Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted its second Express Entry draw of the week, issuing 1,800 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in a category-specific selection round focusing on trade occupations. Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 436 to qualify.
Today’s draw marks the first category-specific selection for trade occupations since April 24, and the first of its kind since December 2023. According to an IRCC memo from last April, trade occupation will constitute 5% of all ITAs in category-based selection draws this year.
Earlier this week on July 2, IRCC held a draw specifically for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates, inviting 920 individuals with a minimum CRS score of 739.
Since the introduction of program-specific draws earlier this year, IRCC has conducted four such draws, three of which were dedicated to PNP candidates. These draws exclusively consider candidates from the Express Entry pool who have applied through programs like the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), or Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Introduced in 2015, Express Entry is a streamlined application management system designed to expedite processing for candidates with high-demand skills. The CRS used in Express Entry evaluates factors such as age, work experience, language proficiency, and education to assign a score to each candidate, determining their eligibility for an ITA.
Category-based selection draws, implemented in 2023, allow IRCC to prioritize candidates with skills essential to Canada’s workforce, including those proficient in French. These draws are not program-specific and typically feature lower CRS score requirements than general draws.
Summary of Express Entry Draw Results in 2024
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 4 | Trade occupations | 1,800 | 436 |
| July 2 | Provincial Nominee Program | 920 | 739 |
| June 19 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,499 | 663 |
| May 31 | Canadian Experience Class | 3,000 | 522 |
| May 30 | Provincial Nominee Program | 2,985 | 676 |
| April 24 | French proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
| April 23 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| April 11 | STEM occupations | 4,500 | 491 |
| April 10 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| March 26 | French language proficiency | 1,500 | 388 |
| March 25 | General | 1,980 | 524 |
| March 13 | Transport occupations | 975 | 430 |
| March 12 | General | 2,850 | 525 |
| February 29 | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
| February 28 | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| February 16 | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 150 | 437 |
| February 14 | Healthcare occupations | 3,500 | 422 |
| February 13 | General | 1,490 | 535 |
| February 1 | French language proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
| January 31 | General | 730 | 541 |
| January 23 | General | 1,040 | 543 |
| January 10 | General | 1,510 | 546 |
What is Express Entry?
The Express Entry application management system was introduced in 2015 as a way for IRCC to target candidates with in-demand human capital attributes and process their applications faster. It oversees applications from the FSWP, the FSTP, and the CEC.
The CRS used by Express Entry considers human capital factors such as age, work experience, occupation, language ability, and occupation to evaluate a candidate’s eligibility. Each factor is assigned a score, and candidates receive their overall CRS score when added together. The higher a candidate’s CRS score, the more likely they are to receive an ITA in an upcoming draw.
There are several types of Express Entry draws including program-specific draws, category-based selection draws, and general draws. General draws consider all Express Entry candidates regardless of their program or occupation.
What is category-based selection?
Category-based selection draws were introduced in 2023 as a method for IRCC to single out Express Entry candidates with in-demand attributes for Canada’s workforce, or to help strengthen the national French-speaking demographic.
IRCC introduced six possible categories for candidates to receive ITAs:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
- Trades occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- French-language proficiency
These draws are not program-specific and are more likely to feature a lower-than-average CRS score (when compared to general draws).
