In the latest Express Entry draw, held on March 12, 2024, Canada invited 2,850 candidates to apply for permanent residency. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required for this draw was 525. This score signifies that all candidates in the pool with a CRS score above 525 received an invitation for Canadian permanent residency.
Additionally, earlier in the week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted another draw specifically targeting transport occupations. In this category-based draw, 975 invitations were issued to Express Entry candidates with work experience in the transport sector. The minimum CRS score for this draw was 430.
Last year’s draw ( Sep 2023) marked a significant milestone: it was the first-ever category-based selection draw for Express Entry candidates with work experience in the transport occupation. Then IRCC invited 1,000 candidates [ref 2] in transport occupations to apply for permanent residence. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) specifically targeted transport occupations due to an urgent labor shortage within this sector.
Category-based selection differs from general draws. While general draws consider candidates from all Express Entry programs based solely on their CRS score, category-based selection targets candidates with specific in-demand attributes.
This year there have been 4 category-specific draws already.
- February 29: French Language Proficiency
- Invitations: 2,500
- Minimum CRS Score: 336
- February 16: Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations
- Invitations: 150
- Minimum CRS Score: 437
- February 14: Healthcare Occupations
- Invitations: 3,500
- Minimum CRS Score: 422
- February 1: French Language Proficiency
- Invitations: 7,000
- Minimum CRS Score: 365
This new initiative aims to address the critical skills shortage while also attracting new, talented individuals to communities across Canada. Truck drivers, pilots, aviation mechanical engineers, and seafarers all play a vital role in our economy and in the lives of Canadians. Filling vacancies in these professions will boost economic growth and create stronger and more resilient supply chains.
[ref 1] https://plus1news.ca/blog/new-express-entry-draws-in-march-2024/
[ref 2] https://www.cicnews.com/2024/03/canada-invites-2850-candidates-in-latest-express-entry-draw-0343305.html