On January 19, Canada set a new Express Entry record, inviting 1,035 provincial nominee candidates to apply for permanent residency.
The record is particularly notable because Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) focused only on inviting Provincial Nominee Program candidates. PNP-specific draws are notorious for small draw sizes and high scores. Prior to this draw, the highest number of PNP candidates in a round was only 1,002.
For this draw, the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement was 745 points, as PNP candidates with Express Entry profiles receive 600 additional points upon obtaining a provincial nomination.
Since September 2021, the IRCC has consistently held PNP-only draws. So far, the plan has continued into 2022, with IRCC inviting 1,428 PNP candidates so far.
However, this may change soon, as the number of Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class candidates now make up the majority of the Express Entry pool.
FSWP and CEC candidates dominate majority of Express Entry pool
Currently, there are 194,000 candidates in the Express Entry pool, 80% of which are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). Almost 20% is made up of the growing population of Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates, and the remaining number of candidates are eligible for the PNP and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
The IRCC has not held a draw for FSWP candidates since December 2020. Prior to the global pandemic, FSWP candidates were the main target of the Express Entry system, with nearly 45% of invitations in 2019 issued to them. Without regular draws, the number of FSWP candidates has increased significantly in the last year.
On the other hand, the CEC pool has only gone without draws since September 2021. Prior to September, the IRCC focused heavily on CEC candidates, drawing as much as 4,000 to 6,000 candidates regularly.
The aggressive draws significantly diminished the pool of CEC candidates. In September last year, they only made up 6% of the total pool. Since the end of CEC draws in September, the number of candidates has replenished, now encompassing 20% of the pool.
About the Express Entry System
In 1995, Canada created the federal Express Entry system in order to manage the growing pool of economic immigration candidates. Candidates who are interested may apply to one of three economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP); the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Applicants who have registered a profile with the federal system are awarded a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. A points system that ranks candidates based on a number of human capital factors such as age, education, work experience, language skills, and more, is the basis for the CRS score.
If you’re interested in a post-pandemic future in Canada, and would like to learn more about the various immigration pathways to permanent residency, we’d like to invite you to register to one of our private online discussions. Register to an orientation for free here.
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