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Highlights
1. IRCC held its tenth category-based Express Entry draw for Agriculture And Agri-Food Occupations on September 28.
2. This also marks the 267th Express Entry draw since 2015.
3. 600 registered foreign nationals with experience in agriculture and agri-food occupations including Butchers, Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance, and horticulture services received ITAs for Canada PR.
4. The qualifying score was set at 354 points.
5. Thanks to regular category-based draws, IRCC issued nearly 13,000 Express Entry ITAs for PR in new category-based selection draws alone.
In a series of Express Entry draws, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its first category-based selection round under the Agriculture And Agri-Food Occupations (2023-1) category.
600 candidates with one year or more relevant work experience in eligible occupations received invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residency (PR). All the invited candidates are required to secure a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score above 354.
Also, if more than one eligible candidate had the same CRS score, IRCC considered only those profiles submitted on or before June 12, 2023, at 10:23:21 UTC.
In the last two weeks, Canada has held four draws including two all-program draws and two category-based selection draws for Transport occupations followed by French-speaking profiles.
However, there are no benchmark qualifying scores for the latest category-based selection draws. It is possible that FSWP, CEC, or FSTP-qualified candidates received nominations here.
What is Agriculture And Agri-Food Occupations (2023-1) Category?
The Agriculture and Agri-Food Occupations (2023-1) is a new immigration category that is designed to attract skilled workers to fill in-demand jobs in the agriculture and agri-food sectors.
There are three eligible occupations in this category:
1. Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance, and horticulture services (NOC 82031)
2. Agriculture service contractors and farm supervisors (NOC 82030)
3. Butchers – retail and wholesale (NOC 63201)
To be eligible for this category, you must have at least one year of work experience in one of the eligible occupations in the past three years. You must also meet the minimum language proficiency requirements for Express Entry.
IRCC will continue to hold all program draws, program-specific, and category-specific draws as needed. It is more so because Canada plans to admit 82,880 new permanent residents through Express Entry by the end of 2023. Further, we may see targets rise to 109,020 in 2024 and 114,000 by 2025.
Qualifying for Upcoming Express Entry Draws
Canada has already held nine other category-based Express Entry draws. Consequently, candidates with six months or more relevant work experience under healthcare occupations (2023-1), STEM occupations (2023-1), Skilled Trades (2023-1), and Transport (2023-1) categories became eligible. However, no prior work experience is required for this French language proficiency (2023-1) category draw.
It signals a good time to register your Express Entry profile online. However, you must consider the following assessment criteria to maximize your success:
1. Work Experience: Relevant work experience in a skilled occupation can earn you points.
2. Language Proficiency: Language skills in English and French are crucial.
3. Age: Younger candidates receive more points.
4. Education: Higher levels of education can earn you more CRS points.
5. Provincial Nomination: Candidates with prior provincial nominations receive additional CRS points.
6. Arranged Employment: If you have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, you can earn extra CRS points.
7. Spouse or Common-law Partner: Adaptability factors of your spouse or common-law partner can add points to your CRS score.
8. Siblings in Canada: Having a brother or sister who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident can give you additional CRS points.
Interested professionals can contact a licensed immigration consultant like CanApprove to boost their chances of qualifying for immigration.
Claim your free consultation from us today!
