CRS Point Requirement Drops in 21st Express Entry Draw for Canadian Immigration

the CanadaVisa Team - 27 November, 2015

The 21st draw for Canadian immigration through the Express Entry selection system has been performed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on November 27, 2015. A total of 1,559 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence were issued to candidates with 472 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.

This draw represents a significant decrease in the CRS point requirement in order for a candidate in the pool to be issued an ITA, compared with the previous (20th) draw, which had a minimum CRS requirement of 484. The number of CRS points required for that draw was itself lower than that required in the previous (19th) draw.

Moreover, with much of the government of Canada's focus on immigration having been on the refugee issue over recent weeks, the fact that Express Entry draws continue to take place signifies that economic immigration also remains a priority for the government.

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 November 27 (All dates are for 2015)

• Launch date: January 1
• First draw from the pool: January 31
• Most recent draw from the pool: November 27
• 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 five occasions)
• Total number of invitations to apply issued: 28,109