Canada Immigration News Podcast #22 – CEC Express Entry Draw, New Visa Centres in Mexico, Latest IEC Invitations

Canada Immigration News Podcast

In this episode, we discuss the highly anticipated Express Entry draw focused on the Canadian Experience Class, Canada's plans to expand visa application services in Mexico, and the latest invitation rounds through the International Experience Canada (IEC) program.

Long-Awaited Canadian Experience Class Express Entry Draw

-On May 31, 2024, IRCC held first CEC-specific Express Entry draw since September 2021 - 3,000 Invitations to Apply issued - Minimum score requirement of 522 points - Tie-break rule applied to March 19, 2024 at 18:58:58 UTC - 224,404 active candidates across all EE pools as of May 29 - 41,955 total ITAs issued through Express Entry in 2024 so far

Canada Opening New Visa Application Centres in Mexico

- 3 additional VACs to open in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara by end of May - Will initially offer biometrics collection services only - Plans to expand to passport intake and document transmission - Will bring total to 4 VACs operating across Mexico's 3 largest cities - Aims to streamline visa application process for Mexican nationals - Foster stronger travel and people-to-people ties while maintaining screening integrity

Surge of New IEC Invitations Over Past 2 Weeks

- Between May 20 - June 2, IRCC issued 4,615 invitations under IEC program - As of June 2, over 34,000 candidates in IEC pool awaiting invite - Invitations issued to candidates from 28 partner countries - Top invited groups: 1,233 (South Korea), 859 (UK), 394 (France), 378 (Japan), 244 (Germany) - Smaller draws for countries like Luxembourg (1), Netherlands (1) - Brings Canada's 2024 total IEC invitations to 83,384 so far Stay tuned for continued coverage and analysis of the latest Canadian immigration news!