2020-02-19 – Canada immigration authorities have smashed the record for the largest Express Entry draw, issuing Invitations to Apply to 4,500 candidates.
The February 19 draw saw Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada break the 4,000 ITA barrier in a single draw for the first time.
The total eclipsed the previous largest – 3,923 invites issued on April 13, 2017 – by more than 500 ITAs.
Largest Express Entry Draws By ITAs Issued
| Rank | ITAs Issued | Date |
| 1 | 4,500 | 19-Feb-20 |
| 2 | 3,923 | 13-Apr-17 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 30-Oct-19 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 02-Oct-19 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 23-Jan-19 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 10-Jan-19 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 19-Dec-18 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 12-Dec-18 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 28-Nov-18 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 15-Nov-18 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 29-Oct-18 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 15-Oct-18 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 03-Oct-18 |
| 3= | 3,900 | 05-Sep-18 |
The fourth draw of 2020 saw the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score drop by two points to 470 when compared to the previous draw.
Canada has now issued 14,800 ITAs so far in 2020, after issuing a total of 85,300 in 2019. IRCC broke the record for annual Express Entry ITAs in 2018 with 89,800.
Canada’s high-skilled immigration admission target for 2020 is 85,800, up from 81,400 in 2019.
The latest draw saw the tie-breaking rule implemented on January 13, 2020, at 6.52 am EST. If more than one candidate had the minimum CRS score, only those who submitted their Express Entry profiles before this date and time received invitations.
This was the fourth round of invitations under Express Entry in 2020 and 137th overall.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an immigration system implemented by Canadian immigration authorities (IRCC) on January 1, 2015, which manages skilled worker applications under Federal Economic programs. This includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program the Canada Experience Class and parts of the Provincial Nomination Programs.
Stakeholders expect to see near 30 draws and more than 80,000 invitations issued in 2020, with a majority of draws featuring CRS scores around 470 to enable Canadian immigration authorities to meet targeted annual immigration levels for 2020.
Read More
- CRS Score Not High Enough? What Are My Canada Immigration Options?
- A Look Ahead: Canada Immigration In 2020
- Canada Immigration – 2019 Year In Review
- Express Entry 6-Month Review: Is Canada On Target to Break 2018 Invitation Record?
- Express Entry Year-End Report 2018: Record Numbers Show Interest In Canada Immigration
- Express Entry First Quarter Review: Canada Makes Strong Start to 2019
- Canada Immigration: 2018 Year in Review
- The 9-Month Review: Canada Express Entry Sees Busiest Quarter Of 2018 With 22,800 ITAs Issued
- First Half 2018 Express Entry Results Shows Consistency in Required CRS Scores
- 2018 Express Entry First Quarter Review
- Canada Immigration: 2017 Year in Review
- 2016 Express Entry Year-End report
What Can Employers Do to Recruit Foreign Workers?
Employers are encouraged to consider securing an LMIA or nomination under provincial nomination programs (PNPs) to ensure long term retention of employees.
At immigration.ca we provide Canadian employers with unparalleled immigration legal services and recruitment of foreign nationals through our in-house SkilledWorker, skilledworker.com and skilledworker.com. We bring qualified candidates to Canada in the shortest time possible. Employers in a wide range of industries can directly benefit from our unique position as one of Canada’s leading immigration firms in the industry, with a strong online presence, to meet both their recruitment and immigration requirements.
Interested employers wishing to seek our assistance are invited to contact us here for further information.
What Should Candidates Do Next?
It is expected that the majority of applicants to be issued ITAs in 2020 will require a CRS score of around 470 points, enabling a significant number of applicants to receive permanent admission to Canada without a job offer or nomination under a provincial immigration program. However, securing an approved offer of employment is highly recommended. Watch our Facebook livestream video on how to find jobs in Canada from overseas.
We offer all our individual clients with excellent employment services as well as a 60-minute Live, Face-to-Face LinkedIn tutorial on how to find jobs in all areas of Canada.
Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free online evaluation. We will provide you with your evaluation results within 1-2 business days.
Resources:
- Immigration.ca News Articles – A daily news source outlining the latest developments in immigration, employment and the economy with commentaries by Attorney Colin Singer.
- At skilledworker.com we are dedicated to developing long-term strategic alliances with client companies and candidates alike. We strictly adhere to our guiding principles of honesty, integrity and confidentiality.
Colin R. Singer is an immigration counsel for www.immigration.ca and Managing Partner of SkilledWorker, skilledworker.com, as well as skilledworker.com. He is one of Canada’s foremost senior corporate immigration attorneys. Colin is internationally recognized as an experienced and recommended authority on Canadian immigration and foreign recruitment. In addition to being a licensed human resources professional, he is a licensed Canadian lawyer in good standing with the Quebec Law Society for more than 25 years and is authorized by the Canadian government in all immigration matters.
