Canada sent out nearly 5,000 invitations to apply for permanent residency in two back-to-back Express Entry draws last week.
On July 21 and 22, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held two consecutive draws inviting Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates respectively.
Express Entry: PNP
A total of 462 candidates were invited through Express Entry-linked Provincial Nominee programs.
Candidates who were nominated through the PNP had a higher minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement, at 734 points. This is because candidates who have successfully received provincial nominations are awarded an additional 600 points to their total CRS score.
Prior to receiving their nomination, the lowest-scoring candidate for this round likely only had 134 points.
For this Express Entry draw, the IRCC established a cut-off rule. Only PNP candidates who were able to register a profile into the federal system before April 11, 2021 at 10:56:32 UTC were able to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
Express Entry: CEC
The remaining 4,500 were invited through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category.
For candidates in the Canadian Experience Class class, the minimum CRS requirement was comparatively lower, at 369 points. In contrast to PNP-focused draws, CEC draws tend to have much lower score requirements, averaging at the 400-mark.
This has allowed for some of the largest draw sizes in the history of the Express Entry program, from the historical 27,000 draw in March this year, to draw sizes averaging at 6,000 invited candidates.
A cut-off rule was also applied to this draw, inviting only candidates who were able to submit their profiles prior to February 14, 2021 at 09:04:15 UTC.
CEC and PNP Draws
Canada continues to focus on inviting candidates who are more likely to have already settled within their borders. While travel restrictions have begun to ease as vaccination continues, Canada still has yet to invite candidates in other economic immigration classes.
However, the IRCC does remain on track to achieving their goal of welcoming 108,000 permanent residents through the Express Entry program this 2021. At this point, they have already invited twice as many candidates as last year, with a total of 94,304 ITAs issued.
If you would like to learn more about Express Entry and other pathways to permanent residency, feel free to register for one of our private online discussions. Register to an orientation for free here.
Like and follow our Facebook page or join our LinkedIn community to get the latest updates on immigration news.
