Canada held another all-program draw on August 5, the second one to invite all Express Entry candidates since the beginning of the pandemic. With a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 476 to be invited, over 3,900 candidates were issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency during this latest round. 

For most of 2020, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 3,900 ITAs through Express Entry every other week. While the IRCC primarily focused on targeting candidates from the Candian Experience Class and Provincial Nominee Program for most of the pandemic, as of this round they have now held two all-program draws, signifying the beginning of recovery. 

It is likely that the IRCC will now be alternating between targeted and all-program draws, as after the last all-program draw on July 8, draws targeting the PNP and CEC programs were held in succession on July 22 and 23.

Despite the pandemic, the number of ITAs sent out has remained constant throughout the year, ensuring the IRCC remains on track to accomplish their goal of 85,800 ITAs for the year 2020. The year started off strong with a total of 6,900 ITAs issued in two draws during the month of January, followed by a record-breaking 4,500 invitations in February. Since March, when the pandemic began, the IRCC has issued close to 40,000 ITAs and held over 21 draws.

This latest draw is the 25th draw for the year 2020, bringing the total number of invitations issued this year to 61,600, much higher than at this same time in previous years. 

This current round of invitations had a minimum CRS cut-off score of 476, two points lower than the previous draw on July 8. This may be due to Federal Skilled Worker Program candidates being invited this round, as this draw was able to include candidates with higher CRS scores who would have already been invited earlier this year had it not been for the disruption the coronavirus pandemic has caused. 

Larger intervals between draws can affect the CRS score, as more candidates may enter a profile in the Express Entry system in the time between draws. Using the tie-break rule for this draw, IRCC issued an invitation to candidates with CRS scores 476 and above who were able to enter their profile in the Express Entry system on or before July 27, 01:02:47 UTC.

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