Category-Based Express Entry Draws: A Year in Retrospect
Category-Based Express Entry Draws: A Year in Retrospect
On June 28, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched its inaugural category-based draw. This new format, introduced in May of the previous year, aims to attract skilled immigrants to fill specific labor market gaps and address demographic needs in Canada.
The primary objective of this new type of Express Entry draw is to bring in foreign nationals with work experience and skills that are particularly in demand. Despite the focus on specific categories, Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores continue to play a significant role in these draws.
For the year 2024, IRCC has prioritized candidates with the following work experience and language proficiencies in category-based draws:
Healthcare occupations
Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations
Trades occupations
Transport occupations
Agriculture and Agri-Food occupations
Proficiency in the French language
Draw Details, Frequency, and CRS Scores
Since the first category-based draw almost a year ago, IRCC has conducted 25 such draws. The CRS cut-off scores for these draws have shown considerable variation depending on the category.
Note: The cut-off score represents the lowest CRS score among candidates who received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in a particular draw. Candidates with CRS scores below the cut-off are not eligible for an ITA in that draw.
| Date of Draw | Category | CRS Cut-Off Score | Number of ITAs Issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2023 | Healthcare | 476 | 500 |
| July 5, 2023 | STEM | 486 | 500 |
| July 6, 2023 | Healthcare | 463 | 1,500 |
| July 7, 2023 | French | 439 | 2,300 |
| July 12, 2023 | French | 375 | 3,800 |
| August 2, 2023 | French | 435 | 800 |
| August 3, 2023 | Trades | 388 | 1,500 |
| September 20, 2023 | Transport | 435 | 1,000 |
| September 27, 2023 | French | 472 | 500 |
| September 28, 2023 | Agriculture and Agri-Food | 354 | 600 |
Total ITAs Issued
Over the past year, the number of ITAs issued in each category varied significantly:
Healthcare: 9,100 ITAs
STEM: 10,900 ITAs
Trades: 2,500 ITAs
Transport: 2,645 ITAs
Agriculture and Agri-Food: 1,150 ITAs
French-language proficiency: 21,100 ITAs
Looking Forward in 2024
In April, CIC News reported that IRCC had outlined its ITA distribution plan for 2024, which includes the following allocations by category:
Healthcare: 15%
STEM: 25%
Trades: 5%
Transport: 3%
Agriculture and Agri-Food: 0.5%
French-language proficiency: 30%
Note: IRCC plans to allocate 78.5% of all Express Entry ITAs to category-based draw candidates, with the remaining 21.5% issued through general draws throughout the year.
Writen by Vimal Sivakumar
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