CRS score drops to 496 in the latest Express Entry draw!

Surya Rathee
[Published 27 Oct, 2022 | 05:02 AM]
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Canada held its new all-program Express Entry draw on October 26. This all-program Express Entry draw recorded a CRS score of 496. This is the first time the CRS score has dropped below 500 in an all-program draw since December 2020. 

This is the 9th draw since all-program Express Entry draws were resumed on July 6th, which issued invitations to a total of 4,750 candidates. Requiring a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 496, candidates were invited under Express Entry’s categories: 

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

All-program Express Entry draws were temporarily paused for over 18 months starting in December 2020. During the pause, only Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates were issued ITAs. The temporary pause was a result of the massive backlog in applications caused owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2021, CEC draws were also put on hold by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The October 2 draw marks the first time since the draws resumed – that the CRS has dipped below 500. The last time the CRS score fell below 500 was on December 23, 2022 (CRS score of 468). After that draw, all-program draws were put on hold to avoid creating a larger backlog of applications for Canadian permanent residency. 

Check Your Express Entry Eligibility

By lowering the CRS score, IRCC is able to increase the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) it issues. This trend is demonstrated in the previous eight draws where the number of ITAs increased as the CRS score gradually decreased. 

New Immigration Level Plan 2023-2025 expected soon

Setting a goal for the number of immigrants Canada hopes to welcome in the coming three years, the IRCC releases a new Immigration Level Plan each year. The projected numbers are further broken down into the class of immigration and their respective programs. 

For 2022, the Immigration Level Plan targeted 55,900 new permanent residents through Express Entry. So far between January 1 and August 31 – IRCC has managed to welcome just over 28,000 new permanent residents through the Express Entry. 

A new Immigration Level Plan for 2023-2025 is expected to be announced by November 1 this year. 

Immigrating to Canada under the Express Entry

Launched back in 2015, Express Entry is the fastest and most popular pathway to permanent residence for immigrants seeking to study, work, invest, and settle in Canada. 

Express Entry Program is an online system used by the Canadian government to organize and process applications for skilled workers who wish to immigrate to Canada and acquire Canadian permanent residence status. The system manages three main federal high-skilled (FHS) economic programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
• Federal Skilled Trades (FST)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The Express Entry Program does not require a job offer to apply, and the processing period has been cut to around 6 to 8 months, making it one of the easiest and quickest ways to get PR in Canada.