Express Entry: Canada Lowers CRS Score to 481, Inviting 7,000 Candidates in Latest Draw

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have announced the issuance of 7,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in its third all-program Express Entry draw in as many weeks.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score for the draw was 481, and candidates from all programs were considered.

Lowest CRS Score Requirement for All-Program Draw Since December 2020

Notably, the latest draw had the lowest CRS score requirement for an all-program draw since December 23, 2020, when the score was 468. IRCC has invited a total of 21,000 candidates in the last two weeks, resulting in a CRS score of 481 today.

Also Read: Canada: IRCC Launches Public Survey to Improve Immigration System

Express Entry: Main Economic Class Immigration Pathway

The Canadian government manages economic class immigration candidates primarily through Express Entry.

Candidates who are eligible for at least one of the three Express Entry programmes, namely the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), can upload their profile to the IRCC website.

A CRS score is awarded based on factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience.

IRCC’s Draw Schedule

IRCC holds Express Entry draws every two weeks and sends ITAs to the top-scoring candidates. However, in recent months, IRCC has not followed a consistent draw schedule.

For example, on March 15 and March 23, it held two draws in consecutive weeks that tied for the largest all-program draws ever.

Under each of these draws, 7,000 Express Entry candidates were invited, for a total of 14,000 candidates.

IRCC’s Immigration Plan

Under the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025, which guides the operations of Canada’s immigration system, IRCC is targeting to welcome almost 83,000 immigrants via Express Entry this year. The target will rise to 109,000 in 2024 and 114,000 in 2025.

PNP – Leading Economic Class Immigration Pathway

Canada has made the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) its primary economic class immigration pathway since last year. Most provinces and territories have their own PNP, which allows them to nominate candidates who meet the needs of their economy.

The PNP admissions target for Canada is nearly 106,000 immigrants in 2023, 110,000 in 2024, and nearly 118,000 in 2025.

Enhanced Provincial Nominations

A portion of the PNP is run through Express Entry, which means that if a candidate is eligible for one of the three Express Entry programmes (the FSWP, CEC, or FSTP), they can enter the Express Entry pool and then receive an invitation to apply to their province or territory’s PNP.

This approach, known as enhanced provincial nominations, provides approved PNP stream candidates with an additional 600 CRS points, virtually guaranteeing them an ITA for permanent residence.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada has seen a surge in newcomer arrivals in recent years as the country seeks to welcome more permanent and temporary residents to support its economy.

For the first time in its history, Canada’s population increased by more than one million people last year, with permanent and temporary residents accounting for more than 95% of this increase.