Express Entry and your Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS)

Express Entry is an immigration stream for skilled workers to immigrate to Canada. You can apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, or the Canadian Experience Class. If you are eligible under one of these programs, you complete and upload your Express Entry profile to obtain your CRS score. Once you receive your score, you need to wait for an Invitation to Apply from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Your CRS score is based on age, education, work experience, occupation, and language ability.

As of March 12, 2024, there have been 11 Express Entry draws. Five of these draws were for all categories where the CRS score ranged from 525 to 541. The remaining four draws this year were for candidates who were eligible through category-based selection. CRS scores for these draws ranged from 336 to 437, depending on the category. If you have a low CRS score, don’t be discouraged as you could qualify under the category-based selection draws.

Category based selection draws were introduced in May 2023 as a means for IRCC to target Express Entry candidates who are skilled in specific occupations. Below are the six categories:

• Healthcare occupations
• Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
• Trades occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
• Transport occupations
• Agriculture and agri-food occupations
• Strong French language proficiency.

To be eligible for an invitation through a category-based selection draw, you will need to meet all the requirements noted by IRCC for that draw. In 2023, when this category was introduced, more than 16,000 candidates received an ITA.

Below is a list of the draws and the categories that were selected as of March 13, 2024.

IRCC states that category-based selection draws will not change for 2024.

If you would like more information, email Sosaan Nyland at info@sosaanimmigration.ca or call +1416-275-2699.