Canada Increases ITAs Yet Again | 3,250 Invited, CRS 510

Canada holds the 6th all-program Express Entry draw since July 6, 2022. The minimum required CRS cut-off continues to decline as the number of invitations issued increases. 

On September 14, 2022, Canada held another round of invitations under the Express Entry system that comes under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).   

Note. CRS: Comprehensive Ranking System.

When are Express Entry draws held?

There is no pre-announced schedule as such. However, we can predict when Express Entry draws are likely to be held. Generally Express Entry draws take place twice a month, on alternate Wednesdays between 13:00:00 to 15:00:00 UTC. The previous Express Entry draw was on August 31, 2022, with 2,750 ITAs and CRS 516. 

The number of ITAs issued by IRCC have gone up from 2,750 in the last draw to 3,250 in EE Draw #231. The minimum cut-off score, as per the 1,200-point Comprehensive Ranking System, falls 5 points from CRS 516 to CRS 510. 

Launched in 2015, Express Entry is the flagship application management system of Canada used for accepting, managing, and prioritizing Canadian permanent residence applications from skilled foreign workers. 

What is Canada PR visa?

Canada PR status lets you live permanently in Canada. You might apply for citizenship after 5 years, provided you live within the country for 1,095 days in the next 5 years from being granted your PR status. Other Canadian citizenship conditions will also have to be fulfilled. 

With a Canada PR visa, you can - 

• Live, work, or study anywhere in Canada, 
• Avail most social benefits like healthcare, 
• Apply for Canadian citizenship, and
• Get protection under Canadian law. 

As a PR of Canada, you will be expected to pay your taxes. 

To maintain your Canada PR status, you will have to live in Canada for at least 730 days in 5 years. These 730 days in Canada need not be continuous. Some of your time overseas might also count towards the 730 days. For example, when you are working full-time outside Canada for a Canadian business or organization etc. 

How can I get Canada PR by Express Entry?

67 points must be scored on Canada’s skilled immigration calculator to create an Express Entry profile. Generally, you will require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) Report, along with results from IRCC-approved language tests such as the IELTS. 

Once your profile is in the IRCC Express Entry pool, it gets ranked against others. This Express Entry ranking is based on your score on the Comprehensive Ranking System. The CRS is a 1,200-point matrix that assesses human capital factors and other aspects. This score is also referred to as the “CRS score” of an Express Entry candidate. The higher your CRS, the more chances you have of getting an ITA from IRCC. 

How many profiles are there in IRCC Express Entry?

As on September 12, 2022, there were a total of 238,273 profiles in the Express Entry pool. Of these, a majority - that is, 68,857 were in the CRS 351-400 bracket. Only 408 Express Entry profiles were in the CRS 601-1,200 score range. 

Is there a way to guarantee ITA by IRCC?

There are many ways to improve your CRS score. A nomination through the Provincial Nominee Program, such as Ontario PNP, in itself gives you CRS 600 as ‘additional’ points, thereby guaranteeing an ITA from IRCC in a subsequent Express Entry draw. 

A job offer in Canada can get you CRS 200. Do note that if you have a PNP nomination plus a job in Canada, you can claim a total of CRS 600 additional points as that is the maximum allotted.