Canada today held its first Express Entry lottery of the year, and the first since November 23.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued invitations to 5500 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 507. Eligible candidates were invited from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). All are programs that operate under the Express Entry system.
Last year was a unique year for Express Entry. Ministerial instructions show that during the 23 draws in 2022, 46,538 ITAs were issued to Express Entry applicants. This number includes draws between January and July, which were exclusively for candidates in Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). Program-wide Express Entry draws were paused for more than 18 months from December 2020.
The last Express Entry draw saw the lowest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) minimum score at 491.
Canada will also increase the number of candidates invited through Express Entry programs, according to the Immigration Tier Plan 2023-2025 released on November 1. In 2023, 82,880 immigrants will be admitted to Canada as permanent residents through Express Entry. This will increase to 109,020 in 2024 and 114,000 in 2025, or approximately one-fifth of Canada's total permanent resident admission targets.