IRCC has released Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in the third Express Entry draw of the week. In this category-based selection draw focused on candidates in transport occupations. The department extended invitations to 670 candidates. To qualify for an ITA, candidates must have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 435.
This draw comes from two previous draws earlier in the week, conducted on December 18 and 19. The December 18 draw, open to all programs, issued 1,325 invitations with a minimum CRS of 542.
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IRCC’s Recent Express Entry Draws: Insights into Occupations, Scores, and Draw Pauses
On December 19, IRCC extended invitations to 1,000 candidates in the second category-based draw for trades occupations this year. Candidates were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 425. The initial draw of this kind occurred on August 3, inviting 1,500 candidates.
Throughout the past week, IRCC conducted three additional draws. On December 8, 5,900 candidates in STEM occupations received invitations in a category-based selection draw. Requiring a minimum CRS of 481. On December 7, a draw for individuals with French language proficiency invited 1,000 candidates from the Express Entry pool, setting a minimum CRS of 470.
December 6 witnessed an all-program draw for candidates with a minimum CRS of 561. This draw marked the first in over a month. With the previous being a category-based selection draw for healthcare occupations on October 26.
While IRCC did not provide a specific reason for the temporary pause in draws, a tweet from the department on November 14 mentioned an IT issue with the Express Entry profile builder for candidates receiving ITAs. The glitch was reported fixed on November 16. However, draws did not immediately resume, potentially due to various factors such as meeting targets outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan, IT concerns, staffing changes, or updates to the Comprehensive Ranking System.