This is the fifth Express Entry round of invitations for December 2023, with a pause in November 2023.
An Express Entry draw targeting 10 trade occupations issued 1,000 invitations to apply for permanent residency today.
Following over a month without a draw, Canada held its fifth Express Entry draw of the month on December 19, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 425 points.
The draw had the objective of issuing 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for trade occupations.
Description
December 19
December 18
Draw type
Targeted for 10 Trade occupations
General or all program draws
Invitations
1,000
1,325
CRS Cutoff
425
542
We would be happy to assist you with moving to Canada if you are a candidate who meets the requirements for one of the 82 occupations that Canada has listed for occupation-specific Express Entry drawings. CLICK HERE
5,900 invitations to apply for permanent residency (PR) were sent out by the IRCC in the second STEM-targeted Express Entry draw, which was held on July 5, 2023. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cutoff was 481, targeting 24 STEM occupations, which is a 5-point decrease from the first STEM Express Entry draw.
The most anticipated announcements for international students, as we reported on December 1, 2023, regarding the full-time work policy for students in Canada as well as the Post-Graduation Work Permit—PGWP Extension 2024 policy, were made today by Immigration Minister Marc Miller for both prospective study permit applicants and foreign students already residing in Canada.
Updates from the IRCC for International Students:
1. There will be no PGWP extension in 2024;
A temporary program to grant post-graduation work permit holders an additional 18-month work permit once their initial work permit expired was enacted three times in response to labor market challenges during the pandemic and the post-pandemic recovery.
This policy will not be continued in future. Under the PGWP extension 2023 policy, foreign nationals with post-graduation employment permits that expire before December 31, 2023, may still apply for an extension.
2. There will be a probable cap on the number of international students arriving after fall of 2024;
The minister also declared that they anticipate that educational establishments will only take as many students as they can accommodate, including accommodation.
this indicates that there will be cap in future for incoming foreign students.
3. The full-time work policy for international students will be extended;
As of December 7, 2023, international students who are already in Canada and those who have already applied for a study permit will be allowed to work more than 20 hours per week off campus.
This extension of the exemption from the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours overseas students may work off campus while classes are in session will last until April 30, 2024.
4. Distance learning measures will be extended;
The provision that permits international students to apply time spent studying online toward the duration of a future post-graduation work permit provided that the time spent studying online accounts for less than 50% of the program of study will remain in effect for students who start their study program before September 1, 2024. Students who start their study program on or after that date will not be subject to this provision.
5. Financial requirements for upcoming study permit applicants is doubled.
In order to guarantee that international students are financially prepared for life in Canada, the minister announced that the cost-of-living financial criterion for study permit applicants will be doubled starting January 1, 2024.
Currently, study permit applicants must demonstrate their cost-of-living primarily with a $10,000 GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate).
This requirement will now be more than doubled to $20,635, effective for any new study permit applicants after January 1, 2024.
Ontario Employer Job Offer Foreign Worker stream: Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP) 13 candidates invited Ontario Employer Job Offer In-Demand Skills stream: general occupations invited if they had a score of 30 and above.
