May 12th, 2024 at 04:22 am

Canada Immigration Update: Why No Express Entry Draw?

Recently, candidates waiting impatiently for Canadian Express Entry draws have observed a noticeable lack of these invites. The lack of draws has provoked conjecture and anxiety in both immigration advocates and potential immigrants.

In this blog, we examine the potential causes of the Hiatus and Express Entry drawings and the several variables that could be affecting this pattern. We hope to shed light on the current status of Canada’s immigration system and its implications for prospective immigrants by investigating these possible causes.

Why No Express Entry Draw: Exploring the Possible Reasons

Given that the Express Entry system is crucial to Canada’s process of selecting qualified workers for permanent residency, it is imperative to investigate the reasons behind its nonexistence. A key element of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) online points-based system for assessing skilled immigrant applicants’ applications is Express Entry, which is based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

The pool of eligible candidates anxiously awaits the next rounds of invites, which are typically held every two weeks. However, it is disheartening when the IRCC cancels a draw due to a “No Express Entry Draw.” Stakeholders are attempting to determine why there was no draw this week and how this might impact invitation rounds for immigration in the future.

Let’s examine the potential causes of this week’s Express Entry draw and what to anticipate moving forward.

Express Entry Draw Frequency

Every two weeks, the Canadian Immigration Department (IRCC) sends out invitations to the top-ranked applicants to apply for permanent residence. The type of drawing, whether general or category-based and the quantity of invitations sent out depend on several variables.

Although there was a lack of draws in 2023, the IRCC has been holding these selections nearly every two weeks since the first round of invitations on January 10, 2024. We may say that in 2024, this is what will happen for the first time. Although the IRCC has not disclosed the rationale for skipping this draw, the following are some potential explanations:

Possible Reasons for No Express Entry Draw this Week

New proof of funds requirement

The increased proof-of-money requirement is one reason we can conjecture about why there won’t be a draw this week. On May 6, the IRCC revised the proof of funds criterion for Express Entry candidates. Candidates in the pool have until May 27 to update their profiles to remain eligible.

Therefore, if this is the real reason why there won’t be an Express Entry draw this week, it’s possible that we won’t see another round of invites until May 28. However, it should be noted that since the proof-of-money criterion is modified annually, this cannot be the cause of this week’s draw’s absence.

Yes, that is accurate. The proof of funds is updated yearly, and although there hasn’t been any skipping of draws due to it in the past, there may have been a technical issue with how it was implemented. Given the IRCC’s history of technological difficulties, if this is the primary cause, draws might resume next week around May 14, or a bi-weekly schedule could be announced around May 21.

Increase in IRCC’s processing inventory

An increase in the number of applications the IRCC is processing after invitations to apply could be another factor. The biweekly rounds of invitations have previously been stopped for general operational reasons, and the IRCC is not required to provide a rationale for any brief interruptions.

As of March 31, there had been an almost 6.5% rise in new applications for permanent residence within service standards, some of which were attributed to Express Entry, according to the most current IRCC backlog update. The processing inventory was increased in April when the IRCC released 9,275 more Invitations to Apply in four Express Entry draws.

This may also be the rationale behind the IRCC’s desire to reduce the current inventory rather than extend invitations and run the danger of adding to the backlog.

Express Entry Next Draw Prediction

Whatever the cause, missing this week’s draw will undoubtedly affect the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cutoff in the subsequent invitation rounds—that is unless the IRCC issues a significant number of invites in the next few weeks.

In general draws, we can anticipate a return to the 540+ levels of the CRS cutoff score. In a similar vein, it is anticipated that the cutoff score for category-based drawings would rise in comparison to earlier invitation rounds of a similar nature.

Conclusion

The lack of Express Entry opportunities in Canada has sparked doubts and anxieties among the immigration community. Although there could be several causes for this hiatus, variables including policy changes, backlogs in processing, and shifting immigration targets probably play a big part.

Applicants should be proactive and educated while they wait for more developments, staying current on updates from Canadian immigration authorities. People can more skillfully navigate the immigration process and control expectations regarding their prospects for immigration to Canada by being aware of the possible causes for the lack of an Express Entry draw.