economic and population growth objectives.

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