Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has conducted a new type of Express Entry draw, with two separate Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off thresholds for Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) candidates and provincial nominees, respectively.
The CRS cut-off threshold of 199 for FSTC candidates is the lowest ever by some margin, and the threshold of 775 for provincial nominees means that candidates with a core CRS score as low as 175 received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) this time around.
The core CRS score indicates a candidate’s score without the additional points for a provincial nomination, a qualifying job offer, or post-secondary education in Canada. Candidates who obtain an enhanced provincial nomination are awarded 600 additional CRS points, and provincial nomination is now the single most valuable factor within the CRS.
In the May 26 draw, a total of 400 FTSC candidates, and a total of 143 candidates who had received a nomination through an Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream, received an ITA.
