IRCC invites 3350 candidates in February 20 Express Entry draw

In the fourth Express Entry draw of 2019 that took place on February 20, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 3350 invitations to apply for permanent residence in Canada. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) required for candidates to be considered in the February 20 draw was 457 points.
Tie-break rule was applied in the draw, the date and time being December 6, 2018 at 12:38:11 UTC. It means all candidates who had submitted their profiles before the said date and time were invited to apply for permanent residence.

The February 20 draw happened after a three-week gap from the previous draw that was held on January 30. This comparatively longer time gap between the two draws might be the reason for the increase in the CRS score requirement in the latest draw. In the previous draw, the minimum CRS requirement was 438. A longer time gap means more candidates would have got time to submit their profiles to the Express Entry pool.

It is expected that Canada will be inviting an increasing number of Express Entry candidates over the next few years, with the CRS score requirements remaining low. As per the updated Immigration Levels Plan of Canada for 2019-2021, a total of 256,000 new permanent residents will be admitted to Canada through the three economic immigration programs managed by Express Entry– Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Class. Another 200,000 or so new permanent residents will be admitted through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) during the plan period. The Express Entry candidates who receive provincial nomination will obtain 600 additional CRS score points that would guarantee an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent Express Entry draws.

Minimum CRS requirements in the Express Entry draws held this year:

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