Canada Express Entry Draw Results, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has completed its second Express Entry draw within a week on February 26. The latest Express Entry draw for Canada, held on February 29, 2024, was conducted based on categories and in the French language.
Today’s draw witnessed IRCC granting an additional 2,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Express Entry candidates who exhibit significant proficiency in the French language. With this issuance, the total number of ITAs in this draw marks IRCC’s third-largest draw of 2024 up to this point. All candidates receiving an ITA today attained a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 336.
Following an all-program/general draw held by IRCC on February 28, today’s draw saw the department issuing 1,470 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates with a minimum CRS score of 534.
Canada Express Entry Draw Results from February 29
Express Entry
Express Entry serves as the application management system for three of Canada’s economic-class permanent residence programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Since June 2023, Canada has expanded the Express Entry system to include a second type of draw called a category-based draw.
The difference between these draws will be outlined below.
Standard Express Entry Draws
In “Standard” Express Entry draws, eligible candidates are ranked against each other based on their CRS scores, which are numerical values assigned to all Express Entry candidates considering various human capital factors. Factors such as age, education, and work experience in Canada are examples of criteria used to calculate a candidate’s CRS score. In the context of standard Express Entry draws, CRS scores directly influence whether a candidate will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) during a specific draw. This is because only candidates with a CRS score surpassing the cut-off for a particular draw will be granted an ITA.
The following steps must be performed in order for an Express Entry candidate to receive consideration for an ITA through IRCC’s standard Express Entry draws:
- Candidates must first self-assess their eligibility for any of Canada’s three Express Entry-managed programs: the FSTP, the FSWP and the CEC
- If eligible, candidates can proceed to create an online profile with IRCC
- At this time, candidates will formally enter the Express Entry candidate “pool” and receive their CRS score
- Candidates must now wait for the next Canada Express Entry draw from IRCC to see if they will receive an ITA for permanent residence in Canada
Note: Receiving an ITA is the only way for candidates to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry.
Category-Based Express Entry Draws
Category-based draws were initiated in June 2023 to assist IRCC in attracting more foreign skilled workers with specialized work experience or proficiencies in key areas of demand across Canada, as designated by IRCC.
In 2023, IRCC indicated that the department’s category-based draws would prioritize immigration candidates with the following qualities:
Work Experience
Express Entry applicants with work experience in these industries:
- Healthcare
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
- Trades
- Transport
- Agriculture and Agri-Food
Language Proficiency
Express Entry immigration candidates with strong French language proficiency are defined as those who attain a “minimum score of 7 in all 4 language abilities on the Canadian Language Benchmarks” (CLB).