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A Comprehensive Look at Category-based Express Entry Draws: Yearly Review

Express Entry Draws
Canada Express Entry Draws

In June 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced category-based Express Entry draws as part of its strategy to address specific labor market needs in Canada. These draws are designed to target skilled workers who possess the necessary experience and language skills required to fill critical job shortages across various sectors.

The primary objective of category-based Express Entry draws is to streamline the selection process for candidates who can contribute immediately to Canada’s economy. By focusing on candidates with in-demand skills while still considering their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores, IRCC aims to efficiently match skilled workers with available job opportunities.

Priority Categories in 2024

In 2024, IRCC has identified several priority categories where skilled workers are urgently needed:

  • Healthcare: Addressing shortages in medical professions.
  • Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM): Meeting demands in innovative and technical fields.
  • Trades: Supporting infrastructure development and maintenance.
  • Transport: Addressing logistics and transportation needs.
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food: Meeting agricultural production and food supply needs.
  • French-language proficiency: Promoting linguistic diversity and integration across Canada.

Draws and CRS Scores

Since the inception of category-based draws in June 2023, IRCC has conducted 25 draws, each targeting specific categories with varying CRS cut-off scores. Here are some notable examples:

Date of DrawCategoryCRS Cut-Off ScoreNumber of ITAs Issued
June 28, 2023Healthcare476500
July 5, 2023STEM486500
July 6, 2023Healthcare4631,500
July 7, 2023French4392,300
July 12, 2023French3753,800
August 2, 2023French435800
August 3, 2023Trades3881,500
September 20, 2023Transport4351,000
September 27, 2023French472500
September 28, 2023Agriculture and Agri-Food354600
October 25, 2023French486300
October 26, 2023Healthcare4313,600
December 7, 2023French4701,000
December 8, 2023STEM4815,900
December 19, 2023Trades4251,000
December 20, 2023Transport435670
December 21, 2023Agriculture and Agri-Food386400
February 1, 2024French3657,000
February 14, 2024Healthcare4223,500
February 16, 2024Agriculture and Agri-Food437150
February 29, 2024French3362,500
March 13, 2024Transport430975
March 26, 2024French3381,500
April 11, 2024STEM4914,500
April 24, 2024French4101,400

Total ITAs Issued

Over the past year, IRCC has issued a significant number of ITAs across priority categories:

  • Healthcare: 9,100 ITAs
  • STEM: 10,900 ITAs
  • Trades: 2,500 ITAs
  • Transport: 2,645 ITAs
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food: 1,150 ITAs
  • French-language proficiency: 21,100 ITAs

2024 Outlook

Looking ahead to 2024, IRCC plans to allocate ITAs according to the following distribution:

  • Healthcare: 15%
  • STEM: 25%
  • Trades: 5%
  • Transport: 3%
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food: 0.5%
  • French-language proficiency: 30%

Overall, approximately 78.5% of ITAs in 2024 will be issued through category-based draws, with the remainder through general draws targeting candidates across all categories.

Tags :
Canada,Canadian immigration,category-based selection,Express Entry draws,immigration trends,PR pathway,skilled workers
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