3,900 Express Entry candidates have been invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 158th Express Entry draw on August 5th, 2020. Invitations were issued to candidates in all three of the economic immigration streams managed by the Express Entry system, including Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades (FST), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw was 476.
Draw Number: 158
Draw Date: August 5th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,900
Minimum CRS: 476
Program Specified: None
Tie-breaking rule: July 27th, 2020
Federal Skilled Workers, Federal Skilled Trades Invited
In the 158th Express Entry draw, the IRCC extended invitations to candidates across all three economic immigration streams under Express Entry. This was the second all-program draw since March 4th, 2020. With travel restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Canadian government had limited Express Entry draws to candidates already in Canada. Since then all draws that have taken place have been specific to candidates in either the Canadian Experience Class or Provincial Nominee Program.
This draw saw 3,900 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued to candidates with a CRS score of 476 points or higher, down two points from the last all-program draw.
We are glad to see that the IRCC is once again extending invitations to candidates outside of Canada. This is a strong sign that Canadian immigration is returning to normal. Earlier this year, the federal government pledged to welcome more than one million newcomers by 2021, and we are confident that this target can still be reached. We expect to see many invitations extended in the upcoming weeks in order to make up for the limitations imposed over the last few months.