IRCC has invited 700 candidates in the most recent Express Entry draw.  

It was an all-program draw and candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 511. 

This draw comes as a surprise as Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has said it will invite 1,500 healthcare workers via category-based selection tomorrow, July 5. In addition, it is expected IRCC will also invite candidates with work experience in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) occupations in the first-ever category-based selection Express Entry draw for STEM professions. It remains to be seen what the minimum CRS score will be required for healthcare and STEM candidates.

Last week, on June 28, IRCC held the first-ever Express Entry category-based draw, inviting 500 healthcare workers with a minimum CRS score of 476. On that same date, IRCC announced it would be inviting STEM professions in a category-based Express Entry round this week.

The current CRS score of 511 is the highest seen in any all-program draw of 2023. It is significantly higher than it was in the last all-program draw on June 27 when there were 4,300 candidates invited with a minimum CRS score of 486. It is also 35 points higher than the 476 required in the category-based draw on June 28.

Category-based selection draws are a new type of Express Entry draw that aims to invite candidates within specific occupational fields or those who have other in-demand attributes. There are six new categories for which candidates may be eligible:

• Healthcare
• Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
• Trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
• Transport
• Agriculture and agri-food
• Strong French-language proficiency

Category based selection draws were made possible following changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in June 2022. The changes give the immigration minister the authority to invite economic immigrants based on a specific attribute that align with Canada’s economic priorities or will promote the French language outside of Quebec.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an application management system used by IRCC to select candidates for permanent residency based on their Comprehensive Ranking System score. The CRS evaluates candidates according to attributes such as work experience, occupation, language ability, education, age and more. When an eligible Express Entry candidate uploads their profile to the IRCC website, they are assigned a CRS score based on these factors and ranked alongside other candidates. The candidates who have the highest scores are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA).