Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its first-ever category-based draw on June 28, 2023.
In other words, IRCC chose to implement this new type of Express Entry draw so that Canada would attract foreign nationals with specific in-demand work experience and proficiencies.
Note: Cut-off scores show the lowest eligible Express Entry profile score among all candidates who received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) during a given Express Entry draw.
Healthcare: 15%STEM: 25%Trades: 5%Transport: 3%Agriculture and Agri-Food: 0.5%French-language proficiency: 30%Note: IRCC also indicated that 78.5% of all Express Entry ITAs will be issued to category-based draw candidates while the remaining 21.5% of ITAs will be issued in general draws throughout the year.
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its first-ever category-based draw on June 28, 2023.
This new draw type was announced in May of last year as a way for Canada’s immigration department to attract skilled newcomers based on specific national labour gaps and demographic challenges.
In other words, IRCC chose to implement this new type of Express Entry draw so that Canada would attract foreign nationals with specific in-demand work experience and proficiencies.
Note: Despite a focus on candidates with certain in-demand attributes, Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores remain a factor for category-based draws.
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Specifically, in 2024, IRCC has chosen to prioritize candidates with the following work experience and language proficiencies through category-based draws:
Healthcare occupations
Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) occupations
Trades occupations
Transport occupations
Agriculture and Agri-Food occupations
French-language proficiency
Draw types, frequency and CRS scores
Since the first category-based draw was conducted nearly one year ago, IRCC has conducted 25 category-based draws.
When separated by category, statistics reveal that CRS cut-off scores varied greatly.
Note: Cut-off scores show the lowest eligible Express Entry profile score among all candidates who received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) during a given Express Entry draw. These scores are important because candidates without a CRS score above the determined cut-off will not be eligible for an ITA during that specific draw.
Date of Draw Category CRS Cut-Off Score Number of ITAs Issued June 28, 2023 Healthcare 476 500 July 5, 2023 STEM 486 500 July 6, 2023 Healthcare 463 1,500 July 7, 2023 French 439 2,300 July 12, 2023 French 375 3,800 August 2, 2023 French 435 800 August 3, 2023 Trades 388 1,500 September 20, 2023 Transport 435 1,000 September 27, 2023 French 472 500 September 28, 2023 Agriculture and Agri-Food 354 600 October 25, 2023 French 486 300 October 26, 2023 Healthcare 431 3,600 December 7, 2023 French 470 1,000 December 8, 2023 STEM 481 5,900 December 19, 2023 Trades 425 1,000 December 20, 2023 Transport 435 670 December 21, 2023 Agriculture and Agri-Food 386 400 February 1, 2024 French 365 7,000 February 14, 2024 Healthcare 422 3,500 February 16, 2024 Agriculture and Agri-Food 437 150 February 29, 2024 French 336 2,500 March 13, 2024 Transport 430 975 March 26, 2024 French 338 1,500 April 11, 2024 STEM 491 4,500 April 24, 2024 French 410 1,400
Total ITAs issued
While IRCC chose all six of these categories as priorities for this new draw type, the number of ITAs issued to candidates in each category also varied greatly in the last year.
Healthcare: 9,100 ITAs
STEM: 10,900 ITAs
Trades: 2,500 ITAs
Transport: 2,645 ITAs
Agriculture and Agri-Food: 1,150 ITAs
French-language proficiency: 21,100 ITAs
What’s ahead for the rest of 2024?
In April, CIC News reported that IRCC had already outlined its overall plan for ITA distribution between these six categories for 2024.
To recap, IRCC has noted that, separated by category, this is what percentage of ITAs each category will receive this year.
Healthcare: 15%
STEM: 25%
Trades: 5%
Transport: 3%
Agriculture and Agri-Food: 0.5%
French-language proficiency: 30%
Note: IRCC also indicated that 78.5% of all Express Entry ITAs will be issued to category-based draw candidates while the remaining 21.5% of ITAs will be issued in general draws throughout the year.
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