Insights from Canada's Express Entry First Draw of April

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has initiated April's immigration intake by issuing 1,280 invitations to apply (ITAs) in the first Express Entry draw. Candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 549 to qualify.

Overview of Recent Express Entry Draws

• April’s First Draw: 1,280 ITAs with a CRS cut-off of 549.
• March Draws:
• General draws on March 12 and 25 saw 2,850 and 1,980 ITAs issued, with CRS scores of 525 and 524, respectively.
• Specialized draws targeted transport occupations and French language skills, offering lower CRS thresholds at 430 and 388.
  
  

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is a system used to manage applications for Canada's primary economic immigration pathways, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. It evaluates candidates based on age, work experience, language ability, and education. High-scoring candidates receive ITAs for permanent residency, generally processed within six months.

Category-Based Selection

Introduced in 2023, this method allows IRCC to focus on candidates with specific skills crucial to Canada’s labour market, such as:

• Healthcare
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
• Trades
• Transportation
• Agriculture
• French proficiency
  

Candidates must have a profile in the Express Entry pool to be eligible for these targeted draws.