By admin
IRCC Conducts First Express Entry Draw of the Year
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently announced more invitations to apply (ITAs) in a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Express Entry draw. In this round, 471 ITAs were issued to candidates who achieved a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 793.
This draw marks the first of 2025 and follows December’s two PNP draws and a French-language proficiency draw. Last month, IRCC issued a total of 2,561 ITAs across all categories. Looking ahead, IRCC is expected to continue focusing on candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), PNP, and those with French-language skills.
This strategy, which was prominent throughout 2024, is anticipated to remain in place for 2025 as well. Candidates proficient in French, along with those with professional experience in healthcare and trades, are part of IRCC’s “Federal Economic priorities” under Express Entry, as highlighted in the new Immigration Levels Plan.
Meanwhile, the CEC and PNP candidates (along with possibly some from other Express Entry programs) fall under the “In-Canada Focus” category. These two groups are set to take the largest share of IRCC’s admissions target (124,680 landings) for Express Entry in the coming year.
Understanding Express Entry?
Express Entry is an online system that manages applications for three key federal economic immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Together, these programs make up Canada’s largest economic immigration pathway.
To apply through Express Entry, candidates must create a profile, which is then ranked according to factors like age, education, work experience, and more. The highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply for permanent residency (PR) through ITAs. Once an ITA is received, candidates have 60 days to submit a complete application.
If the application meets all the necessary requirements, IRCC aims to process it within six months. Those who are successful will be granted PR, enabling them to live, work, and settle in Canada permanently, with the potential to later apply for Canadian citizenship.