699 PNP Candidates Invited in Fifth Express Entry Draw of 2023 by IRCC

On February 15, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the fifth Express Entry draw of 2023. A total of 699 candidates were invited, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 791. However, the draw was only applicable to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program, making it the second program-specific draw of the year.

The February 1 draw only invited candidates who had already received provincial nomination, while the February 2 draw was program-specific for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). This suggests that the draw pattern for 2023 has yet to be established.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic and in the latter half of 2022, Express Entry draws usually occurred every two weeks on Wednesday. However, there have been some significant changes in how draws are conducted this year. For instance, the January 11 draw took place after an unexpected six-pause, which IRCC implied was due to an IT system glitch caused by the implementation of NOC 2021.

The following draw occurred on January 18, only a week later, with the same number of ITAs issued as on January 11 but with a considerably lower CRS score.