Canada’s Express Entry system, which was launched in 2015, manages immigration applications for three federal immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
An applicant must first submit an Express Entry profile to the pool of candidates to be considered for these programs. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) provides each candidate a CRS score out of 1200 points, which is used to rate all Express Entry profiles against one another.
How Often Does An Express Entry Draw Happen?
There is no defined schedule for Express Entry Draws, although one should take place every two weeks at the very least. Since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic, the IRCC has held two Express Entry lotteries every two weeks. CEC and PNP applicants have been the focus of these Express Entry lotteries.
Three Types Of Express Entry Draws
There are three types of Express Entry draws held by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). These are the following:
Federal Skilled Trade Worker (FSW) draws are for individuals who qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and are in the Express Entry pool. Candidates eligible under this category may be selected based solely on their CRS score.
Federal Skilled Trade Worker (FST) draws are for individuals who qualify for the Federal Skilled Trade Program and are in the Express Entry pool. These applicants, on average, have a lower CRS score than the rest of the pool.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws target applicants in the Express Entry pool who have been nominated by a Canadian province for permanent residence in Canada.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws are for Express Entry candidates with at least one year of Canadian work experience.
Why Your Comprehensive Ranking System Score Matters
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of a candidate is the subject of most Express Entry applications. As a result, when you’ve submitted your Express Entry profile to the pool, you should look into all of the methods you may improve your CRS score ranking.
Each Express Entry draw has a different lowest allowed CRS score. Since the implementation of the Express Entry system in 2015, the lowest CRS score that has ever been approved has been 75. This came from a February 2021 CEC Draw.
The lowest CRS score was 413, which came from an all-program draw aimed at Federal Skilled Workers.
To wit, the IRCC publishes information regarding the composition of the Express Entry pool in the days shortly before each draw.
Below is the CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool. Take note that this is updated as of October 12, 2021.
| CRS Score Range | Number of Candidates |
| 601-1200 | 693 |
| 501-600 | 3,225 |
| 451-500 | 40,679 |
| 491-500 | 1,857 |
| 481-490 | 4,796 |
| 471-480 | 12,820 |
| 461-470 | 11,332 |
| 451-460 | 9,874 |
| 401-450 | 44,341 |
| 441-450 | 8,912 |
| 431-440 | 9,539 |
| 421-430 | 7,119 |
| 411-420 | 8,631 |
| 401-410 | 10,140 |
| 351-400 | 56,847 |
| 301-350 | 31,597 |
| 0-300 | 5,751 |
| TOTAL | 183,133 |
To illustrate further, here are the results of the latest draws in the year 2021:
| Draw | Date | Number of Invitations | Lowest CRS Score | Program Targeted |
| 37 | 2021-10-14 | 681 | 720 | PNP |
| 36 | 2021-09-30 | 761 | 742 | PNP |
| 35 | 2021-09-15 | 521 | 732 | PNP |
| 34 | 2021-09-14 | 2,000 | 462 | CES |
| 33 | 2021-09-01 | 635 | 764 | PNP |
| 32 | 2021-08-17 | 3,000 | 403 | CEC |
| 31 | 2021-08-18 | 463 | 751 | PNP |
| 30 | 2021-08-05 | 3,000 | 404 | CEC |
| 29 | 2021-08-04 | 512 | 760 | PNP |
| 28 | 2021-07-22 | 4,500 | 357 | CEC |
| 27 | 2021-07-21 | 462 | 734 | PNP |
| 26 | 2021-07-09 | 4,500 | 369 | CEC |
| 25 | 2021-07-07 | 627 | 760 | PNP |
| 24 | 2021-06-24 | 6,000 | 357 | CEC |
| 23 | 2021-06-23 | 1,002 | 742 | PNP |
| 22 | 2021-06-10 | 6,000 | 368 | CEC |
| 21 | 2021-06-09 | 940 | 711 | PNP |
| 20 | 2021-05-31 | 5,956 | 380 | CEC |
| 19 | 2021-05-26 | 500 | 713 | PNP |
| 18 | 2021-05-20 | 1,842 | 397 | CEC |
| 17 | 2021-05-13 | 4,147 | 401 | CEC |
| 16 | 2021-05-12 | 557 | 752 | PNP |
| 15 | 2021-04-29 | 6,000 | 400 | CEC |
| 14 | 2021-04-28 | 381 | 717 | PNP |
| 13 | 2021-04-19 | 6,000 | 417 | CEC |
| 12 | 2021-04-14 | 266 | 753 | PNP |
| 11 | 2021-04-01 | 5,000 | 432 | CEC |
| 10 | 2021-03-31 | 284 | 778 | PNP |
| 9 | 2021-03-18 | 5,000 | 449 | CEC |
| 8 | 2021-03-17 | 183 | 682 | PNP |
| 7 | 2021-03-13 | 671 | 739 | PNP |
| 6 | 2021-02-13 | 27,332 | 75 | CEC |
| 5 | 2021-02-10 | 654 | 720 | PNP |
| 4 | 2021-01-21 | 4,626 | 454 | CEC |
| 3 | 2021-01-20 | 374 | 741 | PNP |
| 2 | 2021-01-07 | 4,750 | 461 | CEC |
| 1 | 2021-01-06 | 250 | 813 | PNP |
My Profile Has Been Drawn — What’s Next?
Congratulations! You will get an Invitation to Apply if your profile was chosen in an Express Entry draw (ITA). You have 60 days after receiving an ITA to complete a comprehensive Application for Permanent Residence (eAPR).
Here are Related Topics You Can Read Now
Explore all of the Canadian Immigration Pathways
How to Apply under the Express Entry System
How to get a Provincial Nomination from a Province (PNP)