The IRCC has finally released the 15th Express Entry draw of 2023, as well as the 2nd most latest draw of the month of June. It is also the most awaited draw, where Express Entry candidates, who were eagerly waiting to receive an invitation to apply, can proceed with their application.
Highlights from the latest Express Entry draw
- Concern authority– Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Date – June 27, 2023
- No of ITAs – 4300 Invites
- Minimum CRS – 486 CRS score
- Type of Draw – All Program Draw
This was the second Express Entry draw this month, following the one on June 8, 2023. That draw invited 4,800 candidates in an all-program draw and also required that candidates had a minimum CRS cut-off score of 486 as well.
Occupations Targeted from Category-based Selection
On May 31, the IRCC announced that they would begin holding Express Entry draws for candidates in six new categories later this summer.
Occupations targeted in the latest Express Entry draw:
- Healthcare
- STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers
- Trades such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
- Transport
- Agriculture and agri-food
The motive behind this decision is to make Express Entry, which handles applications for the federal immigration stream, including the federal skilled worker program, federal skilled trades program and Canadian experience class, as well as parts of the provincial nominee program, more approachable to the Canadian labour market needs.
The goal of IRCC in inviting the specific occupation
This declaration also targeted candidates with intentions to support French-speaking communities across Canada. As promised by IRCC to target, the above-announced occupation will be taken into account this year. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, in this latest Express Entry draw, issued ITAs (invitations to apply) to those Express Entry candidates who have either the required work or language experience in the selected occupations.
- Half of the overall occupation in category-based selection have healthcare occupation streams.
- Jobs in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and math—also account for a sizable portion.
- To be qualified for an ITA, immigration candidates must also be in the Express Entry pool and have work experience in one of the listed occupations.
- This is why it is important for those who are interested in immigration to Canada to strive to obtain the highest CRS score possible, as it will increase their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
According to IRCC, the categories were decided upon after consultations with the provinces, territories, and other interested parties. IRCC will include the results of the drawings and their success in its yearly report to parliament. According to the agency, classifications are subject to change annually.
Canada Express Entry Draws 2023
| #Draw No. | Date | Number of ITAs Issued | Minimum CRS score |
| Draw 251 | June 27, 2023 | 4,300 | 486 |
| Draw 250 | June 8, 2023 | 4,800 | 486 |
| Draw 249 | May 24, 2023 | 4,800 | 488 |
| Draw 248 | May 10, 2023 | 589 | 691 *PNP Draw only |
| Draw 247 | Apr 26, 2023 | 3,500 | 483 |
| Draw 246 | Apr 12, 2023 | 3,500 | 486 |
| Draw 245 | March 29, 2023 | 7,000 | 481 |
| Draw 244 | March 23, 2023 | 7,000 | 484 |
| Draw 243 | March 15, 2023 | 7,000 | 490 |
| Draw 242 | March 1, 2023 | 667 | 748 *PNP Draw only |
| Draw 241 | Feb 15 | 699 | 791 *PNP-only draw |
| Draw 240 | Feb 2 | 3,300 | 489 *FSW-only draw |
| Draw 239 | Feb 1 | 893 | 733 *PNP-only draw |
| Draw 238 | Jan 18 | 5,500 | 490 |
| Draw 237 | Jan 11 | 5,500 | 507 |
Better Understanding of Express Entry
The Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada designed the Express Entry system in the year 2015 to more effectively target high-skilled economic immigration aspirants to offer permanent residency in Canada.
In the Express Entry System, candidates from :
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program
- The Canadian Experience Class
Candidates from the above streams are evaluated through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). CRS calculator takes into account a candidate’s age, education, work history, language proficiency, and other aspects that matter in the immigration process. The likelihood of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence is highest for applicants with the highest CRS score.
CRS Cut-off
The average cut-off score is 470. A Express Entry draw is an online portal system used by IRCC, in which they select Express Entry candidates whose CRS scores are above the required score in each draw. As can be seen in the above table that the CRS score is never stable, either going up or down, which makes it hard to guess what the next CRS score will be.
The same goes with Express Entry draw, these draws usually take place on Wednesdays every two weeks, but IRCC sometimes deviates from this unspoken rule. This unpredictability makes it challenging to anticipate when an invitation round will occur, as IRCC often adopts different approaches for each draw.