IRCC invites 4,800 candidates in a new Express Entry draw

Surya Rathee
[Published 25 May, 2023 | 04:44 AM]
About Author - 3 min read
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The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted its 13th Express Entry draw of 2023.

The latest Express Entry draw held on May 24, 2023, saw invitations being issued to a total of 4,800 candidates present in the Express Entry pool. This was the first all-program Express Entry draw since April 26.

Being an all-program draw, candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Provincial Nominee Program were eligible for this round of invitations.

Who was invited?

Express Entry Draw #249

• Number of invitations issued: 4,800
• Rank required to be invited to apply: 4,800 or above
• Type of draw: No program specified
• Date and time of round: May 24, 2023, 14:23:06 UTC
• CRS score of lowest-ranking candidates invited: 488
• Tie-breaking rule: December 26, 2022, 01:12:48 UTC

This Express Entry invitation round follows the previous all-program draw held on April 26, in which 3,500 candidates received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) with a minimum CRS score of 483.

Express Entry draws in 2023

In terms of the number of candidates invited and the frequency of draws - Canada’s Express Entry has established a strong pattern throughout 2023.

Where the draws conducted in January followed a pre-pandemic pattern of inviting all-program candidates every two weeks - IRCC held four program-specific Express Entry draws in February. February also saw the very first program-specific draw for the FSWP.

There were three draws in February, and one draw each week in March. Over 21,000 candidates were invited throughout March. This was the second-highest number of ITAs issued in one month in Express Entry history.

April resumed the pre-pandemic pattern of one all-program draw every two weeks.

Express Entry Draws in 2023: Complete List

IRCC is currently issuing ITAs to eligible candidates on a weekly basis, with some exceptions. The frequency, size, and date of the next Express Entry draw - are determined by the needs of the application inventory.

Since the beginning of 2023, Canada has conducted back-to-back Express Entry draws with higher ITAs and record-breaking low CRS scores. As defined in the Canada Immigration Level Plans for 2023-2025, it is possible that IRCC may continue to make efforts to attract skilled immigrants to Canada to help fill the country's labor gaps.

Now is indeed the best time to immigrate to Canada!

Source: canada.ca