For Canadian permanent residence to candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System scores as low as 454. 

The Government of Canada has now issued 17,850 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) this year through the Express Entry system — an increase of 6,350 over the 11,500 ITAs that had been issued by this same juncture in 2018.

Last year ultimately saw Canada issue a record 89,800 ITAs, a milestone the federal government is expected to surpass this year given its higher admissions targets for the Express Entry-managed Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class economic immigration categories.

Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements for these categories are entered into the Express Entry pool where they issued a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score awarded for factors such as their age, education, work experience and proficiency in English or French.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada invite a set number of the highest-scoring candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws from the pool.

Today’s cutoff CRS score of 454 was a decrease of three points over the minimum score of 457 in the previous invitation round held on February 20.

The cutoff score reached 457 after a delay of three weeks between invitation rounds, and today’s decrease in 454 is likely due to the fact only two weeks elapsed between draws.

Less time between draws means the Express Entry pool has less time to replenish with higher-scoring candidates, which can have the effect of lowering the cutoff score.