Canada’s Express Entry system has always been well-known for its quick and smooth process of getting permanent residency. However, in recent draws the number of people invited through Express Entry has been very high, causing worry and debate. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what are the major reasons for Express Entry scores to go high, and will they every come down?
Reasons for High Express Entry CRS Scores
1. Limited Quota
Canada has already released its immigration plan for 2024 to 2026, with that being, Canada is set to give permanent residency to nearly 500,000 people every year. This may seem very high number, however, this further gets down to 110,000 through economic class (i.e. Federal Express Entry System), 110,000 through the provincial Nominee program and other half is through family sponsorship, spousal, and business class.
3 Year Permanent Residency Target
| Immigrant Category | 2024 Target | 2025 Target | 2026 Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Permanent Resident Admissions | 485,000 | 500,000 | 500,000 |
| French-speaking Admissions outside Quebec | 26,100 | 31,500 | 36,000 |
| Total Economic | 281,135 | 301,250 | 301,250 |
| Total Family | 114,000 | 118,000 | 118,000 |
| Total Refugees and Protected Persons | 76,115 | 72,750 | 72,750 |
| Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other | 13,750 | – | – |
Number of Applications in Express Entry Pool
| CRS Score Range | Number of Candidates |
|---|---|
| 601-1200 | 2,918 |
| 501-600 | 14,211 |
| 451-500 | 63,353 |
| 401-450 | 54,078 |
| 351-400 | 57,028 |
| 301-350 | 27,210 |
| 0-300 | 5,606 |
| Total | 224,404 |
The table above represents the number of people applying for permanent residency under Express Entry is nearly 224,000, whereas total quota given to Federal Skilled Workers under Express Entry is only 110,000. This represents that more than half of the people will not get invited thus causing higher CRS score to invite only skilled workers to benefit the Canadian Economy.
This makes it one of the primary reasons why express entry scores are so high, however, there are few more reasons that causes higher scores for express entry draws.
2. Targeted Draws
While it may seem that your express entry scores are above average and you might think you will get invitation sooner or later, however, this might not be the case given express entry Canada is considering Targeted occupations as their primary candidates for recent draws.
Targeted occupations include 6 categories below and draws for these targeted occupations or targeted language are usually requires less scores:
- Healthcare Professionals
- Information Technology (IT) and Technology
- Engineering and Technical Occupations
- Skilled Trades
- French Speaking
- Agriculture Category
These targeted draws aim to address specific labor market needs but can also push up the overall CRS score averages by inviting people with lower scores from below the pool.
3. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
Each province has their own PNP programs and its PNP Streams. Every PNP Nominie finally applies for Canada PR through the Federal Skilled Worker program (i.e. Express Entry System). Since they already get 600 additional points on top of their CRS scores, they get the most chance of every general draw that happens.
This further increases the overall Express Entry CRS scores for most candidates making it harder and another good reason why express entry draws are so high.
4. Changes in Immigration Policies
This can be the one of the biggest reasons of why express entry draws have been so high recently. Periodic changes aligned with labour market needs, and immigration polices have been set up. These changes could be in your favor, could be opposite or have no affect. For example, if you’re working in childcare sector, earlier there were not many streams, however, recent policies are giving childcare higher advantages.
These policy changes could be in any occupation field or even language such as french speakers being prioritized over any other for next 3 years. For instance, additional points for Canadian education, work experience, and provincial nominations can raise the minimum cut-off scores.
5. Economic and Social Factors
This might not be the case every time the CRS score goes up, however, this could be another reason why express entry draw could go up.
Global events, such as economic downturns or political instability in other countries, can lead to increased interest in immigrating to Canada, thereby raising competition and scores.
Wanna increase your CRS score? Here’s how to increase CRS score
Conclusion
There could be many reasons affecting CRS scores in Express Entry Pool, but the best way to have your chances up is to keep updated on recent changes and align with current demand in skilled labor market in Canada.
