On February 10, Canada held an Express Entry draw inviting 654 candidates with provincial nominations (PNP) to apply for permanent residency.
The cut-off draw for this draw was fairly high, due to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) targeting PNP candidates. Provincial nominees with profiles in the federal Express Entry system automatically receive an additional 600 points to their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. This is why the minimum CRS score for this draw was at 720 points.
The federal Express Entry system was established in 1995 to manage Canada’s pool of economic immigration candidates. Applicants interested in permanent residency can apply for any of these economic-class migration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Applicants who have submitted their profile into the Express Entry system are then given a ranked score based on a number of human capital factors, such as age, education, work experience, language skills, and more. This is the basis of the CRS score.
Candidates with higher CRS scores have a better chance of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency. However, all-program draws have a lower cut-off score compared to PNP-specific draws. As of 2020, Canada has yet to conduct an all-program Express Entry draw.
A tie-break rule was applied to this draw. Candidates who submitted their profile to the federal Express Entry system before August 14, 2020, at 6:51:00 UTC received an ITA for permanent residency.
As of this draw, Canada has sent out a total of 10,654 ITAs this 2021. While the IRCC has yet to conduct an all-program draw, these numbers are a positive sign of Canada’s efforts to achieve their goal of inviting 110,000 economic immigraiton candidates this 2021.
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