December 19, 2023

Express Entry 18/12/2023

1,325 candidates have been extended invitations by IRCC in the most recent Express Entry draw across all programs.

In the latest Express Entry draw, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued invitations to apply (ITAs). The all-program draw invited 1,325 candidates, requiring a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 542 for eligibility.

This draw comes after the December 8 results, where 5,900 candidates received ITAs with a minimum CRS of 481 in a category-based selection draw for those in STEM occupations. On December 7, a category-based draw for individuals with French language proficiency invited 1,000 candidates from the Express Entry pool with a minimum CRS of 470.

On December 6, there was another all-program draw for candidates with a minimum CRS of 561, marking the first draw in over a month. Prior to that, the most recent draw occurred on October 26, featuring a category-based selection for candidates in healthcare occupations.

IRCC did not provide a specific reason for the temporary pause in draws, but on November 14, the department tweeted about an IT issue with the Express Entry profile builder for candidates who had received an ITA and were attempting to upload their final application to IRCC’s website. The glitch was reportedly fixed on November 16, although draws did not immediately resume as anticipated.

Various factors, including meeting targets in the Immigration Levels Plan, IT issues, staffing changes, or updates to the Comprehensive Ranking System, could contribute to IRCC’s decision to delay an Express Entry draw.