Express Entry Draw 253 | 700 Invited in All-Program Draw

Express Entry Draw 253

Date of Draw: July 4th, 2023

Number of Invitations Issued: 700

Minimum CRS: 511

Program Specified: Non-specified

Tie-breaking rule:July 01, 2023 09:31:32 UTC

Surprise All-Program Draw

Express Entry draw 253 issued 700 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) of 511. There was no program specified for the draw, meaning that invitations were issued to candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Today’s draw came as a bit of a surprise as the IRCC has already announced that there should be another healthcare targeted draw tomorrow, and a STEM targeted draw sometime this week.

Draw 253 was also uncharacteristic due to the much lower number of ITAs issued that previous all-program draws this year. This is also the highest CRS score of this year and is significantly higher than last weeks CRS score. Compared to the last all-program draw, draw 251, the CRS increased 25 points for todays draw.

Last week was the first category based draw for healthcare occupations. A total of 500 ITAs were issued in the first category basted draw. The IRCC also announced that they planned to hold another draw for healthcare workers tomorrow to invite an additional 1500 applicants.

Category-Based Draws

The first-ever category-based selection for Express Entry was announced last week. Category-based selections will allow Canada to issue invitations to apply (ITAs) to prospective applications with specific skills, training or language abilities. This will better allow for the selection of applicants with the most in-demand skills to be chosen to receive permanent residence.

This year, the focus will be on Express Entry Candidates who have a strong French-language proficiency or experience in one of the following fields:

• Healthcare
• Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
• Trades such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
• Transport
• Agriculture and agri-food

A full list of the 82 eligible professions and their eligibility can be found on the IRCC’s dedicated webpage.

To benefit, applicants must demonstrate that they have at least 6 months of work experience in the last 3 years in a qualifying occupation. Further information about individual categories and how to apply will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The IRCC will still continue to hold all-program draws like today’s draw, and program-specific draws as needed in addition to category-based draws.

What Is Express Entry and How Can I Apply?

Express Entry is a system used by the Canadian government to manage applications for Canadian permanent residency. Express Entry uses a point-based system, the CRS, to rank candidates’ profiles. The system manages three main programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW);
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST); and
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Applying to Express Entry is a two-step procedure. The first step is to submit your profile with the required documents. Required documents usually consist of language test results, educational credentials and passport or travel documentation.

After you submit a profile and receive an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence, you can submit your complete application for the IRCC to review. Your complete application should include supporting documents such as reference letters, additional identity documents, police clearance certificates, and results of a medical examination.

Interested in learning more about your options to enter the Express Entry pool? Complete our free online assessment form today!