WHATSAPPThe Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued a total of 21200 Invitations to Apply for permanent residence in Canada in the first quarter of 2019. This is 3,700 more than the total number of invitations issued during the same period in 2018. The year 2019 began with the largest ever first Express Entry draw of a year. A total of 3900 invitations were issued in the first draw held on January 10. In the previous year, the total number of ITAs issued in the first draw of the year was 2750, while in 2017, the number was 2902. This year, four out of six draws held so far had a draw size of 3350, while two other draws had a size of 3900.
The first quarter of 2019 also saw the minimum CRS score requirement dropping to as low as 438. This is the lowest CRS score requirement for an all-program draw since the CRS requirement was 436 in the final quarter of 2017.
PNPs selecting Express Entry candidates
The first quarter of the year 2019 was also a busy period for provincial nominee program as the Canadian provinces selected a good number of Express Entry candidates through dedicated streams. As per the three-year immigration levels plan of Canada for 2019-2021, the combined immigration target of PNPs for the year 2019 is 61,000. By 2021, this will be increased to 71300 new admissions.
Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream held its largest draw ever in the first quarter of 2019. A total of 1,493 Notifications of Interest were issued to Express Entry candidates who had CRS scores between 439 and 448. Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) held two draws in the first quarter of 2019 for Express Entry candidates through its Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities Stream. In the first draw held in January, financial auditors and accountants with CRS scores between 400 and 450 were targeted while the second draw held on March 20 targeted candidates who had listed French as their first official language.
Other provinces including Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island also held draws to select Express Entry candidates. The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) held three Express Entry draws in which a total of 515 invitations were issued to Express Entry candidates registered in the province’s unique Expression of Interest (EOI) pool.
Express Entry is a faster and simpler pathway for those who wish to make Canada their permanent home. Get in touch with us to get a free assessment to know your eligibility
