Canada’s Express Entry Pool Drops by 3,594 Profiles

Canada’s Express Entry pool declined by 3,594 profiles between July 5 and July 19, according to the latest figures published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

The total number of candidates fell from 235,127 to 231,533 during the two-week period. Nearly every Comprehensive Ranking System score range above 420 became smaller.

The number of candidates with scores above 500 also dropped. There were 18,644 profiles in the 501-to-1,200 range on July 19, compared with 19,136 on July 5.

Largest Declines Seen Between 421 and 470

The biggest decrease occurred in the 421-to-430 range, which lost 909 candidates and fell to 11,961 profiles.

The 431-to-440 range declined by 690 candidates, while the 441-to-450 group lost 614. The number of profiles scoring between 451 and 460 dropped by 499, and the 461-to-470 range declined by 413.

The 501-to-600 band fell by 478 profiles to 18,133. The highest band, covering scores between 601 and 1,200, declined by 14 to 511 candidates.

Some lower and middle score ranges grew slightly. The number of candidates scoring between 401 and 410 increased by 195, while the 411-to-420 band added 77 profiles.

The 351-to-400 range grew by 11 candidates, and the 481-to-490 group increased by 60.

Four Draws Issued 8,034 Invitations

IRCC held four Express Entry invitation rounds between July 5 and July 19, issuing a combined 8,034 invitations to apply for permanent residence.

A Provincial Nominee Program draw on July 6 invited 534 candidates with scores of at least 708. The following day, IRCC issued 2,000 invitations through the Canadian Experience Class, with a minimum score of 517.

A French-language proficiency draw on July 9 invited 5,000 candidates and had a cutoff score of 420. On July 10, another 500 invitations went to senior managers with Canadian work experience, with a minimum score of 392.

These draws helped reduce the pool, although new profiles, expired profiles and score changes also affect its overall size.

Later Draws Not Included

The July 19 distribution does not reflect two invitation rounds held afterward.

IRCC invited 511 Provincial Nominee Program candidates on July 20, with a cutoff score of 744. A Canadian Experience Class draw on July 21 issued another 2,000 invitations, with a minimum score of 516.

How Competitive Is the Pool?

Candidates scoring between 501 and 600 were within approximately the top eight per cent of the pool on July 19. Only 0.22 per cent of candidates had scores above 600.

A score between 471 and 480 placed a candidate around the 74th to 81st percentile. Meanwhile, candidates scoring between 451 and 460 were around the 61st to 67th percentile.

Express Entry manages applications for the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program. IRCC ranks eligible candidates using points for factors such as age, education, language ability and work experience.