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Candidates are invited to participate in the second Provincial Nominee Program-only draw of the year.

Today, the IRCC held the fifth Express Entry draw for 2023.

699 candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 791 received invitations from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Only candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program were eligible for the draw. Following the results on February 1 and 2, this was the third program-specific draw of 2023. Only candidates who had already received provincial nomination were invited to the February 1 draw, and the February 2 draw was programme specific for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).

The draw pattern for 2023 has yet to be determined.

Express Entry draws are usually held on Wednesdays every two weeks. However, so far in 2023, the patterns established before the COVID-19 pandemic and in the latter half of 2022 have differed significantly.

There have been some notable differences in how draws have been conducted since the first Express Entry draw of the year on January 11. For example, the January 11 draw occurred after an unexpected six-minute pause, which IRCC has attributed to an IT system glitch caused by the implementation of NOC 2021.

Only a week later, on January 18, the next draw took place. The number of ITAs issued was the same as on January 11, but the CRS score was significantly lower.

IRCC did have to wait two weeks for the next draw, which took place on February 1 as planned. This draw, however, was distinct in that it was not an all-program draw. Candidates were only given ITAs if they had previously been nominated through a Provincial Nominee Program. Since June 2022, IRCC has not held a PNP-only draw. At this point, IRCC resumed all-program draws, which had been halted due to pandemic restrictions and border closures between January 2021 and July 2022.

The most recent draw was the following day, on February 2, when IRCC issued invitations to FSWP candidates. This was significant because, since the inception of Express Entry in 2015, there has never been an FSWP-only draw. The FSWP is one of the most prominent Express Entry immigration pathways.

The immigration minister and the IRCC have complete discretion over Express Entry draws. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act contains no provisions dictating when draws will take place, the number of candidates, or the minimum CRS cut-off score. In theory, draws could take place daily or every few months if the minister believes it is the best way for Canada to meet its economic priorities.

What is Express Entry?

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program all use Express Entry as their application management system (FSTP). Candidates for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in the Express Entry pool are already eligible for at least one of these programmes.

Express Entry ranks candidates' profiles using a point-based system known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Candidates with the highest scores are given an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and can then apply for permanent residency.

An IRCC officer reviews the candidate's application and decides whether or not they are approved. If approved, the candidate will be a permanent resident of Canada and one step closer to becoming a Canadian citizen.

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