Canada held the third-largest Express Entry draw focused on PNP candidates this year. 

On October 27, 888 candidates with provincial nominations received invitations to apply for permanent residency through the federal Express Entry system. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued these invitations to candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 744 points. 

Since these candidates are also provincial nominees, their high CRS scores can be attributed to the additional 600 points they received upon obtaining their nominations from their respective PNPs. Without these nominations, the lowest-scoring of these candidates would have only had a CRS score of 144 points. 

This draw is the third-largest PNP-focused draw for Express Entry this 2021. The largest was 1,002 candidates, followed by 940 invitations, both held in June. In the previous draw, the IRCC invited 681 candidates with minimum scores of 720 points. 

Focus on Provincial Nominees 

Since September, the IRCC has not held a draw focused on candidates from any other Express Entry program. Candidates from the federal system’s Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) have not received invitations at all this 2021, with the IRCC focusing heavily on provincial nominees and candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category. 

However, the IRCC has not held a CEC-focused draw since September 14, choosing instead to focus on inviting PNP-linked Express Entry candidates through the rest of the month and well into October. 

Because of this, the number of Express Entry candidates invited over the past month has been significantly less. CEC draws are typically larger than PNP draws because there are significantly more candidates.

Despite the reduced number of invitations, Canada is still at a record-high in terms of their immigratin goals. As of this draw, the IRCC has issued 111,265 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency. 

About the Express Entry System

The IRCC created the federal Express Entry system in order to accommodate the growing number of immigrants looking to settle in Canada. Those who wish to immigrate to the country may apply to any of the three federal programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP); the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). 

Candidates are then assessed and awarded a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score upon submitting an application into the federal system. They are then given a score based on a points system that ranks candidates according to various factors such as age, education, work experience, language skills, and more.

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, feel free register for one of our private online discussions. Register to an orientation for free here.

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