Express Entry’s New Draw Invites 400 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Applicants. 

In the latest express entry draw On October 23, 2024 the IRCC has issued 400 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) through its Express Entry system. This latest draw required candidates to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 539 to be selected. The CEC targets candidates who already have Canadian work experience and are seeking permanent residency.

The Key Highlights of the Draw –

•    ITA – 400
•    CRS Score – 539 

The New Express Entry Draw – CEC 

The latest Express Entry draw marks the second Express Entry round of the week.  The previous was held  on October 21  and  IRCC invited 648 candidates from the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).  The PNP draws typically require higher CRS scores, as candidates who receive provincial nominations are awarded an additional 600 points. The October 21 draw required a minimum CRS score of 791.
In recent months, IRCC has  started a trend where there are multiple draws conducted every second week and the draws select both PNP and CEC candidates. This strategy aligns with the government’s goal of transitioning temporary residents to permanent status and helps to meet the critical labor market needs. The increase in CEC-specific draws also helps IRCC reduce the number of temporary residents living in Canada.

Summary of the Express Entry Draw 2024

What is the Express Entry System?

The Express Entry system  for Canada is the immigration channel for Skilled workers and is a point based system that ranks the applicants. It manages applications for three key economic immigration programs: 

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

The express entry uses the CRS  tool to calculate the score and  rank candidates based on human capital factors such as age, education, work experience, language proficiency, and occupation. Additional points are awarded for factors like provincial nominations who already have their family in Canada, or immigrating with a spouse or partner.

The new draw reflects IRCC’s efforts to meet the immigration levels targets as per the Canada Immigration Levels Plan. The  Canada  Immigration Plan of 2024 aims to admit 110,770 new permanent residents under the Express Entry system. While details have yet to be confirmed regarding whether IRCC will meet this target, the next Immigration Levels Plan, covering 2025-2027 is expected to be released by November 1, 2024. For now, the applicants who  will be receiving an ITA in late 2024 are more likely to have their applications processed in 2025 as there is  a six-month standard for processing Express Entry applications by the IRCC