Express Entry draws are expected to be higher in April, as immigration continues throughout the year.
Last month was similar to March in terms of the type and size of draws, with potential patterns emerging for 2024. Read on to find out what the current state of the Express Entry candidate pool is, what draws took place in April, and how it could affect your immigration chances.
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Current Status of the Express Entry Pool
What draws took place in April?
As in March, there were four Express Entry draws in April: two general draws and two category-based selections.
The general draws took place on April 10 and 23, with CRS cut-offs of 549 and 524, respectively. Category-based selections (which target candidates with specific work experience or language proficiency) took place on April 11 and 24, inviting candidates with experience in STEM-related occupations and French language proficiency.
Overall Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores for general draws remain high compared to previous years. This year (so far) there have been three to five draws each month, with a cumulative roughly equal split between general and category-based draws.
| Draw Date | Round Type | Invitation issued | CRS Score Cut-Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-04-24 | General | 1,280 | 549 |
| 11-04-24 | STEM Professions | 4,500 | 491 |
| 23-04-24 | General | 2,095 | 529 |
| 24-04-24 | French Language Proficiency | 1,400 | 410 |
According to the Immigration Levels Plan, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will allocate 110,770 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence (PR) through the Express Entry system this year. As of April, 35,970 of these ITAs have been issued.
Express Entry Pool
As of April 23, 2024, the Express Entry pool has 214,697 candidate profiles – an increase of 2753 profiles since March. All score brackets saw an increase at roughly the same rate, keeping the distribution at similar volumes to the previous month.
The complete table of score distribution and number of people in the pool is given below.
| Score Range | Number of candidates |
|---|---|
| 0-300 | 5,484 |
| 301-350 | 27,740 |
| 351-400 | 56,383 |
| 401-410 | 10,799 |
| 411-420 | 10,740 |
| 421-430 | 9,645 |
| 431-440 | 10,645 |
| 441-450 | 10,646 |
| 451-460 | 11,432 |
| 461-470 | 13,558 |
| 471-480 | 16,928 |
| 481-490 | 11,495 |
| 491-500 | 7,520 |
| 501-600 | 10,625 |
| 601-1200 | 1,057 |
These scores are also represented in a bar graph format to understand the distribution better. As we can see the most populated score range (with the most number of candidates) remains the 351-400 CRS range.
What percentile is your score in pool?
Taking the upper limit of each score range we can calculate the percentage of that score relative to the overall pool. The percentages can help us understand how scores compare to each other, and what percentage of the pool is below that score. While a high percentage score may not guarantee an ITA, it can still give some indication of what one’s immigration prospects may be like throughout the year.
Check out the complete details of score percentage below:
| Score Range | Number of candidates | Percent (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-300 | 5,484 | 2.55 |
| 301-350 | 27,740 | 15.47 |
| 351-400 | 56,383 | 41.74 |
| 401-410 | 10,799 | 46.77 |
| 411-420 | 10,740 | 51.77 |
| 421-430 | 9,645 | 56.26 |
| 431-440 | 10,645 | 61.22 |
| 441-450 | 10,646 | 66.18 |
| 451-460 | 11,432 | 71.50 |
| 461-470 | 13,558 | 77.82 |
| 471-480 | 16,928 | 85.70 |
| 481-490 | 11,495 | 91.06 |
| 491-500 | 7,520 | 94.56 |
| 501-600 | 10,625 | 99.51 |
| 601-1200 | 1,057 | 100.00 |
How does the composition of the Express Entry candidate pool affect the score cut-off and draw size?
It may be very difficult (if not impossible) to predict upcoming CRS score cut-offs and draw sizes, as IRCC considers many factors before conducting each draw (such as category-based selections, which are more in line with demographic and labour market needs in Canada and place less emphasis on CRS scores).
However, understanding the spread of these scores, and the size of the pool overall (particularly in the context of annual immigration levels) can help us understand trends that may impact draw sizes and cut-off scores. This is because not only does IRCC consider the spread of CRS scores when determining the next cut-off score; but also because all draw sizes must ultimately work toward meeting the department’s goals and requirements outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan.
Thus, while the above information cannot help us predict the future with absolute accuracy, understanding the trends within and behind the Express Entry pool can be valuable in evaluating an applicant’s chances of obtaining an ITA this year.
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