On August 19, Canada invited 600 candidates with provincial nominations to apply for Express Entry on the program’s 160th draw. Candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 771 were invited during this round. 

The cut-off score for this draw is the highest CRS score of 2020, as candidates who receive provincial nominations are automatically awarded 600 points to their CRS score. This means that candidates initially held CRS scores of 171 prior to receiving their provincial nomination. The higher cut-off score could also be due to the increasing number of candidates in the Express Entry pool.

This recent draw was the third round for the month of August to send out Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residency. The previous draw on August 6 focused on the Federal Skilled Trades Program and invited 250 candidates with CRS scores of 415. The draw prior to that was an all-program draw issuing 3,900 ITAs to candidates with minimum scores of 476. 

If Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues the trend of consecutive draws it began on March 18, we can expect Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw soon.

The August 19 draw marks the 27th draw of the year. The total number of ITAs issued this 2020 has now reached 62,450, setting a new record as Canada continues to work towards their immigraiton targets for the year

A tie-break rule was applied to this draw, inviting candidates with a score of at least 771 who entered their profiles on or before July 24, 2020 at 11:29:33 UTC to apply for permanent residency. 

Currently, the processing standard for permanent residence applications submitted to the Express Entry pool is six months. The Government of Canada has a processing standard of six months for permanent residence applications filed through the Express Entry system.

Are you qualified for Express Entry? Fill in our eligibility form for a free assessment to find out!