This is the third Express Entry lottery that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted this week.
3,600 invitations to apply (ITAs) for healthcare jobs were sent out by the department in a category-based selection draw. To be considered, candidates had to receive a minimum of 431 points on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
There have been two draws this week before today’s. The first was a draw held on October 24 for the Provincial Nominee Program alone. With a minimum CRS of 776, the IRCC invited 1,548 people to apply.
Because Express Entry applicants who are also nominated by a province automatically earn an additional 600 CRS points, the minimum CRS score for PNP candidates is greater than typical.
The second draw, which took place on October 25, sought 300 applicants in a category-based screening process for people who could speak French well. For consideration, a minimum CRS score of 486 was required.
Express Entry draw summary since June 2023
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 26 | Healthcare occupations | 3,600 | 431 |
| Oct 25 | French language proficiency | 300 | 486 |
| Oct 24 | PNP-only | 1,548 | 776 |
| Oct 10 | All-program | 3,725 | 500 |
| Sept 28 | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 600 | 354 |
| Sept 27 | French language proficiency | 500 | 472 |
| Sept 26 | All-program | 3,000 | 504 |
| Sept 20 | Transport occupations | 1,000 | 435 |
| Sept 19 | All-program | 3,200 | 531 |
| Aug 15 | All-program | 4,300 | 496 |
| Aug 3 | Trade occupations | 1,500 | 388 |
| Aug 2 | French language proficiency | 800 | 435 |
| Aug 1 | All-program | 2,000 | 517 |
| July 12 | French language proficiency | 3,800 | 375 |
| July 11 | All-program | 800 | 505 |
| July 7 | French language proficiency | 2,300 | 439 |
| July 6 | Healthcare occupations | 1500 | 463 |
| July 5 | STEM occupations | 500 | 486 |
| July 4 | All-program | 700 | 511 |
| June 28 | Healthcare occupations | 500 | 476 |
| June 27 | All-program | 4,300 | 486 |
| June 8 | All-program | 4,800 | 486 |
Candidates for Express Entry are no longer required to undergo a pre-entry medical test.
Candidates for Express Entry are no longer needed to undergo an upfront immigrant medical examination (IME) before to submitting their application to the IRCC for permanent residence as of October 1st of this year.
While there is still an exam requirement, applicants can upload a blank document using the Express Entry profile builder’s upload box. Additional details about your medical exam will be sent by IRCC at a later time.
It is not necessary to do a second IME if the applicant has already completed one as part of an earlier IRCC application or if they are currently residents of Canada.
Express Entry: What Is It?
The Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class are managed using the application management system Express Entry.
The Comprehensive Ranking System is used to evaluate candidates for these programs (CRS). Candidates are ranked by the algorithm according to their human capital characteristics, which include age, education, job experience, language proficiency, and occupation.
Every characteristic is given a number, which when added together brings the overall score to a maximum of 1200. The majority of minimal CRS cut-off scores fall between 350 and 550 (sometimes higher, depending on the kind of draw), yet candidates seldom score this high. The applicants most likely to acquire an ITA to apply to the IRCC for permanent resident status are those with the highest scores.
What is selection based on categories?
The CRS score is not the primary determining factor in the issuance of ITAs under the draw categories that the IRCC introduced earlier this year. The Immigration Minister may invite applicants who serve to promote the French language outside of the classroom or who address an economic need in Canada, according to a new law that was approved in June 2022.
As a result, the IRCC announced six additional draw categories in May of last year for Express Entry applicants who either have job experience in or a good command of French:
Healthcare, STEM fields, commerce, transportation, and agri-food
Since June, Canada has invited candidates ten times using category-based selection draws, for a total of more than 10,000 ITAs. Every applicant was already a part of the Express Entry pool.
