IRCC invites candidates in first ever category-based Express Entry draw for agriculture and agri-food occupations
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 600 invitations to apply (ITAs) in the first ever category-based Express Entry draw for agriculture and agri-food occupations.
Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 354.
IRCC says focusing on candidates with experience in the agriculture and agri-food sector—including agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors, and retail and wholesale butchers—will help the sector attract the skilled talent it needs across the country.
Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry exported nearly $92.8 billion in agriculture and food products globally in 2022.
Today’s draw is the third Express Entry draw of the week. Yesterday, September 27, saw 500 candidates with a minimum CRS of 472 invited from the French-speaking proficiency category.
On September 26, 3,000 candidates were invited in an all-program draw with a minimum CRS of 504.
Summary of Express Entry draw results since June 2023
| Date | Draw Type | Number of ITAs | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 8 | STEM occupations | 5,900 | 481 |
| Dec 7 | French language proficiency | 1,000 | 470 |
| Dec 6 | All-program | 4,750 | 561 |
| Oct 26 | Healthcare occupations | 3,600 | 431 |
| Oct 25 | French language proficiency | 300 | 486 |
| Oct 24 | PNP-only | 1,548 | 776 |
| Oct 10 | All-program | 3,725 | 500 |
| Sept 28 | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 600 | 354 |
| Sept 27 | French language proficiency | 500 | 472 |
| Sept 26 | All-program | 3,000 | 504 |
| Sept 20 | Transport occupations | 1,000 | 435 |
| Sept 19 | All-program | 3,200 | 531 |
| Aug 15 | All-program | 4,300 | 496 |
| Aug 3 | Trade occupations | 1,500 | 388 |
| Aug 2 | French language proficiency | 800 | 435 |
| Aug 1 | All-program | 2,000 | 517 |
| July 12 | French language proficiency | 3,800 | 375 |
| July 11 | All-program | 800 | 505 |
| July 7 | French language proficiency | 2,300 | 439 |
| July 6 | Healthcare occupations | 1500 | 463 |
| July 5 | STEM occupations | 500 | 486 |
| July 4 | All-program | 700 | 511 |
| June 28 | Healthcare occupations | 500 | 476 |
| June 27 | All-program | 4,300 | 486 |
| June 8 | All-program | 4,800 | 486 |
What is category-based selection
In May this year, IRCC announced that it would begin holding some draws for Express Entry candidates based on one specific attribute rather than their overall CRS score.
The introduction of categories was expected to take place this year following a change to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in 2022 that gives the immigration minister the authority to select Express Entry candidates who are likely to help Canada meet its mandate to strengthen the economy and promote the French language outside of Quebec.
To that end, six new categories were created for in-demand occupations and newcomers with strong French-language abilities. The five occupation-based categories are:
• Healthcare;
• STEM professions;
• Trades;
• Transport; and
• Agriculture and agri-food
Since the first category-based draw for healthcare workers on June 28, IRCC has held draws in each of these categories except for Agriculture and agri-food. The highest number of category based ITAs (6,900) have been issued to candidates with strong abilities in French.
Those who wish to immigrate to Canada through category-based selection must be in the Express Entry pool and meet a minimum CRS score.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an application management system for economic immigration candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Each of these programs uses the Comprehensive Ranking System to evaluate and rank candidates according to specific human capital factors such as work experience, occupation, education, age, and language ability. Each attribute has a specific point value and the candidates who obtain the highest overall scores are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply in an upcoming Express Entry draw.
Eligibility for Express Entry depends on the program. For example, the FSWP and the FSTP program have different minimum Canadian Language Benchmark requires and while the FSTP and FSWP require a minimum amount of settlement funds, the CEC does not require that candidates have them.