Comparing Express Entry Draws: 2024 vs 2023 – ASKMigration: Canadian Lifestyle Magazine

Express Entry has seen some significant changes since 2024. This will affect how candidates are chosen for permanent residence. From updates such as evidence of funds requirements to Minister of Immigration Marc Miller’s focus on more “domestic draws,” and substantially higher Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores, it’s clear that this year is different. There was a break of a whole month between draws, which made 2024 even more unique.

The First Half of 2023 will see the ITAs.

During the first half of 2023, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada held 13 Express entry draws, issuing a combined 49,948 Invitations to Apply (ITAs). The types of draw included:

• General: This includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
• Provincial Nominee Program: Candidates nominated in each province.
• FSWP-specific: Drawings that specifically target Federal candidates for the Skilled Worker Program.

The First Half of 2024 will see the ITAs.

In contrast, in the first six months of 2024, there were 19 Express Entry draws resulting in 41 855 ITAs. This year’s draws have been more diverse, including:

• General
• French language proficiency
• Healthcare occupations
• Occupations in Agriculture & Agri-Food
• Transport occupations
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) occupations
• PNP
• CEC-specific

The new category-based selections will be introduced in late 2023 and allow candidates in six specific categories of ITAs to receive them, sometimes with less weight on CRS scores.

Compare ITAs and Draws for 2023 vs.

There are some key differences between the two years.

Number of Draws 2023 had 13 while 2024 already had 19.

Number of ITAs despite the fact that there were more draws in 2020, fewer ITAs (41,855 compared 49,948 ITAs) were issued.

This discrepancy can be attributed to the implementation of category selections that can affect the size and the frequency of the general draws.

Look at the general draw:

In 2023 there were 8 general drawings with an average 5475 ITAs each draw and a average cut-off of 489.

In 2024 there were 9 general draws, with a smaller average of 1605 ITAs and a higher cut-off score average of 536.