Latest Express Entry Draw updates for immigrants to Canada

We have here compiled the Latest Express Entry Draw updates through March and February 2023:

Draw # 8

In the 8^th draw for the year 2023 conducted on 23^rd March 2023, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada offered 7000 Invitations to Apply. The candidates who received the ITAs had a CRS score of a minimum of 484 points. It was an all-program draw implying that candidates were considered from Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Worker Program. 

The size of the draw equated to the all-program draw held on 15^th March which also offered 7000 ITAs. It is the largest all-program draw held so far in 2023 and now the 23^rd March draw as well. The minimum CRS score for the previous draw was 490 points.

The latest draw is astonishing as it was the draw held in the second consecutive week itself. Normally, IRCC conducts draws in Express Entry once in 2 weeks. The draw is also the second-largest draw held in Express Entry so far while the all-time largest draw is the CEC-only draw held in February 2021.

On February 13, 2021, IRCC offered ITAs to 27, 332 candidates under the CEC program. The CRS score cut-off was 75, the lowest in the history of the Express Entry System.

Express Entry draws that were held in the initial period of 2023 were largely focused on PNP candidates. IRCC has conducted 4 PNP-specific Express Entry draws so far in 2023 and the recent draw was held on 1 March 2023 offering 667 ITAs.

Prior to this, there were 3 other PNP-only draws and 1 draw that was FSWP-only held on 2^nd February 2023. Nevertheless, it is now appearing that IRCC has again turned its focus to all-program draws that consider all candidates in the pool of the Express Entry System.

Draw # 7

The seventh draw for the year 2023 was conducted by IRCC on 15^th March. IRCC offered 7,000 ITAs to candidates having a minimum score of 490 under CRS. The ITAs offered in this draw surpass the previous high of 5,500 ITAs offered in the 18^th January all-program draw. Candidates from all the 3 programs in Express Entry are considered in an all-program draw: the FSWP, the FSTP, and the CEC.

The draw also deviates from the recent pattern of the specific program draws that have been held in the last 2 months. 4 Program-specific draws have been conducted since the last all-program draw in which there were 3 PNP-only draws and 1 FSWP-only draw. The latest draw held on March 1^st was a PNP-only draw that offered 697 ITAs.

The March 15^th draw is the largest all-program draw since Express Entry was launched in 2015. The only draw larger than this draw is the CEC-only draw held in February 2021.

The earlier biggest all-program draw was held on 18^th January 2023 and it offered 5,500 ITAs. From 2022 onwards, the average number of ITAs offered in all-program draws have been only 3575.

The CRS cut-off score for this draw was precisely the same as that of the last all-program Express Entry draw that was conducted on 18^th January. After the draws were resumed in July 2022, a trend has been observed wherein the CRS cut-off is declining with each all-program draw being held.

The CRS cut-off score has declined considerably after the resumption of the draws in July 2022 and has decreased by 67 points. However, it has quite some way ahead before it comes on par with the levels before the pandemic. On average, the all-program CRS score was 472 in 2020.

Draw # 6

The sixth draw for the year 2023 was conducted by IRCC on 1^st March. IRCC offered 667 ITAs to candidates having a least CRS score of 748. This was the 4^th specific program draw in 2023 after the PNP-only draw that was conducted on 15^th February.

Out of the 4 program-specific draws held so far, 3 have been PNP-only and 1 draw has been FSWP-only. In 2023 so far, IRCC has conducted only 2 all-program draws. It implies the draws in which applicants from all the 3 programs under Express Entry were offered ITAs depending on their CRS scores. These 2 draws offered ITAs to 5000 candidates individually and were held within a gap of 1 week on January 18^th and January 11^th.

A glance at Canada Express Entry draws results in February 2023

IRCC conducted three draws in Express Entry in the month of February 2023. A total of 4, 892 ITAs were offered to eligible candidates. The following are the details of the draws held this month:

Express Entry Draw # 3

The first draw for the month of February 2023 was conducted by IRCC on 1^st February. This was a Provincial Nominee Program-only draw and the 893 candidates who received the ITAs had a CRS score of 733.

Express Entry Draw # 4

Canada conducted its first Federal Skilled Worker Program-only draw on 2^nd February 2023 and offered ITAs to 3,300 candidates. The recipients of the ITAs had a minimum CRS score of 489. They can now file a complete application for Canada PR Visa within 2 months.

Express Entry Draw # 5

IRCC conducted the 3^rd Express Entry draw for February and the 5^th draw for this year. It was a PNP-only draw that offered ITAs to 699 candidates who had a minimum CRS score of 791.

Express Entry is the chief pathway for immigration to Canada for skilled overseas workers. It manages immigration applications through its 3 economic immigration pathways: The FSWP, The FSTP, and The CEC.

Next Express Entry Draw

IRCC does not have a specified policy for conducting the Express Entry draws. It says that the draws are conducted once in 2 weeks. However, this is not a rule as such. In March 2023, 2 draws were held within a gap of 1 week. In February, 2 draws were held successively on February 1^st and February 2^nd.