3,900 ITAs in two Express Entry draws on April 9

The Canadian Government has once again held a double Express Entry draw, this time with two draws on April 9. The first draw invited 606 candidates, while the second sent 3,294 invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence. That brought the total to 3,900 ITAs, which is in line with the average single draw that the government has held recently.

Despite Covid 19 prevention measures affecting functions and services throughout Canada, Express Entry has continued to progress relatively normally. In late March two Express Entry draws were held only five days apart, similarly sending 3,900 invitations between the two draws. On April 1 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced via twitter that they would continue to process and accept Express Entry applications and that the invitation draws would also continue. 

Canada Experience Class Dominates Draw

As always, Express Entry invites economic class immigration candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence. It manages the profiles of candidates from the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class, and the Federal Skilled Worker Class. It selects the candidates based on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores. Points for these scores are awarded based on language skills, education, work history, and other factors. Candidates who also receive provincial nominations get an additional 600 points added to their profiles.  

The first of the two draws held April 9 was program-specific, inviting 606 Express Entry candidates who were part of the Canadian Experience Class as well as the provincial nomination program. As a result, the minimum CRS was rather high at 698 points. However, the selected candidates would have also received 600 points from their provincial nominations.  

The second Express Entry draw on April 9 saw 3,294 ITAs distributed. The minimum CRS score for this draw was 464 points. This score was the lowest requirement that Express Entry has seen since October of 2019. This draw also exclusively targeted Canadian Experience Class candidates.

As of these two latest draws, Canada has issued 26,500 ITAs through Express Entry in 2020. The target for the end of the year is currently set at an impressive 341,000.