Express Entry draw figures for the November 27 draw are below.

In the November 27 Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada, 3,600 candidates will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off threshold was 471 points. This is an all-program draw, so candidates in any Express Entry-aligned program are eligible.

In the previous draw, which occurred on November 13, the CRS score cut-off threshold was 472 points.

The tie-breaking rule was applied for the November 27 draw, meaning that not all candidates with 471 points will receive an ITA. As multiple candidates have 471 points, those who submitted their Express Entry profile to the pool before November 11, 2019 at 6:29:10 UTC will be prioritized.

Why is the cut-off so high and will the CRS score cut-off decrease in future draws?

The CRS score cut-off spiked in October following a gap in all-program draws. In the October 30 draw, the cut-off hit a record high for the last year at 475 points. While the CRS score cut-off has still decreased in both the November 13 and November 27 draws, the current cut-off is still being affected by that gap in all-program draws last month.

With a longer period of time passing between draws, more candidates have the opportunity to enter the Express Entry pool and to increase their CRS scores. This results in a higher number of competitive profiles, therefore driving the CRS score cut-off upward.

Typically, the CRS score cut-off spikes immediately following a gap between all-program draws, so it is likely that cut-off will continue to decrease in future draws. However, there are a range of factors that may influence the CRS cut-off score, including:

The number of candidates invited; The frequency of draws; The number of new candidates entering the pool; and Changes in the CRS scores of existing candidates, whose scores may increase or decrease depending on their circumstances.

As of November 23, there were a total of 133,848 candidates in the Express Entry pool. The graph below shows their distribution according to their CRS score at that time.

CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of November 23, 2019

The following table shows the distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool five days before the latest Express Entry draw. The score distribution may change as people submit new profiles and other profiles expire.

Will Express Entry candidates with CRS scores below 450-470 be invited in the future?

There is every possibility that future Express Entry draws will result in candidates with scores below 450 points being invited to apply. As recently as January of this year, candidates with scores in the 430s were being invited, and IRCC has set an ambitious target to admit more economic immigrants through Express Entry programs in 2019 and over the next two years.

On October 31, 2018, the government of Canada revealed its updated Canada Immigration Levels Plan for 2019-2021. It outlined Canada’s commitment to increase the numbers accepted through the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Class to around 256,000 over the next three years, with another 200,000 or so new permanent residents to settle through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) before the end of 2021.

Many invited Express Entry candidates benefit from obtaining a provincial nomination through an Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream. You can get the latest updates on with PNP streams are open and available on our Canada PNP Live Tracker, which now includes a great tool to help you find the right PNP stream for you.

Moreover, changes to Express Entry have led to an increasing number of candidates who studied in Canada being invited to apply for permanent immigration to Canada. Those changes gave international students and graduates in Canada a points boost under the CRS, and you can learn more about studying in Canada here.

More invitations are expected to be issued over the coming weeks, months, and years, benefiting individuals and families around the world wishing to make Canada their new permanent home.