Express Entry Draw 245: Lowest CRS cut-off in 2 years!

IRCC continues to invite a large number of eligible applicants in the latest Express Entry draw 245 that was held on Wednesday 29th March, 2023. 

Express Entry Draw 245

Draw type: All program 

ITAs issued: 7000

CRS score cut-off: 481

Draw date: 29.03.2023

Draw day: Wednesday

Time of Draw: 13:44:01 UTC

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has conducted, yet another, all program draw, just six days after the surprise 244th all program draw. The Comprehensive Ranking System or CRS score for this round of invitations was 481, which was, three points lower than the previous cut-off. While the cut-off continues to decrease, the ITAs or Invitation to Apply remain constant at 7000 applicants.

This is, quite, an extremely hopeful news for all the aspiring immigrants as the Canadian government is, continuously, inviting a large number of applicants at a CRS cut-off that continues to become less competitive. Below is the complete list of all program draws in the year 2023.

Record breaking and Irregular draws: possible reasons

This year, we have witnessed, another, record breaking high ITAs and the lowest CRS cut-off in a very long time. However, at the same time, there have been many inconsistencies in the usual schedule of Express Entry draws. Generally, the draws are expected to be conducted every alternate Wednesday. However, IRCC seems to be conducting various unexpected draws recently. Interestingly, there also have been four targeted draws in 2023 out of which, three were exclusively for applicants with Provincial Nomination, while one was targeted for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). While there has been no official statement about these fluctuations, it can be due to the upcoming changes in the Express Entry system. The Bill C-19 is expected to improve Express Entry by conducting targeted draws that are more sensitive to the requirements of the Canadian workforce and economy. In future, even more applicants might become eligible for Canada immigration through Express Entry. 

What is an all program draw?

In an all program round of invitation, you will receive an ITA if your CRS score is equal to or higher than the cut-off. All the federal programs including Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Provincial Nominee Program are eligible for the ITAs. On the other hand, a targeted draw is one that requires you to be eligible for a targeted program. For example, a PNP targeted draw will issue ITAs exclusively to eligible profiles that have a provincial nomination from a Canadian province.