Express Entry Draw: IRCC Invited 4,800 Candidates on June 8, 2023

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) carried out its 14th Express Entry draw of 2023 on June 8. In this invitation round, IRCC issued invitations to 4,800 candidates through an Express Entry. These candidates were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 486 to be eligible for the invitation.

It was the first draw conducted on June 2023. This draw is most similar to the draw on May 24, in which a total of 4,800 candidates were invited to apply for immigration through an all-program draw. Notably, in the May 24 draw, candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 488 were selected, surpassing the minimum CRS score requirement of 483 in the all-program draw held on April 26.

IRCC Introduced Category Based Selection Criteria

IRCC released a news statement on May 31, announcing the implementation of six additional category-based selection criteria for candidates in the Express Entry system.

In a recent announcement, IRCC unveiled six new category-based selection criteria aimed at attracting candidates who possess attributes aligned with Canada’s economic objectives. These categories specifically target applicants with work experience in the following fields:

1. Healthcare
2. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
3. Trades (e.g., carpenters, plumbers, and contractors)
4. Transportation
5. Agriculture and agri-food

Additionally, there is a category designed for candidates with proficient French-speaking abilities. While the IRCC expects to start doing category-based draws this summer, a specific date has not yet been given.

Eligibility Criteria Set by IRCC to Apply for Invitation to Apply

To be eligible for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the targeted draws, individuals must be registered candidates within the Express Entry pool. Express Entry candidates who meet the specific category requirements will undergo assessment and ranking by IRCC. The candidates with the highest scores will be issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for immigration to Canada.

In addition to the category-based draws, IRCC will maintain the practice of conducting all-program draws and program-specific draws as necessary.

Before the current draw, a total of 49,948 candidates have already received invitations from IRCC through 13 draws conducted in 2023. This figure exceeds the number of candidates invited between July and November of 2022. It is noteworthy that IRCC temporarily suspended all program draws due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and these draws were resumed in July 2022, resulting in 31,000 candidates being invited during that period.

Overview of Express Entry Draws in January to May 2023

Two Express Entry draws took place in May. The initial draw occurred on May 10, exclusively targeting candidates nominated by a provincial government through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). In this draw, 589 candidates from the Express Entry pool, who had received provincial nominations, were invited to apply.

April, on the other hand, experienced two comparable draws. Both draws were all-program draws, inviting a total of 3,500 candidates each. The first draw, which took place on April 12, required candidates to have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 346. Subsequently, the second draw on April 26 set a higher CRS score requirement of 483 for candidates to be eligible for invitations.

March stood out in terms of the frequency of draws and the number of candidates invited. Throughout the month, a total of four draws were conducted, resulting in invitations extended to 21,677 candidates. Out of the draws mentioned, three of them were conducted as all-program draws, with each draw inviting a total of 7,000 candidates. The last draw invited 667 people and was only open to Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP) candidates.

Moving to February, a similar pattern emerged with four draws taking place. However, in contrast to March, each draw in February was program-specific. Three draws were exclusively for PNP candidates, while the fourth draw marked a significant milestone in Express Entry history by being the first-ever draw for candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

January witnessed two all-program draws, with each draw inviting 5,500 candidates.