The first Canada Express Entry Draw of 2024 

In the first Express Entry draw of the year, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations. A total of 1,510 candidates were invited to apply in this general draw, and they were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 546.

 The Key Highlights of the Draw –

• ITA – 1510
• CRS score - 546

 It's important to note that this general draw considered candidates from all Express Entry managed programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), without targeting specific occupations or other human capital attributes.

To provide further context, there were a total of seven Express Entry draws in December, making it the busiest month for Express Entry draws in all of 2023. This flurry of draws came after a six-week pause that lasted from October 26 until the December 6 draw, although IRCC did not officially disclose the reason for this pause.
 
December draws of 2023 

In the December draws, the first one on December 18 invited 1,325 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 524. The remaining three draws were conducted for candidates who met specific criteria in one of the six possible categories. On December 19, a draw was held for trades occupations, inviting 1,000 candidates with a minimum CRS of 425. On December 20, a draw for transport occupations invited 670 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 435. Lastly, on December 21, 400 candidates in agriculture and agri-food occupations received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) with a minimum CRS score requirement of 386.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that IRCC conducted three draws between December 6 and 8. The December 6 draw was an all-program draw, December 7 was for candidates eligible under the French-language proficiency category, and the December 8 draw invited candidates in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) occupations.

Summary of Dec draws 2023

What can we expect from the Express Entry system in 2024?

According to the Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-2026, Canada is set to welcome 110,000 new permanent residents through the Express Entry system in 2024. This marks a significant increase from the 82,880 Express Entry candidates that the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) aimed to target in 2023.

 However, it's important to note that having a high target does not guarantee that all the candidates invited in 2024 will secure permanent residency by the end of the year. Some individuals, especially those invited later in the year, may not complete the process until 2025 due to the IRCC's service standard, which allows up to six months to make a final decision on Express Entry applications.

In 2023, the IRCC issued over 100,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Express Entry candidates.

What is the Express Entry program?

Express Entry is an application management system responsible for overseeing three economic immigration programs in Canada: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. These programs employ the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assess candidates based on various human capital attributes, including language proficiency, education, work experience, occupation, and age. Each attribute receives a corresponding score, and candidates are ranked against each other based on their total CRS score.
Express Entry candidates from any of the three programs may also receive ITAs through category-based selection draws that target specific attributes. This feature was introduced in May 2023 and includes six categories: 

• Healthcare, 
• STEM professions, 
• Trades, 
• Transport, 
• Agriculture and agri-food, 
• French-language proficiency.

 
Regardless of the program or draw type, candidates with the highest CRS scores are typically the most likely to receive an ITA in upcoming Express Entry draws.