Although the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its usual Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw on May 13th, the administration issued unexpected invitations to 1,842 candidates on May 20th.

The minimum score for the newest CEC draw is 397, four points less than the last round.

Despite fluctuations in the recent CEC draws, the scores overall present an obvious downward trend.

Since the 187th round of invitation, most people claimed that IRCC would not set its benchmark below 400. However, this unusual draw has indirectly proved IRCC’s leniency on immigration policies.

In February, CEC draw score reached a historical low of 75 points. Since then, many candidates have been asking: “Will a similar situation occur in the near future?” Let’s view some statistics:

• According to the newest data per May 17th: The total number of candidates in the Express Entry (EE) is 166,787. Over a third of them falls in the range of 351-400 points
• IRCC devised an intake of 105,500 new immigrants in 2021 under the Federal Skilled Workers/Traders (FSW and FWT) and CEC categories. IRCC will raise the caps according to applicants’ scores.
• Current May data shows that IRCC has issued invitations to 68,317 candidates, surpassing half of the designated seats.

While CEC draw scores continuous to fall, the number of candidates cease to halt. Lenient bars inevitably cause more competitions. Considering the current situation, we suggest those who have all their required documents to enter the EE candidates pool. Although some may worry that their CRS scores may be too low, keep in mind that those can still be raised after one enters the pool.In light of lower CEC draw scores, the hopes for another “amnesty” are high.