Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its largest all-program draw on March 15. Since January 18, Canada had been targeting program-specific Express Entry draws for permanent residence (PR).
This is the second all-program Express Entry draw in 2023 and the seventh overall.
OVERVIEW OF EXPRESS ENTRY LATEST DRAWS #243 | |
Record-breaking Draw Size | 7,000 invitations to apply for Canada PR |
Lower Express Entry Cut-off | The minimum CRS score required was 490 |
Is the Tie-break rule applied? This is particularly helpful in cases where two or more candidates end up with the same CRS score. | Profiles registered on or before February 16, 2023, 10:33:06 UTC. |
Candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) were eligible for this Express Entry round of invitations.
FSWP provides a direct pathway to eligible skilled workers with enough work experience to qualify for PR without a job offer or prior experience in Canada.
Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility for Canadian immigration.
Outlook of Canada Express Entry System in 2023
The 2023-2025 annual targets for Express Entry landings (principal applicants, spouses, and dependents) are projected at
- 82,880 ITAs in 2023
- 109,020 ITAs in 2024
- 114,000 ITAs in 2025
The passage of Bill C-19 will further allow IRCC to issue ITAs for Canada PR to eligible candidates with specific work experience, education, or language ability. The occupation group choice would depend on Canada’s prevailing market demand.
This will impact the relevance of CRS scores in some instances and may become less vital in future draws.
Also, read how Self-employed physicians can now apply under Express Entry for PR.
How to Qualify for Upcoming EXPRESS ENTRY DRAWS 243?
After the registration of candidates online, their profiles are assessed and ranked based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. These profiles are evaluated on a total of 1200 points. The human capital criteria like
- age,
- education,
- work experience outside Canada,
- language proficiency in English/French,
- spouse adaptability,
- Canadian study experience, etc. are considered for evaluation purposes.
Further, a successful provincial nomination can boost the Express Entry CRS score by additional 600 points.
There are close to 245,121 applicants in the Express Entry pool as of March 15, 2023, with varying levels of CRS scores. Just over 2% of total applicants qualified for the current Express Entry round of invitation.
Those invited for permanent residence have 60 days to submit their applications to IRCC. IRCC aims to process most applications within 6 months or less in 2023.
If you’re interested in Canadian immigration through EXPRESS ENTRY DRAWS 243, contact a CICC-registered immigration consultant like CanApprove to determine your best chances of qualifying based on your academic profile and work experience.
Book a free appointment with CanApprove to explore immigration programs under Express Entry and boost your CRS scores.