In the most recent Express Entry draw, the IRCC issued another 3,500 invites.
The eleventh Express Entry draw for 2023 was held by the IRCC.
In an all-program draw, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 3,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates. A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 483 was required for candidates.
Candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) are considered in an all program draw.
This draw followed an all-program draw on April 12 in which 3,500 candidates got invitations to apply (ITAs). Candidates have to have a CRS score of at least 486.
The April 12 draw invited half the number of applicants as the lotteries on March 15, March 23, and March 29, all of which invited 7,000 candidates each across two weeks rather than the customary bi-weekly draws. It also increased the required CRS score from 481 to 486. The larger draw size and higher CRS score are consistent with earlier draws in 2022 and early 2023.
March Express Entry Milestones
In March of this year, approximately 21,000 ITAs were issued in a single month. This was the second-highest number of ITAs issued in Express Entry history.
The most ITAs were granted in a single month in February 2021, when 27,332 CEC candidates were invited in a single draw.
Nonetheless, the March draw for 7,000 hopefuls was the largest-ever all-program draw. The numbers were repeated in the following two draws, for a total of 21,000 candidates invited in two weeks and a monthly total of 21,667 ITAs issued. The remaining 667 ITAs were distributed in a March 1 draw to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicants exclusively.
In total, four Express Entry draws were held in March, one per week. This is unique because draws are usually held on Wednesdays every two weeks.