Step 3: The employer submits, you enter the draw

RCIP pathway · Step 3 of 5 · Updated 2026-08-06· Compiled from CEDC's official pages and FAQ

In one line: your employer submits, and the pool is drawn on the last day of each month — 50 points is only the entry ticket; the recent average is 88.67.

Most of the work here is on the employer's side: they submit the recommendation application through CEDC's channel while you assemble the documents — language results, ECA, reference letters, statement of intent, proof of funds.

What the employer actually has to do

Knowing what they owe CEDC is how you keep the file moving — and how you spot a consultant cutting corners:

• Give you a completed Offer of Employment form — the official CEDC/IRCC form, not an ordinary offer letter.
• Complete and submit the recommendation application (one per candidate), confirming on the form that the role couldn't be filled by a citizen or permanent resident, that the job meets the pilot's requirements, and committing to provide settlement support.
• If you have been there less than 6 months: attach proof of local recruitment efforts (job ad postings and similar).
• Incomplete applications are not reviewed — go through the checklist with your employer before submission rather than losing a month to one missing page.

How the pool works

• 50 points to enter, and at least 10 in each of the five categories (job, experience, language, education, intent to settle) — miss one category and the application is disqualified.
• Draws run on the last day of each month, highest scores first, with ties broken by who submitted earlier — so don't sit on a complete file.
• An application stays in the pool for up to 6 months; after that it expires and has to be resubmitted.
• CEDC may schedule a formal interview to verify documents. First-come-first-served runs through the whole process.

What score is actually safe

50 points only gets you in. The recent draw average is 88.67 with a high of 116, and 205 recommendations were issued in 2026. Practically: aim for 90+, push language up half a band, and claim every local-connection point you legitimately have (volunteering, a lease, a spouse's local history). Test the lines in the points calculator, and compare against the official scoring grid PDF.

Compiled by the lakebbs editorial team from CEDC's official pages and the RCIP FAQ (as of July 2026). Informational navigation only, not immigration legal advice; policy changes frequently, so verify with the official sources before you act.