Express Entry draw figures for March 26, 2018 are below.

The sixth Express Entry draw for permanent residency candidates in 2018 has taken place, to the surprise of many who were not expecting a draw early on a Monday morning. The latest draw, held on March 26, resulted in a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off threshold of 446 points, representing a decrease of 10 points from the previous draw, which took place on March 14.

The gap of 12 days between the two most recent draws was shorter than usual, as typically draws have taken place on Wednesdays, and typically there is a gap of 14 days between draws (however, there was a gap of 21 days between the fourth and fifth draws of the year, which took place on February 21 and March 14, respectively). The variance in gaps between draws is likely to have been a contributing factor to the reduction in the CRS cut-off threshold this time around.

In total, 3,000 candidates will receive an invitation to apply (ITA) following this latest draw. As in recent draws, a tie-break is being applied. As multiple candidates may have 446 CRS points, those who have had a profile in the pool longer are prioritized. Specifically, candidates with 446 CRS points who created their profile before February 23, 2018 at 08:06:19 UTC were invited in this latest draw.

On November 1 last, the government revealed its Canada Immigration Plan for 2018-2020. It outlined Canada’s commitment to increase the numbers accepted through the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Class to around 250,000 over the next three years, with another 184,000 or so new permanent residents to settle through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) before the end of 2020.

More invitations are expected to be issued over the coming weeks, months, and years, benefiting individuals and families around the world wishing to make Canada their new permanent home.

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The Comprehensive Ranking System is a score out of 1,200 used to benchmark federal economic applicants against one another.

It’s a part of the Express Entry mechanism, which was established in January 2015 to process residency applications.

The score is used as a cut-off point in Express Entry draws. It is designed to project a candidate’s likelihood of being economically successful in Canada.

To enter the pool, candidates must be eligible under either the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades Class.

Candidates who obtain a provincial nomination through one of the Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams receive 600 additional CRS points and an ITA at a subsequent draw from the pool.

A single candidate can earn up to 260 points for high proficiency in English and French, while a couple can earn up to 270 points. Moving2Canada readers can now avail of a seven-day free trial of online language tutorials. Simply select to Learn English or Learn French and complete the online form.

The March 26 Express Entry draw is the 86th since the Express Entry system came into operation.

CRS cutoff records

• Lowest CRS points cutoff in any Express Entry draw: 413 (all programs), 199 (FSTC)
• Highest CRS points cutoff in any Express Entry draw: 886

Express Entry draw list: 2018

• Lowest CRS points cutoff in a 2018 Express Entry draw: 442
• Highest CRS points cutoff in a 2018 Express Entry draw: 446

Express Entry draw list: 2017

• Lowest CRS points cutoff in a 2017 Express Entry draw: 413 (all programs), 199 (FSTC)
• Highest CRS points cutoff in a 2017 Express Entry draw: 468 (all programs), 775 (PNP)

Express Entry draw list: 2016

• Lowest CRS points cutoff in a 2016 Express Entry draw: 453
• Highest CRS points cutoff in a 2016 Express Entry draw: 786

Express Entry draw list: 2015

• Lowest CRS points cutoff in a 2015 Express Entry draw: 450
• Highest CRS points cutoff in a 2015 Express Entry draw: 886