Express Entry: 1,002 Immigration Candidates Invited In New Draw
Ottawa invited 1,002 immigration candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the latest Express Entry draw.
All invited candidates had previously obtained a nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
This is why the score cut-off was relatively high at 742 because all Express Entry candidates in the Express Entry pool automatically obtain 600 points added to their score.
As per administrative requirements, the Canadian immigration department published a cutoff time for the tie-break rule, in any case, there was an actual tie.
In the new draw, PNP candidates who had the minimum score were only invited if they lodge their Express Entry profile before Feb 18, 2021, at 04:04:56 UTC.
In the last PNP-only draw, Ottawa invited 940 PNP candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence, and the score requirement was 711 points.
It was the largest draw of its kind, ever.
Domestic Candidates Prioritized
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been holding only PNP- and Canadian Experience Class (CEC)-specific draws.
This is because these candidates are more likely to already be residing in Canada.
Up until June 21, approved permanent residents could not travel to Canada to complete their landing process.
Although Canada is beginning to scale back on its travel restrictions.
The borders are still closed to non-essential travel and the flight ban from India has been extended by another month.
Despite the present pandemic, Canada is planning to welcome record-breaking numbers of newcomers over the next three years.
In 2021 alone, 108,500 new immigrants are supposed to come via Express Entry-aligned programs.
This year, the federal government has invited almost twice as many immigration candidates as we saw at the same time the previous year.
The large number comes from the historic February 13 draw where IRCC invited every CEC-eligible candidate in the pool, a total of 27,332 people.
About eighty-seven percent of those invited that day applied for permanent residence prior to the 90-day deadline, according to an IRCC email.
Provincial Nominee Program-only and Canadian Experience Class-only draw have very different score requirements.
This is because PNP candidates automatically get an extra 600 points added to their score.
CEC candidates are not competing for invitations from other immigration programs.
As a result, Canada takes more off the top allowing for cutoff scores to dip into the lower levels.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry controls and manages the applications for Federal High Skilled programs, which include the:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program,
- Federal Skilled Trades Program, and
- Canadian Experience Class.
Some PNPs also utilize the Express Entry system to invite immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.
If you are qualified for Express Entry and enter your profile into the pool.
You will receive a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The CRS awards you points based on your education, age, skilled work experience, official language skills, and other factors.
The immigration ministry invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular Express Entry draws.
After you apply, an immigration officer at IRCC makes a decision on your application.
If you are approved, the last step is to finish your landing process and officially become a permanent resident.
