BackExpress Entry 2023: CRS scores rise sharply even as Canada issues record 5,500 invites. Check new cut-off, other details
The CRS cut-off score in the latest Express Entry draw was 507, which is significantly high compared to 491 in November.
PremiumCanada on Wednesday held its first Express Entry draw of the year, also the first one since 23 November, 2022. In this round, the CRS cut-off score rose sharply to 507 even as a record number of 5,500 ITAs were issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). And, the sharp jump in the CRS cut-off scores might delay the immigration process for many in the Express Entry pool.
The last draw that happened in November saw the lowest minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score at 491. Since the Express Entry draws resumed in July 2022, the cut-off score has been decreasing consistently.
Why CRS cut-off increased again?
The latest Express Entry draw came after one and a half months and that is probably the reason for the sharp increase in the CRS cut-off score.
In comparison to last year's draws, there was a significant rise in the number of invitations in Wednesday's Express Entry draw. There were 750 additional invitations over the November 23 draw, when a total of 4,750 candidates received the invitations.
In 2022, the total ITAs for all-program draws, which began in July and spanned the rest of the year, was 35,750.
Express Entry 2023: More changes this year
In the coming months, the Express Entry draw is likely to see some major changes and a few of them were already introduced in the second half of 2022.
In November 2023, IRCC implemented NOC 2021, an updated take on NOC 2016. The National Occupation Classification (NOC) system determines a candidate’s profession and skill level in the Express Entry pool.
IRCC moved from categorizing skills as 0-D level to a system based on training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER). The new TEER system has revised NOC 2016’s skill levels 0-E and created an equivalent five TEERS. Under NOC 2021, 16 new occupations are now eligible to apply for economic immigration programs managed by Express Entry, such as the FSWP or CEC, as per a report in CIC news.
Candidates who have a profile already submitted to the IRCC Express Entry pool were invited to switch their NOCs to the new NOC 2021 independently. The update must be done for each position (job) included in their IRCC profile. Failure to do so will disqualify candidates from receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA), the report also says.
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