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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) slowed the rate of Express Entry draws in September after the busy months of July and August.
Three Express Entry lotteries were held in September, to encourage applicants who are native speakers of French and English to submit their applications for permanent residence (PR).
Let’s now examine last month’s Express Entry draws and examine the makeup of the federal Express Entry pool as of early October.
The Current State of the Express Entry Pool
What Draws Took Place in September?
In September, IRCC conducted three Express Entry draws, issuing close to 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs):
| Draw Number | Date | Round Type | ITAs Issued | Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Cut-Off Score |
| 313 | September 9, 2024 | Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) | 911 | 732 |
| 314 | September 13, 2024 | French Language Proficiency | 1,000 | 446 |
| 315 | September 19, 2024 | Canadian Experience Class (CEC) | 4,000 | 509 |
The kinds of draws that the IRCC is holding follow a few distinct patterns. The PNP, CEC, and French-language proficiency drawings have all been held during the last three months (September, August, and July). There were also other draws for PNP and CEC candidates in July and August.
These drawings are consistent with remarks made by Immigration Minister Marc Miller, who emphasized the importance of focusing on “domestic” immigration candidates—that is, those who are now residents of Canada—and the nation’s continuous efforts to encourage Francophone immigration outside of Quebec.
In September, IRCC issued fewer ITAs compared to previous months:
| Month | ITAs Issued |
| July | 25,125 |
| August | 10,384 |
| September | 5,911 |
This shows a noticeable decline in the number of Invitations to Apply issued as the months progressed from July to September.
Current Distribution of Scores in the Express Entry Pool
As of September 19, 2024 (the most recent Express Entry draw date at the time of writing), the distribution of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores among candidates in the pool is as follows:
| CRS Score Range | Number of Candidates |
| 0-300 | 5,457 |
| 301-350 | 23,613 |
| 351-400 | 51,137 |
| 401-410 | 10,387 |
| 411-420 | 10,598 |
| 421-430 | 10,102 |
| 431-440 | 11,528 |
| 441-450 | 10,655 |
| 451-460 | 11,035 |
| 461-470 | 12,690 |
| 471-480 | 14,582 |
| 481-490 | 12,110 |
| 491-500 | 11,352 |
| 501-600 | 11,752 |
| 601-1200 | 764 |
This table highlights the number of candidates in each CRS score range, reflecting the composition of the Express Entry pool as of mid-September.
How Do CRS Scores Rank in the Overall Candidate Distribution?
To give a better idea of how particular CRS scores compare throughout the entire distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool, the table below employs percentile rankings.
The percentile for the highest score in each CRS range has been determined by us, and it illustrates the proportion of candidates falling at or below that score relative to the total number of applicants in the pool.
We were only able to determine the percentile for the top bound of each CRS score range because the IRCC’s data only shows ranges. This aids in determining the candidates’ relative status within the pool.
The table below shows the percentile ranking for the top scores within each CRS score range, as reported by IRCC. It also includes the percentage of candidates in each range:
| CRS Score Range | Percentile Ranking Range (%) | Percentage of the Overall Pool (%) |
| 0-300 | 0-2.63 | 2.63 |
| 301-350 | 2.63-13.99 | 11.37 |
| 351-400 | 13.99-38.61 | 24.61 |
| 401-410 | 38.61-43.60 | 5.00 |
| 411-420 | 43.60-48.71 | 5.10 |
| 421-430 | 48.71-53.57 | 4.86 |
| 431-440 | 53.57-59.12 | 5.55 |
| 441-450 | 59.12-64.25 | 5.13 |
| 451-460 | 64.25-69.56 | 5.31 |
| 461-470 | 69.56-75.66 | 6.11 |
| 471-480 | 75.66-82.68 | 7.02 |
| 481-490 | 82.68-88.51 | 5.83 |
| 491-500 | 88.51-93.98 | 5.46 |
| 501-600 | 93.98-99.63 | 5.66 |
| 601-1200 | 99.63-100 | 0.37 |
This data offers insight into how CRS scores are distributed among the candidates in the pool, with a clear breakdown of where candidates fall about the total number of applicants.