IRCC completes ‘all program’ Express Entry draw, invites 1,500 to apply for residence

IMPACT – MEDIUM

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) completed an “all program” Express Entry draw this week for the first time since 2020.

Key Points:

• On July 6, 1,500 candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) of at least 557 were invited to apply for permanent residency regardless of their designated migration program.
• Individuals who receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) must apply within 60 days in order to be considered.
• Details on the most recent draw are available here.

Background: The Express Entry systems prioritizes candidates in in the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominee programs based on a CRS score that considers factors such as current job offer, education, skills, work experience and age, among others.

For much of the COVID-19 pandemic, IRCC relied on program-specific draws to target individuals who were more likely to be in Canada already. This led to an increased number of foreign nationals with high-ranking CRS scores in the Express Entry pool, which helps explain the high cutoff score of 557 in this week’s draw.

BAL Analysis: The resumption of “all program” Express Entry draws marks a significant step toward more foreign nationals being able to apply for permanent residency; however, the Canadian government has yet to announce if and when it will conduct more draws. BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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