Maple News reports that Canada conducted its largest-ever Express Entry draw on November 18, 2020, issuing 5,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence. This milestone marks a significant push by the Canadian government to meet its ambitious immigration targets for the year.
To receive an ITA in this draw, candidates needed a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 472. In the event of a tie, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied its usual tie-breaking rule, meaning only those who submitted their Express Entry profiles before October 27, 2020, at 06:18:11 UTC were considered.
Express Entry is Canada’s primary application management system for economic-class immigration streams, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. Some candidates in the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) also go through the Express Entry system.
Candidates are scored using the CRS, which evaluates human capital factors such as age, education, work experience, and language proficiency in English or French. Only the top-ranking candidates receive ITAs during each draw.
So far in 2020, Canada has issued a total of 92,350 ITAs—more than any previous year since the Express Entry system launched in 2015. This surge comes even as global immigration dynamics have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring Canada’s continued commitment to attracting high-skilled talent.
The CRS cutoff for all-program draws has typically stayed above 470 in 2020. However, targeted draws, such as those for trades workers or Canadian Experience Class applicants, have seen lower cutoffs in the 440s or even 415, enabling a broader pool of candidates to qualify. Conversely, PNP-focused draws often require higher CRS scores due to the automatic 600-point bonus for individuals nominated by a province.
As Canada aims to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants annually in the coming years, these record-breaking draws highlight an ongoing and escalating demand for skilled newcomers.
Maple News will continue to provide the latest updates on Express Entry rounds and Canadian immigration policy shifts.