Express Entry draws paused while IRCC rescores the pool

Express Entry invitation rounds are on hold while Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada recalculates the scores of every profile in the pool under the new Comprehensive Ranking System, a process the department said could take up to two weeks from Nov. 3.

IRCC said on its Express Entry changes page that the system will recalculate points in existing profiles when the changes take effect. “During this time we’ll pause invitation rounds and will start again when it’s complete,” the page said. The department has not given a restart date.

The pause follows the CRS changes that took effect Nov. 3, which tie points to Canadian work experience and job offers in high-wage occupations and drop the labour market impact assessment requirement for job-offer points. We explained those changes in our earlier story on the new points for high-wage jobs.

In its Oct. 16 news release, IRCC said candidates already in the pool would have their scores automatically recalculated under the new points system, and that the process “may take up to two weeks, during which invitation rounds will be paused.” Both IRCC pages were last updated Oct. 16, so they do not show whether the work is finished.

As of Nov. 11, Moving2Canada reported that IRCC had not yet announced a date for the next draw. The site said a restart could come in mid-to-late November, which is its own estimate and not an IRCC timeline. Our own coverage shows the most recent rounds, including a francophone draw and a transport occupations draw, were held in late October.

Candidates in the pool do not need to resubmit a profile to be rescored. Anyone unsure how the new points apply to their situation should check the official CRS criteria on the IRCC website or speak with a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer. Round results are posted on IRCC’s rounds of invitations page.

Provincial nominee draws run by provinces such as Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia are separate programs and are not covered by the federal pause.

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