Express Entry Pool Status as of September 2024 Following act

Following an active August and a record number of draws in July, Canada’s Express Entry system has experienced shifts in the makeup of the candidate pool and in the newcomers who have received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence (PR).

To provide clearer insights for candidates within the Express Entry pool and those interested in Canadian immigration, this update outlines the current composition of the pool and tracks the cut-off scores for various draws over the past month.

Current Status of the Express Entry Pool

What draws took place in August?
In August, five Express Entry draws were held, with over 10,000 ITAs issued. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) resumed its regular schedule of conducting Express Entry draws every two weeks.

Here are the details of the Express Entry draws held in August 2024:

Draw #312:
Date: August 27, 2024
Round Type: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
ITAs Issued: 3,300
CRS Cut-off Score: 507
Draw #311:
Date: August 26, 2024
Round Type: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
ITAs Issued: 1,121
CRS Cut-off Score: 694
Draw #310:
Date: August 15, 2024
Round Type: Category-Based Selection (CBS) – French Language Proficiency
ITAs Issued: 2,000
CRS Cut-off Score: 394
Draw #309:
Date: August 14, 2024
Round Type: Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
ITAs Issued: 3,200
CRS Cut-off Score: 509
Draw #308:
Date: August 13, 2024
Round Type: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
ITAs Issued: 763
CRS Cut-off Score: 690

The draws that took place in August reflect changes announced by Immigration Minister Marc Miller. For instance, the increased frequency of Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws aligns with Miller’s statements from last March, where he expressed his intention to focus on more “domestic” draws within the federal immigration system. During the same press conference, he indicated that he would urge his provincial counterparts to adopt a similar approach with their PNPs.

The rationale behind this strategy is to alleviate pressures on housing and mitigate potential affordability issues by limiting the influx of new immigrants to Canada. Instead, the department aims to prioritize individuals who are already in Canada as temporary residents (mainly those on work permits) and are eligible to transition to permanent residency (PR). This approach will also assist IRCC in achieving its annual immigration targets for permanent residents.

Furthermore, Canada has recently underscored the significance of Francophone immigration, announcing plans to increase the proportion of Francophone immigrants designated for provinces outside Quebec within its annual targets. This allocation will rise from 6% this year to 7% in 2025 and 8% in 2026. In 2024, there have been seven draws focused on French language proficiency, resulting in over 19,000 ITAs issued so far.

Current Distribution of Scores in the Pool
As of August 27th, the breakdown of scores in the Express Entry pool is as follows:

Current Distribution of Candidates by CRS Score Range:

0-300: 5,491 candidates
301-350: 24,396 candidates
351-400: 52,363 candidates
401-410: 10,155 candidates
411-420: 10,493 candidates
421-430: 9,814 candidates
431-440: 11,142 candidates
441-450: 10,259 candidates
451-460: 10,779 candidates
461-470: 12,676 candidates
471-480: 14,722 candidates
481-490: 12,038 candidates
491-500: 10,918 candidates
501-600: 9,764 candidates
601-1200: 127 candidates

How Each Score Compares to the Overall Distribution

The table below assigns a percentile to the upper limit of each CRS score range, based on the assumption that the highest score within that range includes all candidates at or below that score. For instance, in the 0-300 score range, it is assumed that a candidate with a score of 300 has 5,490 candidates in the Express Entry pool with lower scores than theirs (the total number of candidates in that score range, minus one).