Canada’s Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently issued invitations to candidates in the latest Express Entry draw. In this particular draw, 1,548 candidates were invited under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). To be eligible for an invitation, candidates needed to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 776.

This draw comes after the October 10 draw, where 3,725 candidates received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in an all-program draw, and the minimum CRS requirement was 500.

Here’s a summary of Express Entry draws from June 2023:

Notably, as of October 1, 2023, Express Entry candidates no longer need to undergo an upfront immigrant medical examination (IME) before submitting their permanent resident application to IRCC. While the medical examination remains a requirement, candidates can now submit a blank document in the upload field of the Express Entry profile builder, with IRCC providing instructions for the medical exam at a later stage. Those who have previously completed an IME for another IRCC application or are already residing in Canada do not need to repeat the medical examination.

Express Entry is a comprehensive application management system that manages the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Candidates in these programs are assessed using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which considers various factors, including age, language proficiency, work experience, occupation, and education. The scores from these attributes are combined to create a total CRS score, which typically ranges between 350 and 550, depending on the specific draw. Candidates with the highest CRS scores have a better chance of receiving an ITA to apply for permanent resident status in Canada.

Moreover, the introduction of category-based selection draws earlier this year has added a new dimension to the Express Entry system. These draws consider criteria beyond CRS scores, such as economic needs in Canada and promoting the French language. There are six draw categories that focus on candidates with strong French language abilities or work experience in specific fields, including healthcare, STEM professions, trades, transport, agriculture and agri-food. Since June, Canada has invited over 10,000 candidates through category-based selection draws, all of whom were already part of the Express Entry pool.