The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced the first targeted Express Entry draw of 2024 on March 13.

In this draw, 975 invitations to apply (ITAs) were issued to candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 430 or higher and a minimum of 6 months of experience in one of the 10 specified transport occupations.

Prior to this, on March 12, the IRCC conducted a general draw where 2,850 ITAs were issued to candidates in the pool with a CRS score of 525 or higher.

Summary of Express Entry Draws in March 2024:

For further details, refer to the comprehensive list of Express Entry draws in February 2024 below. Additionally, the subsequent section on this page provides a record of all draws since 2015, along with predictions for the next draw.

Latest Express Entry CRS Score distribution

CRS Score Trend In 2023

Analysis and Forecast for the Next Express Entry Draw in 2024 (Updated Weekly)

Considering the IRCC’s emphasis on targeted Express Entry draws for 2024, it’s anticipated that the CRS cutoff score will remain relatively high, likely surpassing 520 points for general or all program invitation rounds.

Expectations suggest that draws focused on French-speaking candidates will become more frequent compared to other categories.

In the upcoming draw, it’s projected that the CRS cutoff score will be lower for Francophone candidates, as well as for draws targeting Agriculture, Transport, and Trade.

This paints a clearer picture of the trend towards targeted draws and the continuation of draws across all programs.

IRCC’s Express Entry draws continue to be competitive, with little prospect for profiles scoring below 520 in general draws, unless IRCC organizes a large-scale draw.

Profiles with CRS scores below 520 should concentrate on enhancing their profiles by obtaining certification, improving language proficiency, gaining more experience, etc.

Explore 6 strategies to boost your CRS score below.

• Expectations persist that IRCC will continue both ‘no program specified’ draws and targeted draws throughout the year in the coming weeks.
• Among category-based draws, significant-sized STEM-focused draws are anticipated, alongside general draws.
• It’s anticipated that draws for Transport, Agriculture/Agri-food, and Trades will be less frequent compared to those in the Francophone category.
• For all program draws, the CRS cutoff score is expected to hover around 530 points in upcoming invitation rounds.
• An important aspect to monitor is the frequency of invitation rounds in the coming weeks, as this will influence the CRS cutoffs.
• There are strong indications of another round of invitations targeting STEM and healthcare sectors in the forthcoming draws.

Our General Recommendation

Take a look at the updated list of 100 professions eligible for 50 extra CRS points for a certificate of qualification, revised by the IRCC on September 8, 2023.

For eligible candidates, we advise creating their Express Entry profile promptly, even if their occupation isn’t among the targeted categories. Afterwards, they can explore Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

If you currently have a valid profile in the Express Entry pool but your spouse holds at least 6 months of experience in one of the 82 eligible occupations for targeted draws, and your overall CRS score is below 520, consider making them the primary applicant. Even if this action brings your CRS score down to around 450, it can be beneficial.

To candidates with at least 6 months of experience in one of these occupations who haven’t yet created a profile: What’s holding you back? Create your profile as soon as possible.

We are also revising our prediction for the next Express Entry draw cutoff as follows:

Express Entry 2024:

Processing Time Update Take a look at the most recent processing times for Express Entry as of March 12, 2024. Additionally, compare them with the figures from the previous week.