IRCC has conducted the All-Programme Express Entry Draw for the third week in a row.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued a total of 7,000 invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score was 481. IRCC considered candidates from all programmes.
Today’s draw required the lowest CRS score for an all-program draw since the December 23, 2020 Express Entry draw (the score at that time was 468). To bring down the CRS to 481 today, IRCC has invited a total of 21,000 candidates in the last two weeks.
Express Entry is the main way the Government of Canada manages immigration candidates for economic status.
Individuals eligible for at least one of the three Express Entry programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Classes (CEC) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) are able to upload their profile to the IRCC website.
They receive a CRS score based on various human capital criteria, such as their age, education, language skills and work experience.
Generally, IRCC conducts Express Entry draw every two weeks and issues ITAs to the highest scoring candidates.
In recent months, however, the IRCC has not settled on a predictable draw schedule.
For example, it held two draws in consecutive weeks on March 15 and March 23, which were tied for the largest all-program draw ever.
A total of 7,000 Express Entry candidates were invited under each of these draws (14,000 candidates in total).
The all-program draw is when the IRCC considers issuing ITAs to candidates from all three Express Entry programs.
They are distinct from programme-specific draws, in that the IRCC will only consider candidates from one programme.
Once a candidate receives an ITA, he or she has up to 60 days to submit a completed permanent residence application to the IRCC.
IRCC aims to process these applications within six months. If a candidate’s application is approved, they can land in Canada as a permanent resident.
Under the Immigration Level Plan 2023-2025, which guides the operation of Canada’s immigration system, the IRCC is targeting to welcome approximately 83,000 immigrants via Express Entry this year.
The target will increase to 109,000 in 2024 and 114,000 in 2025.
Since last year, Canada has made the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) its primary economic class immigration route.
Most Canadian provinces and territories operate their own PNPs, which enable them to identify (or “nominate”) candidates who meet the needs of their economy.
Canada’s PNP admission target is approximately 106,000 immigrants in 2023, 110,000 in 2024 and approximately 118,000 in 2025.
In recent weeks, several provinces have announced what their new PNP allocations will be.
Canada’s largest province, Ontario, for example, will now be able to enroll 18,000 immigrants in 2025.
A part of PNP operates through Express Entry.
This means that if a candidate is eligible for one of the three Express Entry programs (FSWP, CEC, or FSTP), they can enter the Express Entry pool, and then go to their province to apply for a PNP. Or get an invitation from the area.
The advantage of this approach, known as Advanced Provincial Enrollment, is that those accepted under the PNP stream then gain an additional 600 CRS points.
These additional points virtually guarantee the candidate that they will receive an ITA for permanent residence.
Canada has been experiencing a boom in newcomer arrivals in recent years as the country welcomes more permanent and temporary residents to support its economy following the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, for the first time in the country’s history, Canada’s population increased by more than one million people. Permanent and temporary residents account for over 95 per cent of this growth.