Canada immigration is off to an auspicious start this 2021, kicking off the year with an Express Entry draw on January 6, quickly followed by another, bigger Express Entry draw on January 7.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began the new year by sending out invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residency to 250 candidates with provincial nominations. Candidates who received an ITA for the very first draw of 2021 all held Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of at least 813.
The second draw released their results on January 8, after inviting 4,750 candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category. Candidates in this category were required to have a minimum CRS score of 461 points, far lower than the previous draw’s minimum.
The higher minimum score is likely due to the first draw specifically targeting provincial nominees, as Express Entry candidates who have received a provincial nomination are automatically awarded an additional 600 points to their CRS score.
With these first two draws, there is some speculation that the IRCC may return to holding CEC and PNP-specific draws. As candidates in these categories are more likely to have settled in Canada and would not be hampered by travel restrictions, the IRCC initially conducted draws targeting them in the early months of the pandemic.
However, it is still too soon to tell.
The federal Express Entry system manages Canada’s pool of economic-class immigration candidates. Under the Express Entry system, interested applicants may apply for the following economic-class migration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class.
Once an applicant has submitted their profile into the system, they are then ranked and given a score based on a number of human capital factors, such as age, education, work experience, language skills, and others. This is how candidates obtain their CRS scores.
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