Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada invited 700 candidates from the Express Entry pool to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a program-specific draw, which took place on May 30.

This is the first time this year where candidates from only two groups, the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) and candidates with an 'Enhanced' Provincial Nomination, were selected to receive Invitations To Apply (ITAs).

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced two program-specific minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirements for the draw. The minimum CRS score for FSTC candidates was 288. For the remainder of the candidates invited under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), the minimum CRS score was 902. 

This is not the first time IRCC holds program-specific draws, as there have been a few previous occasions since the introduction of Express Entry in 2015, where draws exclusively invited candidates from specific programs. For example, in 2017, IRCC held four program-specific draws to select Express Entry candidates through the FSTC and PNP programs.  Prior to that in 2015, the Canadian government conducted draws that exclusively invited specific candidates in in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

In most cases, for candidates to receive an ITA in an Express Entry draw, individuals need to meet the eligibility criteria of one of the three immigration programs managed through the Express Entry system — the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), FSTC, or CEC. Once in the Express Entry pool, candidates are assigned a CRS score based on factors including civil status information, education, work experience, language ability, and other criteria. This score determines their ranking in the pool. During periodic draws, IRCC issues ITAs to the highest-ranking candidates. Those candidates who receive an ITA may submit an application for Canadian permanent resident status.

For more information on draws from the Express Entry pool that have taken place so far, consult this table. For further details on the May 30 draw, please refer to this article on CICNews.com

Find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool with our free assessment form.

Express Entry quick facts, from January 1, 2015 to May 30, 2018

• Launch date: January 1, 2015
• First draw from the pool: March 14, 2015
• Most recent draw from the pool: May 30, 2018
• Minimum CRS points required for selection in the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC): 199 (May 26, 2017)
• Minimum CRS points required for selection in the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC): 413 (May 31, 2017)
• Minimum CRS points required for selection in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 413 (May 31, 2017)
• Largest number of invitations to apply issued in any one draw: 3,923 (April 12, 2017)
• Fewest invitations to apply issued in any one draw: 143 (May 26, 2017. Note: This draw invited candidates with a provincial nomination only.)
• Largest decrease in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 273 (from May 22, 2015 to June 12, 2015 draws)
• Smallest decrease in CRS points required between two consecutive draws: 0 (on three occasions)
• Longest gap between dates of two consecutive draws: 35 days (from April 17, 2015 to May 22, 2015 draws)
• Shortest gap between dates of two consecutive draws: 5 days (from May 26 to May 31, 2017)
• Total number of ITAs issued in 2015: 31,063
• Total number of ITAs issued in 2016: 33,782
• Total number of ITAs issued in 2017: 86,023
• Total number of ITAs issued in 2018: 32,200
• Total number of ITAs issued since the system was launched: 183,068

Draws From The Express Entry Pool (Updated)

Express Entry Draws: 2018

Express Entry Draws: 2017

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Find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool with our free assessment form.