IRCC Issues Invitations to 3200 in Canadian Experience Class Draw

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced its second Express Entry draw for August, issuing 3,200 invitations to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class. In this round, candidates needed a minimum score of 509 in the Comprehensive Ranking System to be invited. The 3 previous Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws that occurred on May 31, July 17, and July 31.

Past Draws and Required Scores

On July 31, an Invitation round was made to 5000 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 510; on July 17, 6300 candidates, with a minimum score of 515, were considered. The May 31 draw invited 3,000 candidates with a CRS score of at least 522. So far, this month has been very busy for Express Entry draws, as usually, IRCC does draws on a weekly basis for about two to four per month. April had four draws and February had the most draws with a count of 6 draws.

Express Entry Draws that are Issue in 2024:

How Express Entry Works

Express entry, introduced in 2015, manages applications for three principal economic immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

Express Entry is set to attract the best candidates needed by the Canadian workforce. With all programs having individual entry requirements, candidates are ranked according to the Comprehensive Ranking System that includes age, language proficiency, education, work experience, and a recognized occupation. Higher scores increase the chances of receiving an invitation to apply.

Trends in the Current CRS Cut-Off

The latest CRS cut-off score of 509 is less comparative to both July draws and does represent a slight adjustment down from the previous high cut-off threshold. In other words, this could be interpreted to mean that there is a slightly less competitive pool or it was an express strategy of IRCC to set a reduced threshold for intake. The highest CRS score for any Canadian Experience Class draw in 2024 has been 522 on May 31. Therefore, while 509 presently is a shade lower, it still represents a highly competitive selection process.