Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held two consecutive Express Entry draws in a single week, inviting a total of 6,266 economic immigration candidates to apply for permanent residency.
Last April 14, the IRCC held a draw inviting 266 candidates from the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), followed by the second-largest draw in Express Entry history on April 16, inviting 6,000 candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category.
With these draws, Canada continues to prioritize Express Entry applicants who are already settled into the country, as it is easier and faster to process their permanent residency applications and meet this year’s Immigration Levels goals. As of February, Canada has invited a total of 48,040 new permanent residents in the first two months of 2021.
Candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program
For the April 14 draw, a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 753 points, which is higher than the average for Express Entry draws. This is because candidates who successfully obtain a provincial nomination are automatically awarded an additional 600 points to their CRS scores. Prior to obtaining their provincial nominations, candidates for this draw had scores as low as 153 points.
A tie-break rule was applied to this draw. Candidates had to submit their application before March 01, 2021 at 15:22:18 UTC in order to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
Candidates in the Canadian Experience Class
For the April 16 draw, candidates in the Canadian Experience Class needed a CRS score of at least 417 points in order to receive an ITA for permanent residency. With 6,000 CEC candidates invited, this was the second-largest draw in Express Entry history, a far cry from the record-breaking draw on February 13 that sent out 27,332 ITAs. This draw was also notable for taking place on a Friday, as the IRCC usually holds their draws earlier in the week to allow candidates to begin gathering requirements for their application as early as possible.
A tie-break rule was also applied to this draw, with the cut-off on March 1, 2021 at 19:53:46 UTC. As of this draw, Canada has sent out a total of 55,390 ITAs for permanent residency this year.
In a statement from Atty. David Cohen of Campbell Cohen, he remarked on the IRCC’s commitment to realizing the 2021 Immigration Levels targets. “IRCC continues to work overtime in 2021. This late-Friday draw shows just how committed they are to achieving their 401,000 newcomer target this year in support of Canada’s economic growth.”
About the Express Entry System
Canada created the federal Express Entry system in 1995 in order to manage the growing number of economic immigration candidates, who can choose to apply to any of the following economic-class migration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP); the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC); in order to qualify for permanent residency.
Applicants who are able to successfully register a profile in the system are then given a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, a ranking based on a number of human capital factors, such as age, education, work experience, language skills, and more.
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