Canada Resumes Express Entry Invitation Rounds With 1325 Invitations

On December 18th, 2023, IRCC Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 1,325 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to immigration candidates in the Express Entry pool. Candidates required a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 542 to qualify for this latest all-program draw.

Overview of The Express Entry System

Express Entry serves as the application intake system for three of Canada’s main economic immigration programs - 

• the Federal Skilled Worker Program, 
• the Canadian Experience Class, and 
• the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Under Express Entry, candidates create an online profile which is scored according to various factors including age, education, work experience, and language ability. The highest-ranking candidates based on this Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) are issued an ITA in periodic invitation rounds throughout the year.

Once invited, candidates can submit a complete application for permanent residency within 60 days. IRCC aims to process complete applications within six months. This includes conducting background checks and ensuring candidates meet eligibility criteria before issuing permanent residence if approved.

Latest Draw Analysis

The December 18th general draw required candidates to have a minimum CRS score of 542, a threshold lower than the last all-program draw held on October 26th when the minimum score was 561. Lower CRS minimums allow candidates with more diverse profiles to qualify, including those with weaker language or education credentials.

The latest round comes after IRCC resolved technical issues that had temporarily paused Express Entry invitation rounds in early November. On November 14th, a glitch was uncovered preventing invited candidates from properly uploading their proof of application documents. This issue was said to be fixed as of November 16th.

In addition to resolving IT problems, IRCC has likely resumed rounds after assessing it is on track to meet Express Entry admissions allocated under Canada’s 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan. This plan targets 114,000 new Express Entry permanent residents annually, to be admitted through a mix of all-program and category-specific draws focused on areas of labor market demand.

With Canada looking to sustain high immigration amid an aging population and workforce gaps across sectors like healthcare and technology, further routine rounds of ITAs are anticipated in 2024 to help fulfill ambitious Express Entry admissions goals. Candidates are encouraged to assess their eligibility and competitiveness under the current CRS scoring formula.