Business Desk 
Jan 27, 2025
Canada is set to attract skilled workers worldwide through its Express Entry draws, offering a streamlined pathway to permanent residency. Recent data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) highlights updates on invitations and CRS score distributions.
IRCC on January 23, issued 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programme in Express Entry Draw No. 333.
- CRS score: The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for this draw was set at 527.
- Tie-breaking rule: The tie-breaking rule was implemented to profiles submitted before July 23, 2024, at 07:06:43 UTC.
- Comparison: This was the second CEC draw of the year, following the January 8 draw that issued 1,350 ITAs with a CRS cut-off of 542. The latest draw saw a slight decrease in the CRS cut-off score
CRS score distribution as of January 23
The CRS pool included 232,924 candidates, with the largest group — 67,548 — falling in the 451-500 score range.
| CRS score range | Number of candidates |
| 601-1200 | 200 |
| 501-600 | 24,001 |
| 451-500 | 67,548 |
| 401-450 | 62,426 |
| 351-400 | 51,213 |
| 301-350 | 21,903 |
| 0-300 | 5,633 |
Immigrating to Canada through Canadian Experience Class
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programme is set for skilled workers already employed in Canada who aim to transition to permanent residency. Here is an eligibility criteria.
- Work experience: It is said that at least one year of paid skilled work in Canada (or equivalent part-time work) within the past three years of experience is required.
- Employment authorisation: Experience must be gained under valid temporary resident status.
- Exclusions: Notably, unpaid internships, volunteer work, or unauthorised employment are not eligible.
