Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not hold its scheduled Express Entry draw this week due to recent changes in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scoring criteria. This pause allows IRCC to update the CRS scores for all profiles in the Express Entry pool in line with the newly announced enhancements.
On Tuesday, IRCC introduced additional points within its Express Entry system for French-speaking candidates. As a result, eligible French-speaking applicants can now receive up to 30 more CRS points—a strategic shift aimed at promoting Canada’s bilingualism and attracting more francophone immigrants, especially to regions outside Quebec.
The federal immigration department explained that updating CRS scores across thousands of candidate profiles could take up to two weeks. Until these updates are implemented, new draws are temporarily on hold. However, IRCC has emphasized that this delay is not related to COVID-19 or operational disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Under Canada’s Express Entry system, skilled immigration candidates are ranked using the CRS, which evaluates factors such as age, education, work experience, and proficiency in English or French. Every two weeks, typically on Wednesdays, IRCC conducts rounds of invitations, inviting the highest-ranking applicants to apply for permanent residence.
The most recent Express Entry draw occurred on October 14, and it set a record by inviting 4,500 candidates to apply—the largest draw to date. With the next draw originally expected on October 28, many immigration candidates were left speculating about the unannounced delay.
For aspirants, this brief pause offers additional time to enhance their profiles, especially for those with French-language skills who stand to benefit from the updated point allocation. Once the system-wide CRS score updates are finalized, IRCC is expected to resume its standard bi-weekly draw schedule.
This adjustment reflects Canada’s ongoing efforts to fine-tune its immigration policies to support linguistic diversity and meet labor market needs. Maple News will continue to monitor and report on developments in the Express Entry system.