The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score dropped to 332 as Canada conducted its first program-specific Express Entry draw of 2019.
The May 15 draw was aimed exclusively at candidates for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, issuing Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to 500 candidates.
Canada has conducted program-specific draws at a rate of two per year since 2017. In three of the four previous instances, Skilled Trades draws have been paired with draws aimed only at provincial nominee programs.
The previous Federal Skilled Trades Program draw took place on September 24, 2018, with 400 ITAs issued and a minimum CRS score of 284.
Program-specific draws give a chance for candidates with lower scores who would not receive invites in all-program draws.
Canada has now issued 31,750 ITAs in 2019, against a high-skilled immigration target of 81,400.
IRCC broke the record for annual Express Entry ITAs in 2018 with 89,800.
The draw saw the tie-breaking rule implemented on August 29, 2018 at 4.32am EST. If more than one candidate had the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles.
This was the 10th round of invitations under Express Entry in 2019 and 117th overall.
Read More
Canada Adds 100,000 Jobs As Quebec Unemployment Drops Below 5%
Canada Invites 3,350 With Minimum Score of 450 In New Express Entry Draw
Major New Survey Says Canadians Remain Positive Towards Immigration