The IRCC has held its fourteenth Express Entry draw for the year 2023. In an all-program draw, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 4,800 candidates. A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 486 was required for candidates.
This was the first draw of June, and it came after the previous one on May 24, when 4,800 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 488 were invited to an all-program draw. This score is higher than the minimum CRS score requirement of 483 for the April 26 all-program draw.
The IRCC has announced that category-based selection drawings will commence this summer:
On May 31, IRCC published a press release announcing the establishment of six new category-based selection criteria for Express Entry candidates.
The new categories seek applicants who possess certain characteristics that assist Canada's economic goals. Five are for people who have worked in the following fields:
The last category is for candidates who are fluent in French.
The government says it plans to start holding category-based lotteries this summer, although no specific date has been offered.
Those hoping to receive an ITA in the targeted draws must be Express Entry candidates. According to IRCC, Express Entry candidates who match the category requirements will still be ranked, and those with the best scores would be issued ITAs.
As needed, IRCC will hold all program drawings as well as program-specific draws.
2023 Express Entry Program:
IRCC has invited 49,948 candidates in 13 draws in 2023, except the present draw. This is already a big increase in the number of candidates invited between July and November 2022. IRCC did not hold any all-program draws until July 2022, following a break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (31,000 candidates).
In May, there were two Express Entry draws. The first was a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw for 589 applicants on May 10. Candidates in the Express Entry pool were also nominated by a provincial government.
February held four draws as well, but each was program-specific, with three for PNP candidates and the fourth for Federal Skilled Worker Program candidates (the first such draw in Express Entry history). In January, there were two all-program draws, each inviting 5,500 candidates.