The 23rd draw for Canadian immigration through the Express Entry selection system has been performed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on December 18, 2015.
A total of 1,503 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence were issued to candidates with 460 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. It is unknown whether this latest draw will be the final time that CIC issues ITAs in 2015.
Latest draw continues recent trend of CRS requirement decreasing
Moreover, an increasing number of candidates for Canadian immigration are expected to be invited to apply in 2016. During a webinar hosted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on December 16, 2015, a CIC Policy Analyst made some important announcements regarding the short- and medium-term future of Express Entry:
“The number of invitations issued per round is expected to increase as the pre-Express Entry inventory of applications is finalised. In turn, it is expected that the minimum score of those that are invited to apply will drop . . . and we expect that in the new year when our rounds start growing — to meet our new levels plan — that the score will reduce,” she stated.
Express Entry
Express Entry is Canada's immigration management system for the federal economic immigration programs, namely: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, and the Canadian Experience Class. Express Entry came into operation on January 1, 2015.
Eligible candidates may submit a profile into the Express Entry pool, where they are ranked according to the CRS. The government of Canada selects the top-ranked candidates on a priority basis when it performs one of its frequent draws from the pool. Candidates who are issued an invitation to apply for permanent residence then have 60 days to submit a complete e-application, from which point the government of Canada aims to process the application within six months. A number of early applicants have had their applications processed in under half that time.
Click here for more information on draws from the Express Entry pool that have taken place so far.
Express Entry quick facts, from January 1 to December 18 (All dates are for 2015)
- Launch date: January 1
- First draw from the pool: January 31
- Most recent draw from the pool: December 18
- Minimum CRS points required for selection in any one draw: 450 (September 18 & October 2)
- Largest number of invitations to apply issued in any one draw: 1,637 (March 27)
- Fewest invitations to apply issued in any one draw: 715
- Largest decrease in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 273 (from May 22 to June 12 draws)
- Smallest decrease in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 0 (from September 18 to October 2 draws)
- Largest increase in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 302 (from April 17 to May 22 draws)
- Smallest increase in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 0 (from September 18 to October 2 draws)
- Longest gap between two consecutive draws: 35 days (from April 17 to May 22 draws)
- Shortest gap between two consecutive draws: 7 days (on six occasions)
- Total number of invitations to apply issued: 31,063
Draws From The Express Entry Pool (Updated)
| Date when Invitations To Apply Were Issued | Number of Invitations Issued | Minimum CRS Points Required | Program Specified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Express Entry Draw | January 31, 2015 | 779 | 886 | All Programs |
| 2nd Express Entry Draw | February 7, 2015 | 779 | 818 | All Programs |
| 3rd Express Entry Draw | February 20, 2015 | 849 | 808 | Canadian Experience Class |
| 4th Express Entry Draw | February 27, 2015 | 1,187 | 735 | All Programs |
| 5th Express Entry Draw | March 20, 2015 | 1,620 | 481 | All Programs |
| 6th Express Entry Draw | March 27, 2015 | 1,637 | 453 | All Programs |
| 7th Express Entry Draw | April 10, 2015 | 925 | 469 | All Programs |
| 8th Express Entry Draw | April 17, 2015 | 715 | 453 | All Programs |
| 9th Express Entry Draw | May 22, 2015 | 1,361 | 755 | All Programs |
| 10th Express Entry Draw | June 12, 2015 | 1,501 | 482 | All Programs |
| 11th Express Entry Draw | June 27, 2015 | 1,575 | 469 | All Programs |
| 12th Express Entry Draw | July 10, 2015 | 1,516 | 463 | All Programs |
| 13th Express Entry Draw | July 17, 2015 | 1,581 | 451 | All Programs |
| 14th Express Entry Draw | August 7, 2015 | 1,402 | 471 | All Programs |
| 15th Express Entry Draw | August 21, 2015 | 1,523 | 456 | All Programs |
| 16th Express Entry Draw | September 8, 2015 | 1,517 | 459 | All Programs |
| 17th Express Entry Draw | September 18, 2015 | 1,545 | 450 | All Programs |
| 18th Express Entry Draw | October 2, 2015 | 1,530 | 450 | All Programs |
| 19th Express Entry Draw | October 23, 2015 | 1,502 | 489 | All Programs |
| 20th Express Entry Draw | November 13, 2015 | 1,506 | 484 | All Programs |
| 21st Express Entry Draw | November 27, 2015 | 1,559 | 472 | All Programs |
| 22nd Express Entry Draw | December 4, 2015 | 1,451 | 461 | All Programs |
| 23rd Express Entry Draw | December 18, 2015 | 1,503 | 460 | All Programs |