New Express Entry Draw Sent Record 7,000 PR Invites

Last Updated On 17 March 2023, 9:15 PM EDT (Toronto Time)

Today, IRCC sent out record 7,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency (PR) through the new “no program specified” Express Entry Draw.

This is the largest all program Express Entry draw ever.

The Express Entry profiles with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 490 or above received the invitations.

The information about today’s Express Entry draw is as follows:

• No Program Specified
• Number of invitations issued: 7,000
• Rank required to be invited to apply: 7,000 or above
• Date and time of round: March 15, 2023 17:08:16 UTC
• CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 490
• Tie-breaking rule: February 16, 2023 10:33:06 UTC

All Express Entry profiles from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) are eligible for the no program specified Express Entry draws.

Furthermore, profiles having a provincial nomination are also eligible for no program specified draw.

The next draw is expected to declare a cut off score around 485 for no program draw and 671 for PNP only draw, based on the CRS score distribution of applicants in the Express Entry pool as of March 15, 2023.

The IRCC will start holding targeted Express Entry draws with new suggested categories after the first quarter of 2023. Know details here.

The table below displays the full CRS score distribution of all candidates in the Express Entry pool as of March 15, 2023.

Targeted Express Entry Draws-Know New Categories Proposed By IRCC

CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of March 15, 2023

Latest Express Entry processing times as of March 14

As of March 14, Express Entry processing times increased for all the three categories as listed below:

• Canadian Experience Class – 12 months
• Federal Skilled Worker Program – 30 months
• Federal Skilled Trades Program – 70 months
• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry – 11 months

What is Canada Express Entry System?

The easiest and fastest method to acquire Canadian PR is through the Express Entry procedure.

After accepting the invitation to apply (ITA) and uploading the required documents, the processing time is typically 6 months.

The Express Entry system rates candidate profiles using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), a points-based approach.

An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is sent to profiles whose scores exceed the CRS cutoff in a draw. And the invited candidates then submit an application for permanent residency.

Applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program are managed via the Express Entry system (FSTP).

Candidates in the Express Entry pool who have a provincial nomination and a profile in one of the aforementioned programs get 600 additional points.

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