The First Cut-off CRS Score for year 2018 is out by IRCC

Cut-off CRS score of 446 was recorded. In comparison to the first Express Entry draw of year 2017 this year 2018 draw has come out to be 22 points lower to a cut-off CRS score of 446.

The first draw took place on January 10, 2018 and saw the first cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 446 against which IRCC issued 2,750 ITA’s for Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence

The first score of 446 is the same cut-off CRS score as the last draw of year 2017 that took place on December 20. It has come out to be the lowest CRS cut-off for a first draw of the year since the Express Entry system came into effect in January 2015.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) again made use of the tie-break rule in this draw. The tie-break time and date was November 18, 2017, at 6:30:42 UTC.

It is expected that the first half off the year 2018 t be as busy as that same period in 2017. The first half-year of 2017 saw 16 draws and CRS cut-off scores that dropped from 468 in the first draw of the year all the way down to an unknown 413 in May.

Given Canada’s larger Express Entry targets for 2018 through 2020 Canada expects to welcome 1 million immigrants— not to mention its expanded Family Class and Provincial Nominee Program targets — it’s expected to be a busy year for Canadian immigration. In the three Express Entry economic immigration categories alone, Canada has increased its target admissions by 3,200 over 2017, which saw a number of Express Entry records set.

Not only did it post the lowest cut-off CRS scores to date,  but the 2017 saw 30 draws take place and a record total of 86,023 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued. That number represents 56 per cent of the 153,618 ITAs issued since Canada’s Express Entry system came into effect in January 2015.

With IRCC’s higher ITA targets for 2018, it’s expected that this will lead to more frequent draws from Express Entry pool in the coming year, or possibly even both. That could mean even lower cut-off CRS scores in the weeks and months to come.

The previous year started with a CRS cut-off score of 468 and scores went down to a record low of 413 at one point. This year is starting nearly 22 points lower than that first draw of 2017, which could mean even lower CRS records in 2018,” said Attorney David Cohen, senior partner with the Canadian immigration law firm Campbell, Cohen.

Overall, candidates score lower than First CRS cut-off 446 will not be issued an ITA and have to wait for another draw were as candidates with above the score of  446 meeting the criteria will be issued an ITA.