Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 2,878 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence to candidates with 475 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points in an Express Entry draw that took place on December 22, 2016. This draw — the largest ever since Express Entry came into operation nearly two years ago — came as a surprise to many candidates, coming just six days after the previous draw. Over recent months, IRCC had stated that more regular draws could be expected, that the number of ITAs would increase, and that there would be a corresponding decrease in the CRS cut-off point. On all three fronts, IRCC has been as good as its word.
Further in-depth analysis of the December 22 Express Entry draw is available on CICNews.com.
Express Entry is the system used by IRCC to select candidates for immigration to Canada through the federal economic immigration programs. Candidates who wish to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class are required to do so through Express Entry.
Eligible candidates create a profile which is submitted to the Express Entry pool. Upon entering the pool, candidates are assigned a CRS score which determines their ranking in the pool. The highest-ranking candidates are issued an ITA in IRCC’s periodic draws. Last month, IRCC brought in a range of improvements to the Express Entry system, designed to ensure that more candidates are invited to apply based on their human capital, skills, and experience.
Candidates in the pool may increase their ranking in a number of ways. Learn more about increasing CRS score and ranking.