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In the third federal Express Entry draw of 2021 held on January 20, Canada invited 374 Provincial Nominee Program candidates to apply for permanent residence in the country. The CRS cut-off score in the draw was 741. This is way too low compared to the last PNP-specific draw held on January 6, when the CRS cut-off score was 813.
The first two Express Entry draws of the year was held on January 6 and 7. Both these too were program-specific draws. While the January 6 draw invited 250 PNP candidates, in the January 7 draw, 4750 candidates received invitations. Earlier, IRCC had resorted to program-specific Express Entry draws when the country went into lockdown after the outbreak of the pandemic last year. Later, by the end of 2020, Canada again resumed all-program draws that invited FSWP and FSTP candidates.
Compared to the same time period in 2020, Canada has issued a higher number of Express Entry invitations till date in 2021. The number is expected to increase further when the IRCC conducts CEC-specific draws later this week.
Canada Express Entry
Express Entry is the most popular pathway through which Canada admits skilled immigrants to the country. As per the Immigration Levels Plan of Canada for 2021-23, the country will welcome around 110,000 immigrants under Express Entry every year.
Express Entry manages applications for immigration under three federal economic immigration programs, which are Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class.
Applying for immigration under Express Entry involves two steps. The first step is creating an Express Entry profile on the IRCC website. To create a profile, the candidate must demonstrate eligibility under any of the three economic immigration programs managed under Express Entry. The candidates are then assessed and ranked on the basis of various eligibility factors that include age, education, work experience and language skills.
In the next step of the application process, the candidates are selected in the federal Express Entry draws that are usually held once in every two weeks and they are invited to apply for permanent residence in the country. The invited candidates can then submit complete application for immigration to the IRCC.
Canada Provincial Nominee Programs
Another major pathway for immigration to Canada is Provincial Nominee Programs. Most of the provinces and territories of Canada have their own PNP programs that help them address their labour market needs. The Express Entry candidates who are nominated by provinces and territories in Canada will receive 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System score points that would guarantee them an invitation to apply for permanent residence in the Express Entry draws.
2020 was a record-breaking year for Express Entry immigration. Despite the pandemic, IRCC issued 108,350 ITAs last year. Canada is planning to invite even more immigrants through Express Entry this year, who will be able to contribute towards the economic recovery of the country during the post-COVID period.
Express Entry draws in 2021
| Date | Number | Number of invitations issued | CRS cut-off score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-1-2021 | 171 | 250(PNP-specific) | 813 |
| 8-1-2021 | 172 | 4750(CEC-specific) | 461 |
| 20-1-2021 | 173 | 374(PNP-specific) | 741 |
Are you eligible to apply for Canada immigration through Express Entry? Contact CanApprove to know your eligibility.
