The Government of Canada has invited another 3,000 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 442 to apply for Canadian permanent residence in its fourth Express Entry draw of 2018, which took place on February 21.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) once again employed its 'tie-break' rule for this draw. This rule ranks candidates in the Express Entry pool who have the required cut-off score by the date and time that they submitted their profiles. The tie-break prioritizes profiles that have been in the pool longer. The tie-break date and time for the latest draw was February 11, 2018, at 17:03:32 UTC.

The February 21 draw was not limited to any specific program managed under the Express Entry system.

In order to enter the Express Entry pool, interested candidates need to first meet the eligibility criteria for one of the three immigration programs managed through the Express Entry system — the Federal Skilled Worker (FSWC), Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) or Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Once in the pool, candidates are assigned a CRS score based on factors including education, work experience, language ability, and other criteria. The CRS score determines candidates' ranking in the pool. With an ITA, candidates can submit an application for permanent resident status to IRCC.

Candidates with lower CRS scores can better their ranking in many different ways; visit our dedicated page to learn more about improving your profile and ranking in the Express Entry pool.

For more information on draws from the Express Entry pool that have taken place so far, consult this table.

For an expert analysis of the February 21 draw, please refer to this article on CICNews.com.

Would you like to find out your Canadian immigration options? Use our free assessment form now.

Express Entry quick facts, from January 1, 2015 to February 21, 2018

• Launch date: January 1, 2015
• First draw from the pool: January 31, 2015
• Most recent draw from the pool: February 21, 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: 11,500
• Total number of ITAs issued since system was launched: 162,368

Draws From The Express Entry Pool (Updated)

Express Entry Draws: 2018

Express Entry Draws: 2017

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{slide=Express Entry Draws: 2015 (click to open)}

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Would you like to find out your Canadian immigration options? Use our free assessment form now.