Candidates only received an invitation if they had a score of 34 and above, and a job offer in one of the national occupational codes (NOC) below:
NOC 22212 – Drafting technologists and technicians NOC 22301 – Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians NOC 22302 – Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians NOC 22311 – Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment) NOC 22312 – Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics NOC 70010 – Construction managers NOC 70011 – Home building and renovation managers NOC 70012 – Facility operation and maintenance managers NOC 72010 – Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations NOC 72011 – Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations NOC 72012 – Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades NOC 72013 – Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades NOC 72014 – Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers NOC 72020 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades NOC 72021 – Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews NOC 72022 – Supervisors, printing and related occupations NOC 72024 – Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators NOC 72100 – Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors NOC 72101 – Tool and die makers NOC 72102 – Sheet metal workers NOC 72103 – Boilermakers NOC 72104 – Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters NOC 72105 – Ironworkers NOC 72106 – Welders and related machine operators NOC 72200 – Electricians (except industrial and power system) NOC 72201 – Industrial electricians NOC 72203 – Electrical power line and cable workers NOC 72204 – Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers NOC 72205 – Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians NOC 72300 – Plumbers NOC 72301 – Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers NOC 72302 – Gas fitters NOC 72310 – Carpenters NOC 72311 – Cabinetmakers NOC 72320 – Bricklayers NOC 72321 – Insulators NOC 72400 – Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics NOC 72401 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics NOC 72402 – Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics NOC 72403 – Railway carmen/women NOC 72404 – Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors NOC 72406 – Elevator constructors and mechanics NOC 72410 – Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers NOC 72422 – Electrical mechanics NOC 72423 – Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics NOC 72500 – Crane operators NOC 73100 – Concrete finishers NOC 73101 – Tilesetters NOC 73102 – Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers NOC 73110 – Roofers and shinglers NOC 73111 – Glaziers NOC 73112 – Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) NOC 73113 – Floor covering installers NOC 73200 – Residential and commercial installers and servicers NOC 73201 – General building maintenance workers and building superintendents NOC 73202 – Pest controllers and fumigators NOC 73209 – Other repairers and servicers NOC 73400 – Heavy equipment operators NOC 73402 – Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction NOC 82031 – Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services NOC 92100 – Power engineers and power systems operators Health occupations Candidates only received an invitation if they had a score of 43 and above, and a job offer in one of the national occupational codes (NOC) below:
NOC 30010 – Managers in health care NOC 31100 – Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine NOC 31103 – Veterinarians NOC 31110 – Dentists NOC 31111 – Optometrists NOC 31112 – Audiologists and speech-language pathologists NOC 31120 – Pharmacists NOC 31121 – Dietitians and nutritionists NOC 31201 – Chiropractors NOC 31202 – Physiotherapists NOC 31203 – Occupational therapists NOC 31204 – Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment NOC 31209 – Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating NOC 31300 – Nursing coordinators and supervisors NOC 31301 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses NOC 31302 – Nurse practitioners NOC 31303 – Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals NOC 32100 – Opticians NOC 32101 – Licensed practical nurses NOC 32102 – Paramedical occupations NOC 32103 – Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists NOC 32104 – Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians NOC 32109 – Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment NOC 32110 – Denturists NOC 32111 – Dental hygienists and dental therapists NOC 32112 – Dental technologists and technicians NOC 32120 – Medical laboratory technologists NOC 32121 – Medical radiation technologists NOC 32122 – Medical sonographers NOC 32123 – Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists NOC 32124 – Pharmacy technicians NOC 32129 – Other medical technologists and technicians NOC 32200 – Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists NOC 32201 – Massage therapists NOC 32209 – Other practitioners of natural healing NOC 33100 – Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants NOC 33101 – Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates NOC 33103 – Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants NOC 33109 – Other assisting occupations in support of health services Tech occupations Candidates only received an invitation if they had a score of 43 and above, and a job offer in one of the national occupational codes (NOC) below:
NOC 20012 – Computer and information systems managers NOC 21211 – Data Scientists NOC 21220 – Cybersecurity specialists NOC 21221 – Business system analysts NOC 21222 – Information systems specialists NOC 21223 – Database analysts and data administrators NOC 21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers NOC 21231 – Software engineers and designers NOC 21232 – Software developers and programmers NOC 21233 – Web designers NOC 21234 – Web developers and programmers NOC 21311 – Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) NOC 22220 – Computer network technicians NOC 22221 – User support technicians NOC 22222 – Information systems testing technicians
In the latest Express Entry draw, candidates were invited by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
In an all-program draw, 4,750 invitations to apply (ITAs) were sent out by the department. To be eligible for consideration, candidates needed to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 561.
In the most recent draw, 3,600 candidates were issued ITAs on October 26 in a category-based selection draw for healthcare occupations. Candidates had to have a minimum CRS score of 431.
On November 14, the IRCC tweeted that some applicants were having trouble using the Express Entry Profile Builder and are unable to submit their application.
On November 16, the department followed up with a tweet saying the issue has been resolved. It is unclear what caused the extended pause in draws.
