top of page
Excited Traveler

Express Entry Draws

Express Entry is a popular pathway to becoming a permanent resident in Canada, and draws usually take place approximately every two weeks. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) selects candidates from the Express Entry pool and invites them to apply for Canadian permanent resident status. Candidates from the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Provincial Nominee Programs, and Federal Skilled Trades programs are selected. See the latest Express Entry draw results below.

What is an Express Entry draw?

The Express Entry draw is a point-based system in which candidates with higher points and skills that are required for Canada's labour market are selected to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. The CRS score is used to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool based on their skills, education, work experience, and language ability.

If you are interested in Express Entry or want to learn more, stay tuned for future draws and contact us for more information.

The eighth Express Entry draw of 2023. IRCC issued invitations to 7,000 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 484. No program was specified, meaning eligible candidates were invited from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). All are programs that operate under the Express Entry system.

The Seventh Express Entry draw of 2023. IRCC issued invitations to 7,000 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 490. No program was specified, meaning eligible candidates were invited from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). All are programs that operate under the Express Entry system.

The sixth Express Entry draw of 2023 took place on March 1, 2023. IRCC issued invitations to 667 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 748. In the third program specific draw of the year, only Provincial Nominee Program candidates were selected. All other programs that operate under the Express Entry system were not selected this week and were maintained in the pool.

The fifth Express Entry draw of 2023 took place on February 15. IRCC issued invitations to 699 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 791. In the second program specific draw of the year, only Provincial Nominee Program candidates were selected. All other programs that operate under the Express Entry system were not selected this week and were maintained in the pool.

The fourth Express Entry draw of 2023 took place on February 2. IRCC issued invitations to 3,330 Federal Skilled Worker candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 489. Only Federal Skilled Worker candidates were selected. This comes in the heels of a PNP selection the day prior. This week saw the PNP and FSW candidates being selected.

This weeks draw was the first program specific FSW Express Entry draw. With 4193 candidates cleared in both PNP and FSW programs this week, the points threshold holds at 489. One point lower than the January 18 draw. The CRS points cutoff is slowly decreasing and should continue to decrease as the year continues.

The third Express Entry draw of 2023 took place on February 1. IRCC issued invitations to 893 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 733. In the first program specific draw of the year, only Provincial Nominee Program candidates were selected. All other programs that operate under the Express Entry system were not selected this week and are maintained in the pool.

This weeks draw was the first program specific Express Entry draw for the year. With 893 candidates cleared, this serves to clear pool of candidates for forthcoming draws. In 2023, much like in 2022, there should be numerous Provincial Nominee Program only draws.

The second Express Entry draw of 2023. IRCC issued invitations to 5,500 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 490. No program was specified, meaning eligible candidates were invited from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). All are programs that operate under the Express Entry system.

The CRS score at this round of the Express Entry draw was 490, which was a sharp 17 points down from 507 in the last draw. Since the Express Entry draws resumed in July 2022, the cut-off score has been consistently decreasing. In November, the minimum CRS score was 491. But, the next draw a significant rise to 507 points probably because the draw came after one and a half months.

Express Entry draws typically occur every two weeks, usually on Wednesdays. Nonetheless, the fact that draws have taken place in successive weeks to start 2023 indicate IRCC’s desire to land more skilled immigrants in Canada this year. In two weeks' time, IRCC has already issued 11,000 ITAs, the fastest start since it was launched in 2015, eclipsing the previous record of 10,000 ITAs that were issued in January 2021.

On January 11, 2023, Immigration Canada issued 5,500 Invitations to Apply (ITA) in the Express Entry system. In the first draw of 2023, with a growing backlog of many months, the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score was 507. The last draw took place place on November 23, 2022. Accordingly, there is a growing number of candidates in the Express-Entry pool. As of early January 2023, there were 71,758 candidates in the pool with a CRS score over 451.
 
Processing times for all categories under Express Entry, including Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Worker categories, have all slowed well beyond the standard six month processing times. However, Immigration Canada is slowly reducing their backlog with additional resources and pauses in issuing ITA's.
 
With a projected intake of 465,000 new immigrants in 2023, of which 82,880 will be from the Federal High Skilled program, 2023 appears to be banner year for Express Entry. This first draw of 2023 should be the first of many which should allow the points threshold to decrease.

Future Draws? With many draws having occurred in the past weeks. There is anticipation for the next express entry draw. Please stay tuned for results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the next date for Express Entry draw?
The Canadian government conducts an Express Entry draw approximately every two weeks. The last draw was conducted January 27, 2023. The expected next Canada express entry draw prediction is February 1, 2023.
​
When was the last Express Entry draw of 2022?
The last Express Entry Draw in 2022 took place on November 23rd, 2022, which was the 236th Express Entry Draw. This draw was not specified toward a certain program.
​​
Is 471 a good CRS score?
Historically 471 is a good CRS score. However, for 2022 there were limited draws from the Express Entry pool due to large inventories backlogs. The lowest score of the year was 491. The year 2023 promises to be a better year with two large back-to-back draws in subsequent weeks.
​
Is CRS expected to drop 2023?
Yes! 2023 appears to be the year for Express Entry CRS scores to drop. The last draw held on January 18 had a 490 cut-off. This marks the lowest the score has been in more than one year in only the first month of the year. Subsequent draws should see further decreases in the CRS cut-off threshold.
​
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is the electronic management system for applying for permanent residency. It is not an immigration category but a system to facilitate the selection and processing of Canada’s economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of the Provincial Nomination Programs.
​
Applicants first make an ‘expression of interest’ in immigrating to Canada by registering a profile and, if they are eligible for at least one of the aforementioned programs, they then enter the Express Entry pool. Candidates from this pool will then receive an ‘invitation to apply’ under one of the programs when they meet or exceed the points threshold.
​
The points of each applicant, under the express entry system, is determined by: English proficiency scores, level of education, age, and other selection factors. The points threshold changes according to the latest draw held approximately every two weeks.

Hire an Expert Express Entry Lawyer

Simplify your legal journey with an expert immigration lawyer.

bottom of page